The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-08-09
THE CRITICS COLUMN.
D1yorED no COMMENT UPON QUIZ
RENT LITERArUEE.
"rhs Babe b. Az" Mr.. Benson's Latest
yoIums-The New Bchemisn ior
xust-Litersry Notes.
TIE RABE B. A., BY Edward +. Bon
-, ~ - Ptltnams Sons New ioiA

Gf,,,-,rs,IvH made his debut before the
reading public a year or two ago, tnrousn
the publication OF "Dodo. IL was ?"
rotten in MOTIF and execution that II I'M
medately created sensation, OF course,
OF an ephemeral kind, having no soiiu
cleyerness 60 excuse the rottennsss.
IL has been well said OF 1t that In Eng
land the book has frequently been clteu
as an argument in favor or the celDdcy
OF the clergy Mr.. Benson being son
OF the Very Rev. the Archbishop or can
terbury "Dodo" was followed by The
Rubicon" which was weaker than us
predecessor. and then everybody began 10
wonder upon what basis Mr.. Benson rest
ed his faith in his power 20 interest the
reading public. From the critics came
that vigorous expression OF that wonder.
and no more has been heard OF Mr.. Ben
son until the publication OF this volume
"'rhe Babe b. A." upon which he is 10
lie congratulated. as upon the production
OF bright natural, entertaining book.
with regard TO its character. Mt ben
son says In his dedication, addressed IN
the form OF a letter. TO Dear Toby"
You will remember, too, when / first
mentioned the idea 81 II 70 you. that,
with some sOlemniiv. we procured large
sheet OF foolscap paper. and blue pencil,
ard then and theirs set ourselves 20 put
down All the remarkable ana stirring
events which happened 10 us In those
four years we spent together at Cam
bridge: how we failed egregiously 10 recall
ANYTHING remarkable or stirring
which CAME within our personal ex-
rerience and thereupOn cast or, as you
said. speired' about for any remarkable
and stirring incident which had happen
ed. not. alas TO us. but TO anybody else
soever. Here. again, may recall 10 you
that we drew blank, and onr sheet OF
oapcr was still virgin-white our blue
pencil az sharp as ever. and ths book no
nearer conception than before.
"Then e was that the uncomfortable
conviction dawned on us
that. In the majority OF cases. remarkable
and stirring events. do nor hefall the
Undergraduate. and that II tho book was
20 be made at all. IN must he made ~
homely . fneredients-a cricket
hall canoe. a trinod. a don, croquet-
mallet. a few undergraduates. Greek
plav some work and so forth; for N
seemed 70 us that the superfGisl Inquirer
finds that th>ee things ara
common to the experience Of most man.
hnif that when YOU heGfn 10 deal I'm snirtt-
ualiflos heroes. cfnfury-rna king captains
OF clevens chess-bues and higher aspi-
ratfons: you desert the normal plano
FOR the super-normal where peonie like
yol and me have no business ~ intrude
$50 that now VI IL complete. vcu viii
find therein neither births. deaths, nor
marriages"
This much sor Mr. Benson's cnncep-
tiOn Of the hook As matter of fart
r. is n niquant easy faithful picture
~ tho lifa Of the normal undergrafu-
ate" the fipnant ligh,ness Of THE
Pa he" by no means concedine from the
reader an innatelv-nOhle and most lovahle
nature as well "a exceptional mental
gifts.
THE NEW BOHEMIAN. August 1896
New York For sale hv all newsdealers
80 Dofa ,ta,,
Tor August IS called 1.-TWO In a Garden"
and ia from the ncn ~ I.eonora Beck II
f. story Of the weakness OF human ma
ture. and the strength Of human love.
Along tho Dunes M Ssheveningen. hv
Mercia Abbott Keith is well-written
and fnely-illustrated article on this IA
mus Dutch watering-place.
T. G. Robinson tells. n n seni-humo-
rous vein, of 1.-THE Birksliding OF
Backwoods Christian" and incidentally
givea some clever pictures or cracker-lite
and character IN South Florida.
T. Soule smith Falcon) writes OF Tho
Woman and The Plano" This paper Is
minglinc Of bu-lesque. sentiment, h'unor'
and philosophy.
UWhat the Chinook Wind Brought:
Study IN Superstition" by John Northern
billiard IS a weird and interesting story
OF Northwestern folklore.
There are numerous other ATTRACTIVE
features. the stories. particularly, beng
OF unusual merit. c,,-
Bowman Metcalfe. Roy Farrell Greene
Edward W. Barnard. Rosita Sherwood: j
Edmund V. Cooke. Charles hatnlion
A'rsgrove. iona Gale. Gsrrard Harris.
ALICE f.. Schmall g. M. Gaines, J., X. a.
Condit. Roy r. House. and lean Wrlent'
ST. NICHOLAS. August, 1896. MIS- mary
Naues Dodge Editor New YORK.
For sale by all newsdealers.
The August number or ms ne . .n,,,
dren's favnrite. opens with Russian
story. by Fannie Locke Mackenzie, en-
titled "The Little Duchess and me Lon
Tanner" The heroine, crippled kou-
DAUGHTER Of the Gar through acqualnt-
ance with a lion-tamer or me circus
learns OF a Nihinst plot 10 XII me auto
crat of an the Russias who Is 70 be at
tsDi,ad while dining with the Grand-Duke'
the girls father. II IL through her qu. "a
ness az wit and bravery thar the ploilels
ans foiled. The story Is told IN stFle
which will delight the small person anu
Is fully and finely ILLUSTRATED by e. NJ
Rclvea. -,
ID hv bright sketch. entitled, THE
Patio II S,ena.' i0s-0h Ienh I'll HIS
irate. his Wifas article.
eugene Field the chhdren's poet, IS
the subject OF two sympathfuc aruclsS
one bv Mary J. Reid and Henrietta beX-
brother. the other. by Martha Nelson
Venowine. Both abound IN pleasant anec-
d0te. Illustrating the genial sunny nature
of the rOet. and his love for. ana friend
shin with children. Harry NJ. Lay, VINO
tas children o. his own, and knows what
ri,eses the small mind tells some very
surprising things that may be done with
"a eaud-Pue' after experimenting IN
The backyard Of his city homo. lie
shows how. out OF toys and sand-pile,
some remarkable battle scenes may be
made. and gives some photographs or
them. which az nrst slanfe would seem
pictures or actual conflicts on large
rcafe The article Is full OF suggestion
FOR summer Amusement. Ernest lngersoh,
in "rho Tricks Of Torpedo BOats." tells
Of nirht practice with these little sea-
scouts against the great white cruisers.
All ~ tho serials have interesting in
stalments.
noem. entitled. "a BUNNY Romance" and
there are the usual number OF verses and
fngles.
TTIF FOLLY or EUsTACE. BY Robert
6 Hichens. Authcx OF "A Green Carna-
tion" n. Appleton & Co. New York.
- cents.
For salo by 7. w. Randolph Company.
YOrP MONEY OR YOUR LIFE Bv
Faith Carpenter. Charles scribners
Sons.
For sale w 7. W. Randolph Company.
This very nleasant story obtained the
81 0oo prize IN the competition instituted
hv the New York Herald IL is n Glove"
story with the Ultimate marriage ~
Miss Janet and Tom. as q result clearly
dlscernlhle very early IN the book, These
are tho pc0ple I'm whom the readers in
terest centres but there are numerous
other characters. Well presented, the