The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1896-05-30

The story Of The Three Johns" ID -
realistic - the most modern art stu
dent. who puts down his brush when
the sun goes under . cloud. can pro-
duce THE blissard. the stampede. the
hot wind which has Ill the diameter
isttcs OF the simeon Of the desert. Hrs.
Peattie reproduces with horrible ex-
actness. The despair, the loneliness.
the toll Of the prairie dweller Of western
Nebraska are pictured with q sympa-
thetic hand. There n not much Of the
glorifled mosaic Of the spring time. nor
morning and evening. nor much Of the
rustle-song Of the corn. The prairies
are never-ending and make the farmers
and their wives Grassy. The sun -
pictured 1t his worst and highest and
In his most devilish act Of burning up
the corn. From first to last the book
n true 20 far - the climate and the
Hardship Il causes are concerned. The
conclusions are not exactly correct. be-
cause . stranger would not know that
the Nebraska climate IL one of the most
healfhful and stimulating weathers on
the globe. Cool. fragrant. musical.
summer nights. . fan that lasts from
October into January Of next year
more than overbalance the truth she
has told about an unusual spring and
midsummer. To be sure. the agony
and suspense Of drought IL not exag-
gerated. the internal vindictiveness Of
. blissard b underexpressed and the
heroism Of the men and women who are
Aghting storm and drought with the
broken weapons Of poverty il only
faithfully recorded. The impression
would not be % strong II the author
had decorated and draped her stories
In flowers and showers. As one OF those
who 1--we where plumbing. artesian wells
and arb0riculture have made the eli
mate fatal only to the old and the
young. am grateful to Mrs. Peattie
for reminding me OF these, my brethren,
who toll without reward and give up
the struggle without recognition. There
are sentences that recall The Ancient
Mariner: The heat Of the summer
was terrible. The sun came up In that
blue sky like q curse, and hung there
TIN night came to comfort the blistering
earth"
The Jim Lancy's Waterloo" story
closes with the sentence: I've got
just enough to buy q ticket with.
There's . kind Of satisfaction in giving
the last cent / have to the railroads"
The narrative has shown that Jim Lam
cey's crop was destroyed by drought
But ~ the weather II unresponsive to
curses or compliments and never asks
my favors Of man he lays his poverty
to the door OF the railroads. Even q
populist can see that 1t II not the policy
4 tie railroads to depopulate the
larmsL 30 long - III the farmers pay
he same rates they get just ~ much
profit from their grain, within certain
limits. a. though the rates were small
er. For the market price. among other
Kings. includes the cost Of transporta-
ion. II II cost less to send II, it would
ell for less. Jim Lancy's irony Ii a.
as q drowning mans curses
lgainst water.
Ars- Peattie has the spirit Of 4 knight
rant. Women erased by injustice and
he fear Of starvation. frightened chill
lren, sun-defeated farmers who cry
ut against what seems the urighteous
ause Of their trouble ~ the sick some
lines curse God. ind in Mrs Peattie
wrathful champion. 1 think she
vill yet make that small, whining man
rho goes about saying he did not kill
Ira Notson and her children appreci-
te II he cannot emulate the power of
ruth