The sun., 1897-11-20

story, " Eat not thy heart says Julien uor-
don's' title. Mr.. Stephen Crane. in one OF his
peculiar poems, celebrates a melancholy man.
whose excuse for eating his heart was that 1t
was bitter II seems as though he might have
moro conveniently and better eaten water
crcsscs OF tho homoiy potaEo that is made OF
dandelions Any way, 1t is certain that Julien
Gordon's French cook preserved his great aud
bold hoart TO perfectly normal uses, md that IL
was never icoporded in q skillet or published on
any bill Of faro.
Blown Away" is the title OF book written
by Mr.. Rich trd Mansfield and published by
hessrs. L. G. Page & Co. Mindful of his re-
sponsibilties and fearful lest there should be
amy misunderstanding as TO the true inward
moss and real significance of this "nonscnsicNl
narrative without rhyme or reason as the
author calls It, no has written n preface do.
signed to put the gentle public at its case.
Happily, the day Is long gone by when tho
advent of a troop of players was hcraided by
children flying along country lanes and cry
ling "Nothcr mother take in the wash
ing, the actors arc coming!' To.any they
come in private car. preceded By the three
shcet poster and the Gontlcmanly agent in nd.
vance. and the star is person of Importance.
Hence, as the great should ever be ccnsidcratc,
1t was, perhaps, as well that Mr.. Mansfield
ohould thus ar,lessly allay any possible suspi-
cion In his readers breast This book con-
tains no sarcasm, satire. or cynicism. 1t was
written Us purely childish and innocent pas
fime 1t hides no sting 1t was never intended
for publication. There exists no adequate
reason why it should have been published. 1t
relates no story. 1t has no point policy.
or purpose. II tho author harbored any design.
1t was to entertain some young people during
lengthy journey. 1t was then tossed aside and
forgotten. 1t should not have been disturbed.
lpat la, l,,,,l oa1.,
rainy day. The author read these pages to
Number OF small boys who could not escape.
The smallest and least intelligent boy was
amused. He bore out the promise of his child
hood by becoming publisher. He traiicd tho
man who had corraled him that rainy day.
His object was to wreak a long-delnyed ven
Eeance Ivy publishing his hook. He nc.
complishcd his fell purpose by hribing the
author Nothing remains but to pity the
author and eXecrate the publishers" This is
Interesting in ITSELF but the main point lies in
the assurance that Mr.. Mnnsheds intentions
are not unfriendly. AS he is strong, so will ho
he mcrciful. No sarcasm, satire. or cynicism
will ho weld so lot the old world wag as it will.
he hath no quarrel with it. AS for his nonsense,
though 1t is not the nonsense of Gilbert or u
Lewis Carroll, and though he has II fatal fond
ness for rhymes of n rich cockncy flavor. such as
"claw" and "roar" and "gore" and "Noah" 4"
there Is, hero and there. some excellent foonS
in the book II put into suitable dramatic form
1t might evon commend itself for representation
at the independent theatre The prologue might
show Mr.. Mansfield in the act Of repulsnG tho
publisher. who offers sum thrice told in
stacks of stage money, and only parting with
thc precious manuscript after the fearful solic
tatons of the typewriter and the press agent
In the drama itself Mr.. Mansfield might play
the moon. while Mr.. George Bernard Shaw
should certainly be cast for tho part of "the
oad. lone voice" Hero. for example, is little
bit that seems sufficiently dramatic:
>'Woe. woe. hA. hal" spoke the sad, lone voice.
did you ever know any one so provoking !!
What does woe, woe ha, ha! mean, and why
do you say 1t 2"
"Shal tell you--shallIl Shall l shatter your
dolls, your hobby horses, your flower beds
shall IT.
You can't"
Can't Can'ti Do you mean cannotl Oh.
how soon, how sooni Woc w0c ha, hal say
At always, ever, forever, this day, next day.
eometiIre never. say it because what is woe
10 lauGhahle. and what is laughable is woe.
Woe, woe, IN, hal! is everything, something.
all things. nothing. It's the pyramids. It's the
ephiux!"
Are you aware" asked the monkey, that
you are disturbing the nctingf'
Inc San lone voice Tcll from MS sent 10 inc
floor, and wrthcd there in u paroxysm OF
laughter. His mcrrimcnt ro led in waves be.
meath the seats and chilled the feet OF the
audience. Shaking then tho dust from his loose
hahiliments and sweeping tho grizzlcd locks
from his pale and thoughtful forehead, Act
ing2 Did you, did you say actingi Did you
ever hear me 7"
For such comparatively unimportant parts as
the Omniverous Goat, the Boy in the Eleva-
vator, and the Frog that tries to look like a
and explodcs at intervals, representatives
might be selected from the comprehensive
staff " of the theatre run by the selfappointed
-'exponents OF the new and the bald" AS for
Old Father Noah. who runs museum OF mon
strosities and manufactures beasts to please
the public, both principal and an understudy
for that part will at once suggest themselves.
Beth was q fine instrument, sensitive to q
touch. and, considering the way she was han
died. 1t would have been n wonder II discordan,
effects had not been constantly produced upon
her." For the first three months after her birth
she cried incessantly, and all through life she
had a wretched time of it, until at last a horse
man came riding over the hills with the sur
shining on his face, and let us hope he made hcl
moderately happy. In THE Beth Book" TAP
pletons) Mrs. Sarah Grand has written the history
OF her heroine, and as the volume contains some
six hundred closely printed pages, II is reason
able to suppose that no essential incident il
her career has been omitted. She was preco
cious child, with a frankness that was some
times awkward in its results, and with certain
habits that must have made her terror Il
those with whom she lived She was given t.
wandering in the moonlight and talking will
the fairy folk and on one occasion she discov
cred her uncle James-a large. fat, pious persol
taking quiet stroll with the kitchen maid ant
talking in this way:
"What will Jmmicwimme give his Jenny
penny = sho WAS saying as they approached.
First, what will Jenny-penny give he
Jimmie.wimme 7" Uncle James cooed.
First, nice e-sweet-kiss!
"Ducky-dcarie!" Jimmie winnie gurgle'
ecstatically, taking the kiss with the playful
grace of an elephant gambolling."
Next morning at breakfast, when the cheerful
child mentioned the matter, uncle james wa
seriously annoyed. Beth goes to school. dc
yelops advanced" and somewhat vague Wow