The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-07-23
every HUM0R r'q 5, tcs ;s,s:: !: : s:s:s ::''a

Aliens The Choir Invisible" was
published the latter past Of May. BY
the 3rd Of July it had reached its
fourth edition, and now the fifth is
ready. 1t is the most highly praised
novel that ever came from a southern
ably not great it is aboriginal. in
teresting and written in a style that
ranks him among the very best Of
living writer's. The New York Times
said Of it:
mo more thoroughly original and ty-
pical American work has appeared in
many days. 1t breathes on every page
a spirit Of adventure, bravery. charac-
ter, intelligence, and simple faith"
We have not written Of it because
we have not read it. We read three
of his earlier productions. and in these
columns recognized his remarkable
skill and attractiveness as a writer.
We saw there was poetry in the young
Kentuckian, whether it was ever ex-
expression only in most musical, refin-
ed, sweet English prose. He was scored
for the last move before this. It had
the bad flavor Of Hardy by suggestion
lost the purity and delicacy Of his
two novels that preceded it. He called
it "a Summer in Already" in this coun-
try and Butterflies" in England. He
was born in Kentucky of Virginia
blood on his fathers side and Scotch
Irish (Pennsylvania) blood on the
mothers side.
Marion Crawford writes so much
three or four novels a year-he is hard
to keep pace with. Considering his
productiveness he is a remarkably in
teresting novelist. His best book we
know of by reading, casa Braccio,'
promised to be a great novel, but
the last half is far below the first half,
and is vicious and foul besides. His
ga Rose of Yesterday" lately publish
ed, is praised as a sweet, pure story.
Andrew Lang has a something high
estimate of our American, born and
living in Rome:
"F. Marion Crawford is the most
versatile and various of modern nov-
elists. He has great adaptability and
subtleness of mind, and whether deal
ing with life in modern Rome, in the
wilds of India, or in the fashionable
quarter of New York, in the Black
Forest, or in a lonely parish of rural
England, he is equally facile and sure
Of his ground; a master of the nara
tive style, he throws a subtle charm
over all he touches"
Mr.. Lang has a good opinion of an
other novelist. Mr.. Quiller-Couch
English, with whom we have a slight
acquaintance, having read one or two
of his stirring He is a clev-
er literary critic. also. Mr.. CUTLER
Couch is to attempt to finish Steven
sons uncompleted novel "St. Ives" We
thing it not improbable that he can dc
it as we'll as any living writer-possi
bly, better than Weyman or Hawkins
or Doyle or any other romanticist. We
read with real pleasure some years
since "His Splendid Spur" Mr.. Lang
a Scotch countryman Of Stevenson's
thinks the latter would have gladly
accepted the aid, while Mr.. CUTLER
Courch very generously lends,' and
says of Stevenson's incomplete story:
1T is not subtle and passionate, it is
a romance, almost a boys book, and
answers to the escape of Peter Simple
and O'Brien through France. Exec
| lent reading it is and will be. MI. Quill.
ler-Couch has, as Mr.. Stevenson him.
self said to a friend Of his and mine
the genius for romance nor, I an
certain, will he fail to do justice to hi:
lead fellow worker"