The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-05-02


fish It. Many of their observations have
naturally to do with those monumental
ruins, which memoralize a stirring and
powerful past, and some OF the most
attractive pages of the book are those
devoted TO such descriptions. While fine
writing is not the final purpose Of the
book, many telling touches are made in
the bits Of scene descrfption-sunsets.
picturesque local color, etc.
H.
RUTH FARMER: BY Agnes March
bank. The Cassoll Publishing Company
81 east Seventeenth street New York.
For sale BY j. w. Randolph Company.
PHYLLIS or PHILISTIA: BY Frank
Frankfort Moore: Cassell Publishing
Company. New York.
For sale by J. w. Randolph Company.
H.
Current Literature May. 1897. Current
Literature Publishing Company. Bryant
Building. So Liberty street, New York.
50 per annum.
The Improvement I'm this periodical has
been steady and marked. until IL is now
regarded throughout the country as one
of the most valuable and interesting
10 the title Magazine of Contemporary
Record" has never been more admirably
sustained during the years that It has
been received at this office than in the
May numebr. The selections have never
I'm our memory been more discriminative
or more admirably illustrative
So excellent is the quoting, that II IS
impossible TO discriminate I'm favor Of
any one department. the whole being as
thorough a guide 20 current literature
that is in any degree meritOrious as the
most critical might desire. In the de-
partment devoted 10 review Of new books
Andrew Lang's Work OF Lord Byron,
Thomas Hardys "Well-Beloved. and
Beatrice Harraden's latest noyel-"Ililda
stranord"-all receive editorial attention
".
A new book from the pen Of Donald c.
Mitchell. whose picture we publish to-
day. is always welcome. The lOng-pro-
missed American Lands and Letters
similar TO his English Kings and Letters
which preceded it, has just been publish
ed by Charles Scribners Sons. who may
always be relied upon for literary feasts
The book is a fair-sized 20. Of
about 400 pages. well printed on plate
paper, and containing about ninety por-
traits Illustrations, title pages. etc, some
Literature from the days Of Captain
John Smith TO those of William Cullen
Bryant The author has for many years
made a special study Of the fountain
heads of American letters. and this wide
and intimate scholarship. as Current
Literature states. has combined with his
personal knowledge OF most Of the great
literary figures OF half a century ago 10
create a peculiar understanding of, and
comprehensive sympathy with. his sub
iect. The scope OF the book and its own
individual quality is best indicated by a
verbatim quotation of Mr.. Mitchell:
AS | became interested in the subject
matter OF this volume. there grew upon
me a fear" says Mr.. Mitchell, that it
would run to inordnate length--except
some bounds were fixed hence no writer
is dwelt upon whose birth-date belongs
in the present century. This limit shuts
off "A distinguished group Of authors-born
i'm the first decade of this century-whose
names come to the thought of all intent
upon American literary work. The cri-
tics will say. with the justice always dis
tinguishing them-the book should have
been larger and covered more names. or.
shorter and dealt with fewer writers; or
in some way. should have been quite other
than ii is. Indeed, upon reading Of the
proofs. 1 have unwittingly drifted into
agreement with such possible damnatory
phrases and have. again and again. un-
der the imagined critical guidance in
clined to the confession that I have left
undone those things which I ought to
have done. and have done those Things
which | ought not TO have done.
The reader will surely miss the nice
particularly and fullness Of Professor
Tyler-a fulness and particularly which.
unfortunately. grievously delays the con-
clusion OF his valuable work. Nor is there
here that dash and large enforcement
OF far-away periods that charactcriZes
the terse handling OF Professor Beers.
who has put two centuries of literary
flow into a quart hagon. Again. the lit
tie mosaic of illustrative extracts In these
pages must appear quite petty beside
that voluminous and painstaking agsre-
cation of American literature. which
bears the names Of Mr.. Stedman and Of
Miss Hutchinson upon it's forefront.
But why, pray. should the minister %
n quiet country parish stay his voice.
though he cannot equal the sons of Lebe-
dee or any Boanerges of the pulpit? He
may still lead his own flock by cooling
waters. and into the shadow OF some
great rock-by those unfrequentc1 paths
that some happy accident has determin-
ed. rather than by the conventional high
roads where signs are out. and where
crowds are travelling-because crowds are
there.
II have talked In these pages to those
whose qualities or surroundings have in
yited the talk; sometimes modest re-
TRACY has plqued my mention; sometimes
a caprice has been followed which can
not explain, nor wholly justify; | have
made much OF slight clews, and have
dwelt sometimes upon those whom the
critics have relegated 10 back-benches:
in short. | have tried to make this an
own book. and not on echo of the dis
tinguished likes or dislikes Of this or that
exposition.
V.
Amid surroundings which were curl
ously American. II not especially apt