The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-10

ond will be given Saturday, Jan. 90
by Miss Lillian Bell, James Whitcomb
Riley and John Fox Jr
1t is rare occasion when three such
bright particular stars of the literary
world can be heard on one platform in
an evening, and their admirers. Who
are legion, appreciate that fact. The
full measure Of the literary abilities of
these interesting groups is quite as
fully appreciated in the Northwest as
IN any portion Of the country, for books
are universal property, but the knowl-
edge Of their capabilities as readers is
not so Widespread, for their fields as
public entertainers in person have not
extended far into the West. Mr. Riley,
OF course, is an exception, for he has
read in every part of the country
Mrs. Stuart has been reading her de-
lightful and picturesque stories. filled
with their Southern warmth for about
four years, and her success in this field
has quite equalled her literary success.
Eugene Field said Of one of her read
ings in Chicago: Mrs. Stuart's negro
dialect comes nearer to perfection than
that of any other cOntempOraneou
writer, and presumably so because
when she addresses herself to negro
dialect she not only speaks, but also
thinks in it." Her soft, melodious
VOICE is exactly suited to the readings,
and her winning personality and lively
intelligence aid her in interpreting her
own writings with great vivacity and
effect. She is a born raconteur, and
her books are like herself
Miss Bells introduction to public
reading grew out of her brilliant con-
versational powers and her abilities
for keeping a whole roomful of her
friends highly entertained without any
visible effort and unaided. Her circle
of auditors in Chicago widened beyond
her personal friends, and she quickly
came into public notice and is sue
cessfully occupying the field as a pub
lie reader, field in which Mrs. Stuart
ana Miss Bell have scarcely a COM
petitor among women. The number
OF men who read from their own works
Is larger and still not so large that
one can afford to miss any who read
Well. Mr.. Riley's beautifully sympa-
thetic reading needs no praise Mr..
Bangs and Mr. Townsend are both
popular readers in the East, and are
much in demand, but their editorial
duties do not permit them to spend
much time in this way or make MANY
long trips. Mr.. Fox is both lecturer
and reader Of his own inimitable dia
lect stories and has been unusually
successful in pleasing the most cultured
and critical audiences. Although his
stories are intensely dramatic and stir
ring, he does not "eIOcute" and is en-
tirely simple and unaffected in his
graphic pOrtrayals Of the strong and
rugged types Of mountaineers which he
has created.
All of these authors are story writ
ers, although James Whitcomb Rilev's
chief title to fame is not based on his
stories. All except Mr.. Bangs are dia-
Iect writers, although this is not p
distinguishing quality of Miss Bells
writings, for she does not approve Of
dialect writing and avoids it wherever
II IS possible in her mountain story
a Little Sister OF the Wilderness >"
which deals with a dialect-speaIlfng
people. Mrs. Stuart justifes writing
dialect by saying that she does 50
only because the. people she writes
about talk just that way, and she does
not see her way out Of It, Mrs Stuarr
knows thoroughly the people of whom
she writes, and this makes that dialect
an altogether different thing from the
stories written with the dialect as the
chief motive by people who have only
surface knowledge of IL. Each Of
the others are equally at home in their
chosen fields
Mrs. Stuart Is the author of Gar
ding" The Story Of Babette."
Sonny and others. The locale Of all
OF these collections Of short stories IL
Louisiana and Arkansas, in which Mrs
Stuarts life was spent until within a
few years.
In "Chimmie Fadden" and "a
Daughter of the Tenements," Mr.