The times., 1897-07-18

and not courting favor" (New York:
Fleming II .Revell. Washington: Woodward
& Lothrop.)
Ruth MoEnery Stuarts name is not inn
pressed on the panels OF fame with any
degree of indeHbility as yet, but the lines
in which it Is written are bold and firm,
and it is read here in the eyes OF all who
know her books. She has written much.
II tile products OF her prolific pen are not
impressive and magnificent in their charac-
ter, Ihev surrey are honest ana cllaste, the
hunIor is delicate, the sentiment is natural,
the realism is unaffected and deIiciously
agreeable.
One could go into an Arkansas town like
SlInkinsvilc and find much else than has
focus on Mrs. stuart S retlna, DIuch of force
full naturalism and tragic truth, but She
has elected to disclose only the huInor and
the sentiment of the pioneer life of the
frontier village. She sketches her charac-
ters with Il sensitive and appreciatiye pen.
All IS grist that comes to her mill Every
line i S a kernel OF humor or sweet senti-
ment Which warns the heart. There is
10 ohaff of padding, or affectation, or
faddish NONSENSE. She reads very mach, as
did the lameuted H. c. BuDner. There isthe
same whoieSorneness in both, abundant
humor, exd'.isite refinement even in the
delineation Of the store gang III the Sim
kinsyil.e general store.
But am stories re not of simkinsville-
Only the volume given out last week is
about people and things in sinikinsville."
The others were ''Carlotta's Intended and
other Tales" ..The Golden Wedding and
other Tales" The Story of Palette" and
Solomon Crows Christmas Pockets" II
you have read them you remember them.
ana TO remember them is 10 remember
them pleasantly.
..In Simkiusvnlc'' contains seven stories
OF that town - amusing people. She has
the gift which is most enyiabIe art, of
seikiug upon the commonplace in character,
person, place and thing. and converting
it l,y subtle touch into thing Of infectinds
interest II is this graceful talent which
has dignified many a tedious page of less
talented hut Uoie famous writer's. The
faculty of personiiying things in this happy
manner waS one OF Dickens most en- jOya ble
devices
An instance Of Mis- Stuarts' faculty for
reproducing Cpnixtule Of sentiment and
humor in connection with Gainty play of
impersonal perSunifieation is sfown II he
discussion about tie old stove in the hack
of the VILLAGE stole, as set out i'll the story:
'.An Arkansas Prophet"
See nat stove how she spits smoke.
east wind will make her spit any day
seems to gag her. 1t was McMunlgle
speaking, and he chuckled softly, as ne
leaned forward, and began poking the fire.
'.Yas, she hates an ca 81 wind, but she likes
me-aont sou. old gill? See her glow red
in the face while ] chuck her under the
chin"
Look cut YOU don't chuck out a coal of
fire on kitty with your fooling,' said
oid mar Taylor .'she does blush in the
face, don't she? An see her wink underher
isinglass spectacles when she's flirred
with"
That stcve's a well-he haved old lady"
Intercepted the doctor; reg larry gifts re-
Bgion aud shouts whenever the winds
frun the right quarteT-an' | won't have
her spoke OF with disrespec; II she could
tell all she's heard, settin there summer
end winte-, l reckon il d make a hook,
an q intcrcstin one, too. There's been
cats and mice born in her all summer, an
li-ds hatched, an' Rowton tells me les
got a doninicker here that's reg1arly
watched for her fires TO go Out last two
seasons, so size can lay in her An didn't
YOU never rear about Phil ToIand hidin 2
whisky bottle in her one day last sHInIner
and smash a W hole settin' o eggs? The
hen she squawked out at him, an all but
skeered him to death He thought he had
a 'tackt the tremeDs. an Of adult
variety"
PITY it hand't askeert him into teni-
pcrense," remarked the man opposite.
Sucn is the vein of playful gentleness
which permeatcs Mrs Stuart's book through
and through 1t is amusing and refreshing;
it warns one to the author and it holds one
to her book, and the aftermath is sense
of rebuke to the new writer's who destroy
sentiment and deal out nauseous literal
isns (New York: Harper & Brothers.
Washington: Brentano)
Frederick Stokes sent last week a new
volume titdlarly self-explanatory, "Hoye,
an Encyclopedia of Indoor Games" by r.