davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The times., 1897-06-06
LINCOLN'S PHILOSOPHY.
Serene Over an interrupted Chess
Game.


Mr. Lincoln was very partial TO and quite
ski!iful in the game of chess, and a few
years before he was made President Judge
Samuel II. Treat, a grave and learned
gentleman, then chief justice Of the Illinois
supreme court, was his frequent anita gonist,
and probably a little his superior as n
player In the hot months OF summer
Springfield was a sleepy place. and one
sweltering summer noontide these two
friends were having an engrossng game
in the still, deserted supreme courtroom,
with the board ON their knees between
them. In the critical stage OF a closely
contested game while Treat was deeply
pondering a move, Lincoln's son Tad"
then probably eight or ten years old, came
suddenly into the room, and laying his
hand on his fathers shoulder. said, in
sistnetly: Pa, Ma says for you TO come
down home right away. She wants you"
'AIl right Tad said his father alb
stractedly, you run home and tell her
III be there in minute"
Theboy had probably had some experience
of what in minute" meant when chess
was in question, and he muttered something
with an ominous shake OF the head, but
walked quietly to the door and waited
there several minutes Treat did not stir.
but studied the board with the closest at
teItion, and Lincoln sat motionless Pres
emily the boy came back, gave his father
a little shake and repeated.
Il say ma wants you TO come down home
right away, She wants you now.''
'Sh-shi Tadl Yes-yes-in a minute
in minute said his father, with a de-
precatory wave OF his hand, hut without
taking his eyes from the board.
The boy stood for a minute or two in
petulant iinpatience and then suddenly
lifting his foot, with a vigorous kick sent
the hoard ant the cheSsmen flying about
the room. Treat sprang to his feet, his
usually quiet visage flaming with wrath,
but clinched his teeth and said nothing
Mr.. Lincoln dropped back in his Chair with
curious laugh OF amused dismay. looked
up with mruffled good humOr and said.
wei, jadgei I guess that's Tad's game!
You set 'em up again, and Wen have it
out scu.e other day Come along, Tadl
Let's 60 see what ma wants., and without
other words hetoOk the boy by the Land and
strobe calmly awaytOward home.
The incident didn't promise much in re-
spect of disciplinary force in the matter of
bringing up a boy in the way he should
GO Tut 1t did throw a strong light On that
wonderful quality of serene and endless
patience that carried him unGisnla yed
throuehthe most appalling perplexities and
responsibilities that have confronted any
statesEra of modern times. Chicago Thnes
Herald
The times., 1897-06-06

catch yourself. and thank yoar stars no
one saw you nodding over Bodley Head
book. a few more pages and you simply
feel Obliged to put the book aside. Or
course, it's not that Egerton's syInpho-
MES are all andante and pianissimo. Never
on such paper, in such type, between such
covers, and under such patronage. No;
it's simply and solely rude and crude in
capacity for this caviar. Truly, the Eyer
ton Symphonies on any other than John
Lane paper would stand but little chance
Of a hearing. They are monotonously cor
rect Ia technique, but the tempo is so DIS
tressingly unvarying, and the mute is
continually on, and there is no cantabiie,
and no con amore, or con fuoco, or presto;
it's Just all largo, with the soft pedal
Very pretty as a largo, perhaps, and very
soft, so far as the pedal is concerned, but
well, you understand the symphonic prop
critics (New York: John Lane. Wash
ington: Woodward Lothrop.)
The times., 1897-06-06

and as a boy of seventeen, in the Italian
class, made SO remarkable a translation
in verse from Tasso that il called form
the enthusiastic praise of Prof. Biaet-
terlnan, our first professor of modern Ian
guages.
Nothing has ever been done to com
memorate the genius OF Poe here, and its
connection with the university. We pro
pose, after consulta tation with Valentine.
the sculptor, TO erect bronze bust 1t
NAV be d bronze bas-rclief-in an alcove
set aside for this purpose. AT an en-
tlusias tic meeting, held the other night
at the Jefferson Hall, presided over by
DIR. K ent a committee Of ways and means
was appointed, and quite an encouraging
sum of money was subscribed to start tie
niovem ent.
II proposed TO include in the alcove not
only all the available editions, commentaries,
translatons. autographs, rare prints, and
so on, connected with Poe, but also to make
the spot sacred to Southern literature gen
erally to include in the collection other
poets and literary Inen and women, such
as Lanier, Page, Harris, Allen, Cooke, Sims,
ThoInpson Timrod Randall, Hayne, Mrs.
Preston, the rare group of dialect writer's
ro~ t.vtore the public-Craddock, Stuart,
Davis-and others, sothat this alcoye might
be working laboratory Of material for
students interested liz this subject as
whole Here they could find everything
to their hand, with Poe as the central
figure and central inspiration; and in aid
of this purpose I offered, as a start, to
set aside 500 contributed to the library
last year, 10 rthe purchase OF editions Of
Poe In the course of the summer, the
library viii be in working order, and /
have already written TO New York to see
what can he done for us in collecting
material to fill the alcoye.
'The suggestion was made that, as there
was a beautiful window in Westminster
Abbey dedicated TO Chaucer and filled with
scenes from the Canterbury Tales and
one in Stratford Church dedicated to Shake
speare, with memorial scenes from his
plays, perhaps a Poe window might be
the most appropriate shape for the memo
rial to take The bust will cost $3.50.
What we want now is for the ladies Of
this club and the other literary clubs to
help us during the coming autumn with
an entertainment. dramatic or musical, or
whatever form 1T may take, so as to assist
in raising this considerable sum. 1t is
proposed to dedicate the bust on October
Z, 1899, the fiftieth anniversary of PUe's
death, and to do this we must start early,
order the bust and have the money OH hand
to pay for it"
The times., 1897-06-06

Ore OF the praiseworthy springti1ne offer
ings OF poesy is little volume of ''Fu.;i-
tive Verses by Henry Jerome Stockard
sentiment and pleasant ina gerry, dainty,
refreshing, and flowing with graceful
cadence Some of them are in sonnet
form, and the singer shows no less skill
in voiclng this difficult form of poeticai
expression. There is a beautiful expression
of the idea of the unattained in these lines:
The marble, bosomed in the mountain hoar,
Holds in his heart, waiting some haad
most skilled,
Forms featured fairer yet than that
which thrilled,
And moved Pygmalion's touch Of yore.
The Instruments keys await a gran Ter
score
Than that whose faintest echoes, haply,
chilled
Mozart with rapture, and an instant
stilled
His breath. then died away forevermore
There is scene no painter ever feign,d,
or Eden's restful fields lost visions
loved!-
Dead shores. where tempests, hoarse,
Titanic roll;
A song unsung more sweet than that which
chained
The heartof Hades king-thaneverm moved
The subtlest chord in Shakespeare lofty
ssoul!
New York: G. Putnam's Sons. Wash
iDgton: Brentano)
The times., 1897-06-06

Primarily from the Critic, secondarily
from the New York Times, we learn that
.Trilby" has reached Germany, in a
translation of Paul Potter's drama, by
Julius Turk. If possible, it is more unat-
tractive in German than in English Turk
plays Sveugali in one theater, Dutch
actor who speaks bad German plays him
in another. In dress and speech the British
artists of the old Quarter Latin are very
comical, If for no other reason than their
remoteness from anything possibly sug-
gestive of Britain or the Quar- tier Latin
or art Among other relics of New York
in Berlin is Carmencita, who dances almost
as well as of yore, but seems to excite
little enthusiasm in dingy audiences at
the dingy Apollo Theater She is lot
acrobatic enough to startle them, and
they do not know what genuine dancing
is"
The times., 1897-06-06

A now novel by new writer is ''Leonora
of the Yawnlish," by Francis Dana. II is
an attractive story OF primitive Oregon
forest life. The author uarrates with much
hunor and considerable focus of the lights
and shades CT human nature. The heroine
is his best drawn character, and she rs
truly cnarmng girl The storyis, briefly,
that, as Mr. Willoughby has taken a dis
like to mankind, after the fashion OF TiInon
OF Athens, he lived III the Oregon woods
with his daughter LeoDora. Charles Nor
man Moorehead met her while hunting,
and they became engaged He returned 10
Roston only 10 find he cared for an old
sweetheart, Nellie MeTivale. She suggested
that his brother, Thomas Norman Moore
head, be sent TO Oregon 10 perSonate him
wth Leonora, and Tom, who was very
hard up. agreed. Reaching Oregon, he
really fell in love with LeOnoTa and be-
anne properly ashamed of himself. Finally
she forgave him, and he, after making a
fortune IN lumber, married her. New
York: Harper's Washington: Woodward
6 Lothrop.)
The times., 1897-06-06

At the last meeting OF the Book Club
OF the University of Virginia, the follow
ing statement was read by Prof. James
A. Harrison: sThere is one matter, es-
pecialiy, which should like to bring before
the Brookland Club before we adjourn this
evening and that is the proposition lately
made by the twin English de
partments and the students OF
tile university, to erect some sort OF
memorial TO Edgar Allen Poe in the Ro-
tunda Library When it is finished. Poe
confronts us at the very threshold of the
university-for he was here in 1926 as its
most iliustrious alumnus, W no distinguished
himself while here in Latin and French,
The times., 1897-06-06

Some of the magazine serials are ripen-
ing au this time One OF the first fruits Of
the harvest is Richard Harding Davis Sol
diers Of Fortune whica has for sou,e time
been feature OF Scrihner's review
of this book Will bring the news of it To
very few, for, aside from The Martian' IN
HarpeTs, Davis story has attracted more
attention than any o ther serial Of the year
AS those who can remember SO far back
recall, Davis story began in his own de
lightfui, If conventional. atmosphere, a
New York dTawin groom Here, and of
its types and doings, he is indeed master.
SO the dinner party at which Miss Lang
ham M Gets MFR. Clay, the frontiersmaa, is a
success But directly the scene shifts, and
withverylfttle maneuveTing all the dramaus
persOnae are mustered at Olancho, OF the
northeastern coast of South America Be
ing an ordinary conventional sort of an
everyday South American republic, there
is not the slightest security there in the
world, and when revolution is not boiling
on the surface it lis siinmering underneath.
Our Americans become involved. and Mr..
Clay actually leads movement in such a
way tnat when victory S his me is proclaim
ed president. But he refuses the honor and
sails away northwaTd with the promise of
bride and the dear girl who gave the
trcth
This will give you some idea that our
novellsts are, for vanetys sake, shifting
base. Soldiers of Fortune" is really an
attempt in a modest, retiring sort of a
way, to affect the Hope and Crane type
OF romance. Readers of 1.-The Third vio-
let VIII recall that Mr.. Crane has dyed
his last story in Davis colors. In achieve
ment these two books represent, each,
Just about what one might expect of
collaboration between-their two authors
AS Mr.. Davis first long story, 1t is a
decided success. The hero is an inter
estng, manly chap, clearly possible, brave,
practical, deserving and unconventional
The movement of the story is spirited, aud
the love current deep, but it sometimes
passes out of sight, and for those who want
the first pair TO be the last pair, there is
disappointment in this novel. 1t is charm
nglyillustrated with Gibson drawings. New
York: Scribner's. Washington: Woodward
6 LothropD
The times., 1897-06-06
more unwilling TO printlong serials-a fact
which is exerting its influence in the 70.
duction of the length OF novels

Evidently there is a great deal aftei
alliu name. It may be remembered that
when The Notorious Mrs. EbbsInith'
was having a successful run In London, a
real Mrs. Ebbsnlith appeared upon ths
scene and was greatly distressed by ths
notoriety given to her name. Now comes
trooper Halkett, of the Rhodesia Horse,
whois very much disturbed by IN euse ef his
name for that of the hero oofOliyer Sch refner's
book, Trooper Peter Halkett of Mashona-
land" Undoubtedly Miss SchIeiIer was
unaware that there was such a person as a
real Trooper Halkett when she took the
name, but there is one, and ne is not en-
joying his notoriety be writes to a
Cape paper that he is being worried to
death With letters, and that he not only
has no connection with Miss SehreiEer's
creation, butts" Rhcdesian to the bac kbone."
Mr. James Gordon Bennett, who Is visit
ing New York, has not been in that city
since hts beautiful building In Herald
Square was completed, the Critic informs
US Therefore he has never seen his own
su.nptu0us quarters in that establishments
The main part or the Tbirty-fifth-stree
front is devoted to his private offices, con-
nected with which is most sumptuous
bathroom. with all the modern Appliances
for luxurious bathing. Asitis never known
wnen Mr.. Bennett may turn up az hisoffice
his desk is always kept in readiness. The
inkstand is filled the pens laid ready fUI
use, and everything kept bright and shin
ing for mis- visit, whenever it may be.
The times., 1897-06-06

"In Joyful Russia" is one of the later
publications Of May, just departed, which
attracted measure of attention 1t is
John A Logan, jr.'s, account or his re-
cent travels in TZarland on the occasion
Of the coronation of the Emperor OF all
the Russias Even if the writer's name
did not endow the volume which it stamps
with a species of distinction, or il recent
p,uch-bruited butnOw slow-breathing news
paper discussion to which the author was
a CONSPICUOUS and somewhat insisting
party had not happened fortuitously to
concentrate attention, surely there is
deliberately or accidentally happy stroke
in the title to the book
So much nihilistic literature reaches Us
describing the woes of the Russian peas
antry, and occasionally platform alaI~n
ist gains the public ear with his vivid
descriptions Of an objectionable state Ct
imperial despotism and general unhappi-
ness, that O new picture, in Which the
colors are bright and the faces smile, is
welcome and unique.
Mr.. Logan's book reads candidly- BE
The times., 1897-06-06

tions OF English current fiction, but the
editor has discrirninat on in lis Judgment
and good taste Is always pleasantly III
evidence. The familiar paper covers of
these books are outward signs or GER
tain interesting inward gTaces, anu iic-
ti0Ii-loyers adhere to them with the same
fidelity displayed by the Lippincotts in
serving their clients.
Three attractive and new novels have
appeared iii the Select Series this spring.
The earliest was "A Bachelors Bridal"
by Mis-. Fl. Lovett Cameron, who has writ
ten I'm Grass Country Vera Neviii,'
"a Daughters Heart" and many other
volumes OF light fiction. Her stories are
always sustained In interest and pure In
tone. In "A Bachelors Bridal the
beautiful and wealthy ward of an unscru-
pulous individual is saved from a hateful
marriage with his dying son by an attorney
who goes through the form of marriage
with her TO protect her good name after
she has fled to him for safety. After
many months of living apart the husband
finds, by oyerhcaring conversation, that
his wife is in truth in love with him, as he
has been, though all unconscio,lsly. with
her. Just as they are about To livc hap
PLY together in the orthodox fashion, the
bride is thrown from her horse and killed,
and within a few months the law yer
lover falls down n creyasse in Switzerland.
FolIOwin this good novel, withal with a
somewhat cheerless ending, came story
by the author OF THE King OF Andarnan,
and 'The Red Sultan, j. Macaren Cobhan.
Itiscalled wilt Thou Have This Woman?
II is an English story, with theme clearly
suggested in the title. The story opens in
a 'squire's country house on a golden Sep
tember day, and winds its way through a
maze to the Old Bailey prisoni in the end
It sustains Mr.. Cobban's reputation.
The addition which May brought to the
Select cries was the best of the three. IL
is Ripple and Flood, by James A. Prior.
1t is, like the others, an English novel
II is pastoral and deyoutly human pic
ture. The interest is keen, but the fidelity
To nature is never sacrificed to possibilities
In plot, and glowing through every chapter
is that attribute OF everyone who rightly
understands nature-huinor. The style is
not without Neutrality-suspicious. rather but
1t sustains good standard average, which
recommends the hithertO-obscure Mr.. Prior
to those who in future will find his name
on other books. tPhiladelphia. Lippincott
Washington: Woodward * Lothrop.)
The times., 1897-06-06

Louis Becke has an undisputed sway in
the south Sea Islands of the Pacific, in
the sense OF literary regency. Several of
his stories have been made familiar to
readers by the Lippincotts. His last story
is "His Native Wife" Though a COM
paratively short story compressed into
the Limitations of the handy little yellow
Lotos books, it has the completeness and
the virility that have heretofore charac-
terized Pecke's output. Though he de-
pends somewhat on the novelist's license
to marshal events to his own structural
iconveuiences, he tells an interesting story
harrington. an Englishman, had gone
away from Losap, one OF the islands, leav-
ing his native wife, Nader, behind, prom
ising to return in twenty months; but he
does not get back until four months be-
yond time. His delay shakes his native
wife's confidence In her husband, so that
when finally he does come, and by chance
in company with another woman, she be-
lieves the white woman comes rs her
husband's wife The end is quite as un-
The times., 1897-06-06
THE MoRNINe TIMES. sQEpAY. JUNE 8. 1897:

expected az tragic Becke is thoroughly
familiar with his island people, and the
contrast heightens the color which he Is
enabled to work into the texture OF the
story iPhilaheIphia: Lippincott. Wash
ingtou: Woodward q Lothrop.)
The times., 1897-06-06

1.-THE Law yer's Secret" is unquestiOnably
absorbing, though conventional, and at
times improbable. novel The author, John
II. Leys, has ii gilt for cOnst rtIction and an
imagination, which, though 1t leaves prob
ability in the background, matches plot
which Tvets the reader. The lawyers
secret is the mystery of a will. Loves
subtle influence is tie potent charm which
leads an old and faithful family lawyer
to commit crime which makes the story.
The attorney is Mr.. Felix, and the object of
his affections is the wife of his client,
Sir Richard Bol6On He sought to win her
hand, and to that end went so far as 10
forge the will which he held in terrorism
over her. Mr.. Legs keeps the secret hidden
until the hitter end With exceptionaal skill.
Wneu Mr. Felix is eventually found dead,
suspicion, not unnaturally. falls on Lady
Boldon, WHO had visited him that after
noon, 50 much so that Hugh TheSlger, her
old lover, thinks the only way to save her
is to draw the suspicion on to himself
Thanks TO the good offices of his fIiend,
Terence O'Neill, a pleasant but brieiless
Irish harrister, the mystery Is solved, and
Lady Eoldon, Of course, marries Thesiger,
and they live together happily ever after
tNew York: F. Warne * Co. Washington:
woodward & Lothropl
The times., 1897-06-06

The writer who induces John Lane to
introduce him to readers has achieved
valuable point in the conquest OF favor.
For this man does it right His books are
always at least in chaste taste; sometimes
perfect dreams of art, and such paper.
fhc virgin whiteness OF it could not bear
upon it other than choicest text. Take, for
instance, that new book by George Eyer
ton, symphonies The Lane charm
ovcrcomes you in the beginning, and you
plunge willingly into Egerton. You move
on and on from page to page; but after
d ways you nod Butthereis no elf-respect
in noddiDg over such q book. So you
plunge ahead again.
Tie pages seem SO long, and the eyes
refuse to travel, and you blame yourself
for being Ignorant andinappreciativeag
But you are bound to read Again you
The times., 1897-06-06

With the appearance of his ''Vines of
Northeastern America, Mr. Charles ). New
hall has completed a most interesting
trilogy for naturaIists, and especially hor-
ticulturists and hotaniSts. The preceding
two are THE Trees of Northeastern Amer
ica'' and THE Shrubs of Northeastern
America" and both of them have al
ready taken place as almost invaluable
TO students seeking knowledge of the ma
tural growth of the section of our country
east of the Mississippi and north of the
southern boundary of Pennsylvania. The
book is a thorough and very valuable
work 1t contains life-siZed Illustrations of
all the vines, q list of families and genera,
u guide to vines by flower, leaf and fruit
of especial clearness, a description of vines
sIbdivided az Towering or flowerless, a
glossary and complete index.
SAYS Mr. Newhall in his preface: In Il
larger measure even than the trees ana
the shrubs, the vines have d personality
of their own. Once recognize species,
and it can seldom he confused with another,
so varied are the postues tproStrate, re
clining or climbingl, and the method o
climbing Thy help of tendiil, of rootlet, of
fisk, of downward pointing prickles and
halrsl, besides the ordinary differences
of flower, foliage and fruit The vines are
all characters, even cranks, some of them.
and the better we know them, the mors'
individuality they seem to have: and wita
it all the more we like them" New YORK.
G. P Putndm's Sons. Washington: Dren
tano)
The times., 1897-06-06
Z 81 ! ~ : t1al t|tta

The first instaiiment of that much
heralded work, "A Library OF the WORLDS
Best Literature, is fairly off the press and
on the tables of the reviewers 1t VIII
consist OF forty-five volumes, ten OF which
appear in this installment II they are a
fair Indication of the entire work, as prob
ably they are, this compilation deserves
almost 10 lie classed by iJseIf, so far does
it excel tie familiar 'ihraries" and EN-
cyclopae aedias" and like scrap-baskets Of
literature II is on much larger aad
more elaborate plan than most OF these,
and far mere skillfully done. The entire
field of literature, ancient, mediaeval and
modern, IN all civilized nations seems to
have received attention. The selections
are supplemented by photographers and
colored plates and reproductions of origi-
nal manuscript Ribloeraphioally it is a
delight 10 the eye and to the touch. 1t
is an Imperial edit On" without doubt
1t might at first sight seem that this
task of compiling selections from the mas
terpieces of the worlds literature would
pie seem TO have thought so to their sor-
row and that of their readers. The result
of their thoughts is a sort of literary hash
kellie, III WHICH eCtdpS VI oh SoIlS ui z IN
discriminatory juInbled together afford
nag a suggestion of the flavor OF one
author a hint of the style of a second,
.. tantalizng Renaissance OF a third, and
selections from various others, apparently
taken AT random from newspaper misael-
lany This is a heartrending and head
achy compilation. 1t has not the merit
of a small library, where one may at least
learn to know few authors wen, or that
OF an encyclopaedia, where one may learn
a little of each, for when the inquiring
reader seeks information from his Ii
brary of fiction" or of literature, or OF
poetry, he is apt to lind that the particular
author In whom he is interested has been
left out.
The times., 1897-06-06

Mr. Howclls has just finished for the
American Pook Company volume en-
titled "Ohio Stories," TO make one Of
series to which Mr. Frank stockton is 10
contribute New Jersey stories and MI.
Joel Chandler Harris Georgia stories Mr..
Howeils VIII then take up and complete
the serial that was announced fer this
year In Harrer's Bazar, but which VIII
really he the leading serial in that period
ical next year.
The times., 1897-06-06

Counted among the favorite pocket edi
tions of Libraries of contemporary fiction
is Lippincott's Select Series. The sto-
ries are in greater proportion reproduc-