The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-26

from the world. Poetic justice is ap-
peased by his loveless marriage to the
old and Withered Marcia, whose beau
ty-like his own Well-Beloved-is a
dream of the past The rest of his life
is spent in the quest of microbes, and
the consequent destruction of the
romantic old ruins Of his Isle Of
SINGERS.
The writer confesses to having read
the Well Beloved months ago, but the
fascination and admiration it excited
went to war with a certain discomfort
aroused by the incongruity between
the theme and any concrete form
which it could be given-and still the
war goes on. However, it is book
we'll worth being disappointed in, and
it's readers should be grateful for the
privilege of being discontented with 1t.
(''The Weu-Beleved, a Sketch of a Temper
ament." by Thomas Hardy Harper & Bros.
New York. 81 80 For sale by the st. Paul
Book and Stationery company)
Several of Mr.. Hamlin Garland S
strongest stories are included in "Way-
side Courtships.'' In these tales Mr..
Garland, as usual, finds his subjects in
the West; it's strenuous, high-Spirited
youth appeals to him and he grasps
the humor of its humanity with SYM
pathy which is the result of his own
share in it, Western though we %are,
we do not always recognize Mr.. Gar
lands types, however and though we
are willing to admit that the West is
wide and it's types many, we are not
willing to admit the possibility of a
young woman of quite the character to
fit into the dramatic ending of, "A
Meeting in the Foothills" which is, by
the way, in all other respects
one of the best stories in the
collection. Even in the West
few preliminarieS are the usual
custom, and we are slightly surprised
to find a charming girl receiving a
young man on the occasion of his first
call with such unbounded emotion.
Even though her family had discussed
his desirability in his hearing, her en-
trance is both inartistic and unnatural.
LAS she came through the portiere,
Edith walked like a princess. There
was amazing resolution in her flung
back head, and on her face was the
lcok of one who sets sail into un-
known seas. omeway-somehOw,
through mist of light and a blur Of
sound, he met her-and the cling of
her arms about his neck moved him to
tears" Even. for the sake of a dramat-
ic denouement this is unnecessary,
besides being out of keeping with the
otherwise firm and impressive charac-
ter drawing.
A few over-intense situations of this
kind. a forcing of the light and shade
which destroys the delicate values, i'm
pair the strength Of these really vigor-
Gus tales.
C'Wayside Courtships," by Hamlin Gar
| land. D. Appleton & Co., New York. $125.
For sale by the st. Paul Book and Stationery
company.)
IF ca
has been published by Mr.. Werner q.
Reed. Tales of the Sun-Land' he calls
them, and the mysteries of extinct
tribes and weird religions are wrought
into fanciful legends and mystic smoke
| pictures.
No background could be better fer
sketches such as Mr.. Reed desires to
draw than the ancient ruins Of Yucca
! tan-ruinS stamped as deep with the
ing hand of nature as anything in
Egypt or Chaldea. The peculiar civil
ization of today, if civilization it may
be called, is as uncanny and suggestive
as the heart of writer can desire, and
but little added glamour is needed to
7 create an atn1sspheressof !uReartllly Sc
nance, wild visions, and gloomy mys-
! terry Mr. Reed is to be congratulated
mere, perhaps, upon the selection OF
his material than the use to which he
has put it. Many of the tales have
| in them all the elements of sue
cess and yet do not attain it. Neverthe-
| less. despite a certain monotony in
their outcome, the stories are readable
and interesting. The illustrations are
! again by L. Maynard Dixon, the dec
orative bits are especially charming,
and are thoroughly in sympathy with
the Sun-Land atmosphere.
('Tales of the Sun-Land," by Werner z.
| Reed. Continental Publishing company, New
York. s1.25)
1t is a step of considerable length
| from dress reform to novel. writing,
but it is one that Mrs Jenness Miller
takes with apparent satisfaction and
graceful confidence. This adaptability
may be due in part to the mental agil-
ity induced by physical exercise and
the discarding of stays, but is more
| probably due to Mrs Miller's belief
that she is still shooting on her own
preserves, and that she is as much at
home on social as dress-reform.
The difficult problem of divorce is
handled in THE Philosopher of Drift
wood with a calm confidence that
would insure the success Of a princess
| dress or even Greek drapery, but
| which is not quite equal to the solu-
ton of larger question.
| A man and woman having proved