The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-20

Its chief characters are u poor but
talented and hard working artist, and "a
young woman OF great fortune and social
position. There is the usual third char
acter who ofiiciates as intermediary be-
tween the hero and the heroine and be-
tween them both and the reader for assist
ing in the elucidation of the story for the
benefit of the latter. There are incidental
characters of Bohemia and Society. None
Of these men and women Is imposing
for ANYTHING and all of them as well as
the author, use atrocIous English. Whether
this is realism or ignorance we are at loss
to determine. Otherwise, Mr.. Cranes
types are natural to the point Of common
placeuess Though the reader will not
he supposed TO complain because the hero
and the heroine fall in love with each
other without any particular reason
for this is the usual way and so I'VE may
regard it as a sort Of charm to the
book In that Mr. Crane Is not tempted TO
make his hero save his heroine from
runaway horse or perform other acts OF
heroics or self sacrifice to commend him
self 10 her favor. They are simply thrown
together and fall in hove without any
particular recommendations on either
side The naturalness of all this Is
triumphant though whether the reader
OF stories bankers for 1t is question.
Mr.. Crane attempts no invention. We
shouldn't wonder il he is wholly lacking
in the power of invention. The climax
of the realism, not To say the common
place, In the attitude of the forlorn lover
toward the woman of his choice whom he
believes has no use for him, comes when
the hero goes to her to tell her that he is
going away-perhaps forever! This is ms
usual when the so situated lo!er is In
doubt or mistaken as to the feelings OF
the party Of the second part and brings
things promptly to head while the reader
;- l,rt in, w hpt hpr a
bluff on the part of the hero to that very
end after alias IL surely sometimes Is in
real life.
This is love story without any love-
making init. Mr.. Crane takes his reader
among 'tbe fellows" principally and we
watch the development OF the affair
through their eyes with only an occasional
glimpse of what goes on within the hearts
of the two people most interested and ex-
cept as the other fellows catch on 20 it.
As n matter of record the two people see
very little Of each o6her and do positively
no spooning. For the rest, Mr.. Cranes
bits of description are as usual clever
and artistic. We linger over them for their
language. When he isn't shiftless he Is
truly an artist at word pictures, often as
felicitous as DE Quincy himself, but,
alas. as often he Is careless and then his
word pictures are-rot
Stone & kimball have just published,
and Preston a Rounds have for sale at
81. -, n dainty volume containing some
of the verses Of that clever writer, Mr..
Robert w. Chambers, taking advantage,
as would seem, Of the present great popu-
larty of ana very general interest in any
thing this author produces. The little
book takes its title from the quito preten-
tious list of verse of n military flavor and
is called, with the Band. There are
a round two dozen Of the military poems
and these are followed Ivy ''vagrant
verse, )" and batch Of exceedingly poetic
bits. Mr. Chambers poetic spirit needs
no rhyme TO give IL expression since 10 Is
marked in his stories and novels. But
that he has the singers talent for rhyme
and rhythm is made plain by this alto
gcther delightful II modest, collection.
His standard is Mt the top ot the highest
OF talented men and women whom we
count ~ minor poets without venturing
to distinguish any Of them by dropping
the qualifying word. All Of this collec-
tion are highly agreeable reading and
cannot be overlooked by anyone who
would keep up with the American poets,
Not "A few of them will be committed TO
memory and make excellent reciting, while
many provide "a thought and delightfully."-
tempt tho imagination between the lines.