The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-27

SON of BattIe''-''The Black Cur
tnia"-"Dorothy Deane," Etc.
- Lover Of Truth is as bright and
readable a book as often comes ones
way As far as plot Is concerned it
is just simple every day love story
nothing unique or pretentious about 1t,
the kind that makes great many
stories in print and-one is glad to be-
leYe-a vast number more in real life
As character study it is very am
bilious and as successful as it Is
aspiring. The half dozen prominent
people in it are drawn with a delicacy
that does not disguise the firmness of
stroke nor the acuteness of insight
that makes such draughtsmanship pos
Sibie. The authors style is as simple
as her plot, yet bright and clever, at
times quite filed with natural and
amusing conversation.
Both hero and heroine are Lovers of
Truth. l." They but develop in different
ways. Jean Reycrofts girlhood, it's
philosophy and unhappiness are sum-
med up in her ten-year-old misery at a
chiidren's party: at isn't that 1 want
to he kissed; L should hate it; but [
don't like to be the kind of little girl
that nobody wants to kiss" She grows
out Of her awkward girlhood into d
beautiful, high-spirited woman, but
never quite loses the self consciousness
developed by many years of wall flow
erhood. Her childish hero, The Lover
Of Truth, whose principle is absolute
Veracity and plain spokenness, and
whose ideal women are Meredith's
heroines. should find in Jean Reycroft
the best fulfillment of his demands; he
marries instead-to the readers relief,
for Alien Nicholas soon develops into
prig-Elsie, jeans sparkling, beau
tifui little butterfly cousin. Elsie is a
delightful little creature TO whom So
ciety lies are as necessary as the air
she breathes, though at heart she is
true and doglike in her loyalty In
time she loses her fascination for Allen
and the conflict comes between being
true to his promise and true to him
self. In another man the struggle
would be heroic, but in him it loses
it's force. for while he acts in some
sort the devoted husband. he allows
himself all the brutal truth-telling he
wants and 1t must be admitted it is
usually for selfish ends. Truth broad
ened 10 include true courtesy, as it ap-
pears in the other characters, is more
IOyabie thing.
"A Lover of Truth, by Eliza Orne White.
81 % HOughton Mlfiin q Ca Boston
For sale by the St. Paul Book and Station
cry company.
"StOrles of tn, Cherokee Hills"
Magazine readers are familiar with
the stories Of Southern mountain life
hy Maurice Thompson stories not so
numerous as they are acceptable. Mr..
Thompson was brought up in
Tho Cherokee Hill district of
Georgia and served. as boy.
Ia the Southern army. After
lac left Georgia the mountain types ap-
pea!ed 10 him az possible literary ma
terial It is rather interesting TO read
az the reception granted these sketches
81 a disappearing civilization. Albeit
the war was ended, politics had taken
the bitterness engendered by the re-
construction trouble and. when these
sketches on the color line writer
early i'm the seventies. were offered t.
editors. they were promptly rejected.
On the ground that fiction in any way
connected with the recent war In the
South and its results could not fail 10
engender i'll feeling and do injury to
both writer and publisher" The mu-
liability Of human judgment was never
better shown than in the light OF sub
stquent events on this editorial dictum.
In way. therefore, Mr.. Thompson
may he regarded as the father of all
the vast collection of sketches of the
South just before and after the war.
4irotasque as are some of the situa-
1ionAi Mr., Thompson assures us in
3'reface as Interesting as any story in
the hook, they are really but the
record Of things coming directly un-
der his own observation. And so the
sketch of Ben and Judas'-the mas
ter and slave through many years of
close association grow so inseparable
that the black man might have been
the incarnate shadow of the white one,
81 much were they alike in everything
but c9ior-being really and truly
true" has an added interest 1t hardly
needs, considering it's humor and pa
thos and that delicious situation of the
stolen melons and the Vengeful prayer
over the rich plumber. This story. by
the way. Is the best among a half doZ-
en curious and entertaining sketches
Stories Of the Cherokee Hills" by Maurice
Thompson. $50 Houghtop Mffin Co.
Boston. For sale by the ST. Paul Book ard
Stationery company.
myths and Legends.
Those who consider our continent
TOO young to support a large family