The herald., 1898-10-30

| Dutcn. And not only are England ana f1Ol-
land made the scenes of their exploits, but
France and America come in for the most
important mention and the latter for their
home at last. Explorer Hudson and that
wild, strong river. Champlan, are brought
I into the story. and there is no lack Of great
events to claim the readers attention. the
most important of which was the voyage
with Henry Hudson tn the Half Moon.
There is much of Importance in the way Of
| historical suggestion covering the period
between the death of Queen Bess and the
| final settlement of Manhattan. 1t is one
| of the best boys books of the season.
O o O
DAVID HARUM; A STORY OF AMER
ICAN LIFE. BY Edward N. Westcott.
12mo., cloth, $150. D. Appleton & Co.
1t has often been pointed out that the
most successful American novels have
| been local studies, genre pictures of partic-
ular types and places. like those of New
| Orleans by Mr.. Gable, of New England by
| Miss wilkins and Miss Jewett, of the north
west by Mr.. Hamlin Garland, and the
Southwest by Mr. owen Wister Now and
then it has happened that new writer has
appeared and has gained general recogni-
tion by the vividness and force of one local
study, like Mr.. Howe with THE Story of a
Country Town" In the case of David
Harum' the conditions have been similar.
The author has saturated himself with To-
cal atmosphere, and he has observed the
quaint and delightful type presented in his
book until he has been able to offer a pic
ture so vivid, true and humorous that we
recognize at once the hope of the publisher
that another permanent addition has been
made to our best of humorous novel writ
erS.
The book has love story running through
1t, but 1t is rather picture of local society
| g., ..l.I-z
novel in its ordinary sense In the intro
duction by Mr.. Forbes Heermans we learn
that the author was citizen of Syracuse
n. Y, where he died last spring He was
n banker and had done nothing before In
authorship, but his sensitive and impress
sionable temperament had become so sat
urated with the local atmosphere that when
at last he took up his pen he was able to
create the character Of David Harum. the
old country b1nker-Surey powerful and
original character. Local dialect is mostly
used. and this is often little risky. but
there's compensation here in the empha-
sis put upon small things. do unto the
other fellow the way he'd like to do unto
you-and do it fust," Is rather captivating
way to state it, all the better in the spell
ing.
SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLISH LIT
f-hAl 1 RfI. By George SaintSbury
Professor of Rhetoric and English Lit
erature in the University of Edin-
burgh. The Macmillan company.
The making of a single volume that
should show generalization of the vast
mass of literature could not have fallen
into better hands. Professor Saintsbury
Is an able and conscientious critic, and he
has worked long and devoutly at his great
task. 1t is stated in his preface that no
portions of the work are made up of Ice
lures, but 1t has been entirely written upon
strict plan of neglecting nothing and ex-
aggerating nothing. 1t begins with tho
very earliest hint of English poetry or
prose, and it goes through a thousand years
of literature In less than that number of
pages, along with a very comprehensive
index.
The student will be most interested in
BOOK IL, which marks the real beginning
OF the making of our literature, and takes
US to the era of Chaucer. Next in interest
VIII be the middle English period in the
twelfth century. But what will most at