Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-30
LONG LIST OF new BOOKS
Translation from the French Of Famous
Play.
EDMOND RosrAND's cYRANo De BERcERAC
Romance Writers Produce Many New
and Interesting Works for Enter.
tainment OF Reading Public-No
Scarcity Juvenile Literature.

. Tho most talked about literary production
Of the year 1t without doubt Edmond Ros.
lands play, "Cyrano de Bergerac." 1t has
been the chief literary sensation OF Paris
during the last year and has also been
the talk Of London, Sir Henry irving hav.
ing purchased the English rights. It IL
now being presented In New York by Rich.
ard Mansfield and the public has oppor-
tunity to become acquainted with It's mer.
Its. In France It is ranked as one Of the
masterpieces Of the century and nearly q
hundred thousand copies have been sold In
that country. Though In any English trans
lation 1t must lose something Of It's beauty
and strength, the version preserves enough
Of both to make 1t remarkable drama.
Cyrano dc Bergerac was q picturesque
character Of the seventeenth century, a
typical soldier Of adventure who had many
remarkable escapades. He was also q
scholar, who. in the intervals OF his fighting
ana love-making, wrote sonnets and satire.
Though little Of his literary work has sur
vived there are many historical or legen-
dary stories OF his pro Sess that are still
recorded In musty annals and Of these the
author has made good use In his play. Mr..
Mansfeld's presentation OF the play In New
York is az great a success az was CoQue.
Hns In Paris and Irving's IN London. The
work has been rendered into English by
several different translators and there are q
number Of different editions to choose from,
some Of them more or less altered to suit
the requirements Of the English ,r Anleri-
can stage. The latest edition at hand is in
paper cover from the press Of +. Tennyson
Neely,1 New York.
From Paris to Ohio is long distance, bu,
miles do not count In the literary world,
nor 10 there any distinction OF race In the
world Of letters; even the humblest may
gain distinction II he have but genius. Few
colored men have won distinction In literary
work and when q man Of that race makes o
name for himself 1t 10 matter of more than
passing interest. Not long since volume Of
poems was published under the title Of
Lyrics Of Lowly Life" Many Of the poems
were distinctly inerkorious and not a few
betrayed genuine poetic power. The author
was Paul Lawrence Dunbar, a young colored
man Of Ohio and Of unmixed African strain
at least 80 his portrait depicted him. We
have now q novel from the same hand, en-
titled "The Uncalled." The principal scene
II small interior village Of Ohio and the
story ds Of boy OF 2 or 8 years. whose
mother, deserted by profgate husband
had died from intemperance. The child wal
adopted by an ole maid Of means, whose re-
ligious views were unreasonably rigid ant
Incorporating. She reared him In the feal
Of the Lord and with q hxed resolution Il
make him q shining light In the Methodis
pulpit. He had no taste for the calling, bu
yielded to her mastery and on reaching man.
hood was ordained to the ministry. In spit,
Of his protest he was assigned to the charg.
Of the church In his native village, where
every one knew the circumstances of hi.
BIRTH Possessing Abilities he began L
preach broader Christianity than his con.
sregation had been accustomed to. Thii
aroused criticism and provoked uneharitabls
comments on his parentage and audible sluri
and insults which he could not endure Ad.
msnistefihg to his congregation scathine
rebuke, he resigned his charge. abandoned
the ministry and left for Cincinnati to en-.
gage In some business for which he was bet
ter fitted. This Is the bare skeleton, Il
which the author has supplied the thews ant
tissues Of well told and forceful story, with
. moral too plain to be misunderstood
Dodd, Mead q Co., New York. Price, 31.25
A little book that will doubtless fnd man,
readers by reason Of the name and fame o
the author Ia entitled Stories In Light ant
Shadow" by Bret Harte. 1t Is a collection
Of seven short tales, four OF them Cali
fornan and the others laid In Europe. On,
Of the best Of the Californian stories Is "Se
Yup," shrewd Chinese. who inveigled
syndicate into buying a worthless mine