The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-11
"The Story OF Rob Roy"

Miss Edith ID. Harris has rewritten
"Rob Roy" We say rewritten because
the word edited is not strong enough
to indicate the radical changes that
have been made on Sir Walters once
and we fondly hoped, still-popular
novel in order to make it interesting
reading for the young generation. She
has left out "all lengthy descriptions
Of scenery historical disquisitions on
the times, and few passages of dia-
logue and mOnolOgue that do not inter-
rupt the continuity of the narrative"
One may be firm in his convictions
that nothing is too good for the young,
and yet for the yOung's very sake cry
out against prOmiScuOus rehandling
of the work Of the masters Of Htera-
ture to make it into fit food for babes.
Though nothing is too good for the
children, some things are unfit, but
that is no reason why they should be
made into pulp to suit tender gums
There are very good things that are
PUPPY by nature. Why not make use
Of these? We are too generous with
the worlds stores, in much too great
haste to thrust everything on the COM
ing generation. At this rate what are
we going to feed them on when they
have at last arrived? Rob Roy is
the national heritage of the grown
boy, and it's but vanity to claim that
he will read again in the form that the
master thought good to give it-and
without unduly condemning the pres
ent editors literary judgment one feels
safe in claiming that Scott knew even
better than she what belonged in the
story and what did not and what gave
continuity to the tale-a story with
all the edge Of interest taken off by a
hazy remembrance of q book read in
the fourth grade He'll keep his tryst
{yN
For his own sake leave the boy lit
erature to grow into.
1.-THE Story. of Rob Roy" Condensed for
home reading, by Edith D. Harris. Apple
TONS Home Reading Books. D. Appleton
& Co.. IS cents. For sale by the st. Paul
Book and Stationery company.
"Fortuna.
The didactic novel has found a new
mission. In this time of specialties the
sailor writing the stories Of the sea is
hailed with delight; soldiers must
write Of war, engineers make literature
out Of q train run, lawyers romance
about their cases, and now we have
new writer introduced to us whose
chief recommendation for writing a
Wall street novel is that he belongs to
a prosperous business firm of the
sirable not only to have our books
written by specialists, but to have
instruction and fiction arranged in
strata like layer cake. About the most
amusing outcome of this supposedly
popular fashion in books is Fortuna"
by Mr.. James Blanchard Clews. There
is something deliciously funny in
this blending of love and Wall street.
Not that Wall street has no romance
or that love has no connection with
flnance-the combination has been ham
died with serious success more than
Cnce-but that the combination has
been made for didactic purposes is as
amusing as that one should try to
teach an ignorant public the system
Of double entry through the CONVEX
sation of lovers, In this fascinating
work, to quote the mplimentary no.
tice Of the publishers, "all the topics
(said to include finance and politics)
ARE given in the form Of spicy con-
versations between the several char
acters, and are not made less interest
ing from the fact that the sentimental
part Of life is adroitly introduced all
through the work, three Of the gentle
men in the party being warm admir-
ers of the beautiful heiress In this
respect 1t presents q good opportunity
for readers who do not like dry read
ing q to become familiar with flnan-
cial affairs without wading through
a mass of confusing statistics" What
next oh race of .didactic writer's, what
next?
Fortuna G;! By James Blanchard GIews. J. s.
New York. For sale by the St. Paul Book
and Stationery company.