The times., 1898-01-30
"a Sailor in spite of Himself.m

"a Sailor in spite OF ilmselI'
Harry Castlemon has made some
thing of a reputation as writer for
boys, by means Of his Rod and Gun
Series" "'Gunboat Series and Rocky
Mountain Series" He seems to have
succeeded in some measure TO the name
and fame of the late lamented Oliver
Optic This fact simply proves that
boys are glad to get stories to read,
and that parents buy their children S
books without very much discrimina-
ton. Mr. Castlemons books are
wholesome, containing no improper in
formation, and he is SO anxious to be
grammatical that he makes all the
characters talk just as good English
as he knows how to write, but all the
literary merit, human nature or useful
information there is in any particular
volume could be gathered UP in a salt
spoon, and then it would have to be
put through sitting process to make
il visible.
"A Sailor in Spite of Himself" Mr..
Castlemon's latest work, is story of
the adventures of one Bob Nellis, who
is systematically prosecuted from the
first chapter to the end of the book by
one Gus Layton, his cousin, the viii
lain, who is aided in all his nefarious
schemes by his father. The villain is
is let into the secret of his machina-
tions at once and continually, so that
he can know where to place his SYM
pathies. 1t seems as if almost any
body could see through the wiles of
this villain, without any X-ray business
on the part of the author, for he is the
most transparent villain that ever was,
and takes pains to confide his plans to
very nearly the whole village, when he
intends to do anything wrong. All
through the first few chapters of the
book Gus is kept busy setting traps in
plain sight for Bob, who is always
warned by someone of his friends. and
so steps around these snares. Fin
ally, the untiring, malicious Gus sue
ceeds in getting Bob kidnapped and
sent off to sea, and all through the next
few chapters the boy reader Will hug
himself and eXult in the thought of the
awful thrashing that Gus and his par
ent will get when Bob comes back, safe,
sound and rich, having in one of the
South Sea Islands come across his
father. who has likewise been kidnap-
ed and sent to sea, SO that the redoubt-
able Layton may get his property. But
the boy reader will be disappointed
The thrashing does not occur. Hav-
ing set his story going and gone off
and left it, Mr.. CaStlemon seems un-
able to find Gus and his father in the
last chapter, and leaves them suspend
ed between heaven and earth, like the
coffin of the prophet. They are simply
gone when Bob returns, and it is not
told how much of Bobs fathers bank
account they carried with them, though
there is no reason to suppose that they
might not have carried it ALL.
There is a pearl-hunting chapter in
this book, which describes the finding
of pearl worth 5000 by a common.
ordinary boy, in a common, ordinary
creek This chapter will set all the
boy readers wading through mud in
search of pearls. TO the great detriment
of their trousers and boots. With the
exception of the pearl-hunting habit.
however, there is no bad habit which
can possibly be learned from this book.
A boy called Hank Luflkin, who never
went to school. and who fishes and
hunts for his living. addresses the hero
after this fashion:
Il don't wonder that you feel lonely.
Did your father not leave you anything
except the schooner"
And the conversation of the sailors