Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-20
STORY OF TWELVE WOMEN
Composite Story Published by Nebraska
Home Missionary Union,
NO PLOT, BUT INCIDENTS ARE GOOD
Poems of Richard RcnIf to he Pub
lishcd-New Summer NoveIs-weiIs'
Strange storics-work on Eli
ocution-Liternry Notes.

contributing one chapter and none OF them
attempting to follow out any definite pre-
arranged plot, the absence OF any percep-
tible purpose and complete disregard Of the
customary rules Of story writing, and also a
variable literary quality according to the
talents of the various writers. In a COM
posite story, bearing the strange title, I'm
asmuch, a Story OF the West" this absence
of plot and purpose is plainly evident, but
the reader is agreeablv surprised to find a
high literary tone running evenly through
all the twelve chapters. 1t is really not
much of a STORY of the west" though tho
whole collection of leading characters is
rather rudely hurried from New York to
Nebraska early in the story. There is a
rich woman, who plays a leading part. She
is the wife of one who can afford to give
her everything, She lives "in society" and
her daughter is trained at Vassar. An &C
cident. which took her painfully near to the
dark shadow of death, changes her life and
she devotes herself to good deeds. The
daughter becomes a missionary worker in
Nebraska, and in the end there is a strange
meeting OF those who had been from one
reason or another separated in the east. OF
course there is a wedding in the last chap
ter, land they ever after lived happily to-
gcther."
The book is a composite novel written by
the following women: Emma n. Beebe,
Harriet s. Caswell, Harriet A. Cheever, Ida
ID. Fleming, Harriet II. Heller, Eta T.
Hendee, Ella w. Peattie. Margaret 70.
Sangster, Amelia H. c. Somers, Harriet C.
S. Towne, Frances d. Twombly and Annie
Il. c. Williams. 1t was written and pub
lished, so 1t is stated in the W for
the Woman's Home Missionary union of Ne
braska, and the union sends this little
- ~ IN 49, 49, -1-I
resulting from it's reading may be wide
spread, and that a blessing may go with it.
The foreword is by Helen Doane Perry, pres
ident Of the union, and The Bee Is favored
by a copy from Mrs. A. S. Stiger, Omaha.
The purpose of the book Is not least of its
attractions. 1t Is a true missionary book,
and carries on every page the uplifting and
helpful spirit of missionary work. Aside
from this it Is we'll written. There is the
absence of plot, but there is no lack of in
cidents. The action is spirited and refresh
ing. There are no dull passages and none
that might as well have been left out. l,
is not only a good book, one worth reading,
but it is a book that carries inspiration by
the choice language used and the finish oil
every chapter. 20 cents.
A notable contribution to the literature
Of the John Brown era is announced to soo.l
come from the press of the Funk & Wag-
nails company. 1t will be u volume of the
poems of Richard Realf, with a memoir by
his friend and literary executor, Colonial
Richard ]. Hinton. Realf was the poet OF
the John Brown company. He was with
John Brown and his men as they trained
for service at the little town of Tabor, Ia,
and he was one Of the company that spent
the winter in the Quaker settlement at
Cnr;pudo1, To p1anpipn for tho work nj
liberating the slaves. The largest collec-
ton of his poems known is thirty-four and
these are the ones that were published In
magazines, but Colonel Hinton has gathered
together ITO of them, including lyrics, songs
and sonnets. The volume announced vii
contain over sixty of the s%onnets, exquisite
in their rhythm and rich in melodiou'
thought, throbbing with passion and full o.
the symbolism which has made Realf's name
to those who have gathered such stray ex'
amples as could be secured worthy Of men
ton alongside the names of Tasso, Petrarch
Milton or Keats. The Realf volume will bt
a surprise also as we'll as a delight for it
passionate and powerful songs and poems
OF the civil war period and the stirring fv'
or six years of national history that FOLLOWED
the death of Mr.. Lincoln. Realf was a sol
der of the Union and served in all thu
campaigns of the Army of the Cumberland
His Song of the Sword "A Soldier
Psalm to Women" the famous sonnet t.
General Lyle (author of the poem begin
ming II Am Dying, Egypt, Dying'), oil
whose person the original copy was foun'
when the body was removed from the fel'
Of Chickamauga, pierced by the death bull
let and stained by the blood of the soldier
poet, will, with others heretofore unpub
lished or now forgotten, be found in tn
forthcoming volume. A score Of poems writ
ten while Realf vas assistant at the famou
Five Points House of Industry in 1886
are worthy to rank with Thomas Hood
Song OF the Shirt" Stirring lyrics of tn
anti-slavery agitation and of the free stat
strife in Kansas mingle with poems of love
life and circumstance, which will be a pleas
ure to the general reader as well as a spe
cial delight to the admirers of this work
man-poet-soldier," as he designated himsel
at the time of his death by suicide.
One OF Grant Aliens latest stories, 9TH
Incidental Bishop" is a typical summe
novel. 1t would take unusually disagreeabl
weather to distract attention from the stor
when the reader has once fairly got int
the plot, for it is as intensely thrilling as
story OF wild west romance and polishe
with the skill OF a master. 1t is a stor
of the South seas and suggests langour an
tue ne OF iTFespoHSlblllty WnlCn the untu
tored savages lead. The hero has shippe
on an English ship supposed by him to b
engaged in ordinary traffic in the South sea-
but which he discovers to be engaged in tn
slave trade which is still flourishlng at tn
time the story is supposed to open in tn
form OF labor traffic for the benefit of tn
Australian colonists. The hero does not TAX
kindly to the tratiic-has ~scruples while
come out strongly while the work of captuI
Ing a batch Of blacks is actually in prog
ress--and the ships officers become sui
pioious OF him for good cause. A mission
airy attempts to head off the raid, but
wounded and is taken on board. Later
revenue vessel appears and changes n
plans OF the captain. The blacks are browne
and then the crew makes OFF in small boat
but the hero and two others are left G
the vessel while 1t is blown up. The mil
sionary had died and was sent overboary
but the young mar with scruples appropr
ates his suit and when picked up Is SUI
posed TO be the missionary. To escape wori
complications he remains for an indefni
time the missionary and loses his identii
as a sailor. The complications which 70
low after he is landed and restored TO heal
can easily be imagined, He plays the pa
OF the missionary quite we'll, but when