The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-09-26

VeIY popular IL " 6ANH] ~
ard Carvel," was born in st. Louis,
where. We believe, Mark Twain" was
horn. ChurchilPs descent is from New
England forbears. He was trained ana
educated in Missouri, but lives In new
England. He follows Gable example
vvb was born in New Orleans, but who
has long lived in New England. Gable,
turned enemy against the people
among whom he lived, characatured an
sIandered them and is despised heartily
I'm the south. Mr.. Churchill mas not
done his as yet, but has written a pop
MAR romance located mainly in Mary
land He was at the Naval Academy
,,bere he was graduated, and he served
in the navy for a year when ne resign
ed to devote himself to literature he
has published two novels neither or
xyb;ob have we read. His first novels
"Tbe Celebrities" is regarded favora-
bIv as bright and promising. 'Rlcharo
Carvel" is considered of high merit
has already passed it's 10000 copies SOLO
although published last June. Thls Is
great success in popularity, but 1t Is no
sign that it is excellent, as the pest
novels but rarely reach a sale compar-
able TO books Of the calibre and merit
of .'The Christian and other books
that nave been damned incontlnently
nv the safest and truest CRITICS. MI.
Churchill is a most careful, conscleh-
tious writer. He prepares with much
reading and research and reWrltes
again and again.It is stated IN new
York Saturday Review that The wrote
his story five times before he was sat
isfied with it and allowed it to pass
from his hands to those of the printers,
and the thrilling chapter on the hgnt
between the Scraps and the Bonhom-
me Richard was entirely rewritten az
fer the story had been put in type
We do not put in claim that ne IS
southern, as Cable and Clements
4"Mark Twain'') live in New England
and have no Identification in feeling
and sympathy, we may believe al
though born in the south. That is to
say, if Missouri is to be classed as a
southern state. 1t will not be denied
that these three authors have distin-
FINISHED merit and will certainly COM
pare with any three New England au-
thors among the living. All are or new
England descent we presume to say.
Mr. Churchill will not catch the pre-
vailing fever for rapid production 10
p, bring grit (money) to his literary
T mill. The Saturday Review says that
s,5s third novel already begun, twill not
ne published for at least a year, ana
not then-certainly not untll al
his plans have been fully matureo anu
developed to his own complete SAUSAGE
rfon. and in the meantime he Will un-
dertake no other literary work what
ever. This young American gifted
author "is a tall, athletic-looking young
man of twenty-seven, singularly hano-
some with very broad shoulders, black
hair and brown eyes; alive to the
singer tins and manly through and
through with neither false pride nor
false modesty, but with a certain grace
and a delicacy of perception OF wnlch
one gradually becomes aware. he IS
frank genuine, companionable , ana
straightforward, more so than most
college men; he has much natural dlg-
nifty. but not a trace of self-conslous-
ness, and he is one of the brightest
takers the writer ever met he talks
well and naturally, not striving for et-
feet as so many of latter-day men or
letters do when conversing with men
who are suspected of seeking acquaint-
ance but to report impressions.
The Messenger called attention to the
merits and interest of Mr.. Lion Decles
now very much read book Trooper
9OS." 1t throws a great deal of light
upon the French army, and prepare.
one to understand the debauched ras-
Gals among the General French Stan
to destroy Captain Drepfus, a Jewish
officer who was innocent. The book Is
devoured in England. Having been edu
Gated in England, although of French
-parentage, having served as Journalls'
on the famous London Pail Mall Ga
zette, and having been a soldier in the
French army as we'll as an African ex-
plorer, he is competent to write well
to report correctly as to what he saw
and of his own personal experiences
Mr.. w. l.. Alden, London correspon'
dent of the N. Y. Saturday Review, IL
his letter OF Atm inst. writes OF MIN ant
his book as follows:
His story of the life of a French
trooper ought to be read with pleas
ure at Berlin, for it shows in the plain
est way the imbecility of the averag,
French officer. People have wondered
since the Dreyfus exposures, now /
ever became possible for the gener
staff to consist of men who are eithe'
fools or knaves. Mr.. Decle unconscl
ously, or rather Internationally, solve
the mystery. The General Staff simpl.
represents the average French officer
What the fate of an army led by sucl
men will be in case Of war, it is easy t,
foresee. The rank and file will accus,
their officers of b~etraying them, ant
we shall have Sedan over again. TIL,
French officers in the time of the Sec
ond Empire were, as the event proved
painfully incapable, with perhaps tn
exception Of Bazaine, who, like Drey
fus, was accused Of treason and thrown