Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-15


4 As certainly as birds appear comes
the, crop of summer novels fiutterinp
down on the bookstalls and walking
through the summer excursion trains,
hernlded by the lusty voice of the
energetic newsboy, littering the sum.
mer piazzas in paper covers and in
light and fancy clothes. Just as we
change our clothes when Old Sol gets
higher in the heavens, so do we change
our literature, SO | shan't tell you to.
day of the deeper and dryer volumes
that are on my study table. In fact,
1t is not always necessary to go to a
so-called deep book to Gull inspiring
thoughts; any well-written book deal.
ing With human nature has for the
thoughtful reader food which will
touch the deeper springs of the hearts
we'll.
Now is here the Forest Lovers,
by Maurice Hewlett, which you must
take with you to the country. Anyone
who is fond of outdoors and romance,
Pure and simple will love this story.
1t takes us out under the open skies,
through dense forests. into Gods coun-
try, full of the beautiful, untouched
by the hand Of. man. The romance is
adventuresome and thrilling. The
purity and highmindedness of the un-
tutored heroine, child of nature;
and the bravery and chivalry of Prosper
LIE Gal, the hero, linger in our minds
long after we have laid the book aside.
Ills Just the kind of reading for out
doors, though indeed the descriptions
keen that no matter where one reads
n 10 rarrta1 I'm tho
with Prosper and Isoult
Humorous books rather appeal to US
when the sun is looking down upon us
with such fervor that any tears would
scorch our cheeks. Humor is one OF
those qualities that take possession Of
your senses like the woods in summer
after rain. The reader soon finds
that the best humor is not always to
be found in books that are meant to
be humorous. The humor that sur
wives from other days is always in
books that are called good literature.
Thackeray and Dickens, Carlyle and
Lamb, represent the best humor of
the early Fart of this century, but
new kind of humor came in with Arts
mus Ward and the trickery of 1t was
demon of bad spelling. James Whit
comb Riley follows this example and
Eugene Field; but of the last it may
be said that his humor is of higher
type. He had way of taking you
into his confidence, that even though
he laughed at your weaknesses you felt
that you have found friend for life.
Bret Harte is q writer of pure English
in a humorous vein. The strongest
contributor to American humor is
Mark Twain; his books can be read
over and over again and one finds
new charm each time. | recommend
them for summer reading. for one
cannot help being put into good
humor. The late H. g. Bunner has
written tales full of satirical humor.
Among other writers in the humorous
vein are Mr.. Bangs, Mr.. Martin, Tom
Mason, Tom Hall, Oliver Herford.
As for women, we'll, they are gener-
ally too deadly serious to be humorous,
though Ruth McEnery Stuart and
Sarah Orne Jewett, Miss Seawell and
Kate Douglass Virgin have touched
bit in this art.
Beth went away leaving me asleep,
for | had attempted to read 1.-THE
Mormon Prophet. . by Lille Dougall.
Why such a story has ever been pub
lished | know not, for the author has
succeeded neither in weaving an at
traotive romance nor showing us good
English. The book has all the vices,
and none of the charms, OF an up-to-
date story. Avoid it, Portia.