The San Francisco call., 1899-12-31

84 -
rN TSTNC FORTUNES" by John Ok
~ ctncm. is vigorous piece OF
= " uh0i,somcly entertaining impossi-
lltr. 10 is the story of a young
scotch writer. Adam Black. who begins
.e .rrror ly suggesting ideas 20 his
'trH. James NacAlpinc. a painter of eN-
tr. SSH. lCr no creative force. The
'"0 f.-.I Ifur together make many success
t.srcarures and humorous realistic
,.y-s which are signed by James
a.a. ArUano-James Mack that is. and
sH.tn.r The drawings bring in a trife
'i money hut not enough 10 provide even
q -e-antN living r-- -~oeite artist.
t....r t-cgmcs an advertising solicitor
aHa t.o rest 80 thc tale is the narrative
.. s triumphant u.o. 20 Fortune and
After 'carr.n nr 20 be tho best Of
.f.-r-rr solicitors DE studies the pub
business. fhen takes the manage
.f rev weekly paper. and finally
'ln0e husIrC-s manager. assistant cd
t.r and .eOltor. an rolled into one Of
Lord IcrraT.us Journal. The Looking
Glass HCW ne made The Looking Glass
H.wersa.y profitable and suddenly began
nr.Irc tne most successful stories OF the
laN under an assumed name. being in
.etor- 90 once The best business man and
1ro heet author connected with any mag
az.rc. a.d how his artist friend got his
rocded inspiration from the beautiful wife
ne. married and went on 10 success in his
own work. are told IN an airily easy and
confidential style. which is appropriate 10
she impossible feats OF energy attributed 70
SLACK. The interesting people in the novel
are al Scotch folk who have gone 10 make
their fortune In London Obviously the
reputation the canny Scot made for him
SER FOO the last century Is not 10 suffer IN
thls. &c. ". Dillingham; d Co. New York.
s. SOD
An aEreeahly simple and lfe-like little
story on rural life IN the Middle West is
told an Johnnie" by Z. O. Laughlin. Il
iE nothing but the record OF Johnnie's life
from the day when he first went 10 school.
told every body my name is Jawnhie Win
klc. n Tm 6 years old" and rubbed a
toad on fas hands and feet 20 make
warts. up 40 the day when his own son
showed Such merry blue eyes such a
saucilv puckered mouth and a counten-
anco 20 quantity Quizzical. 50 mischievous.
no innoceni and bland" that only one
name would IN him, and they called him
Johnnie.
The book seems 20 be not A creation Of
frna gination. hut a record Of actual obser-
walton. X is a work OF ART only in So Tar
Es humor. keenress Of perception, skillrul
selection ~ significant incidents and a
sympathetic. unaffected style make
work of art These qualities serve 10
make the little book very pleasant read
irg.
The Illustrations are from photographs
Perhaps this form % Illustration wes
chosen in order 70 emphasize the honfc'y
reality 81 the book. but whatever the end
was. fhe result is not fortunate The
subtle hut magical and sufficient touch
af r.r-cuaIity which suffices 20 raise the
rarr. ..rr -h1ve the commonplace Is nee
DesarE lacking in photographs The con-
tr.s.- between the lights and shades is
..-... SAINT and the general effect is In
......tc The ff0nuspiece. "Eph the As
.-.- deserves TO be excepted from
.rH.. structures. The pose IS good and the
general effect is uot SO hard, so harsh
.. r.arIr- as in most Of the illustra-
.THa Eowen-Mcrriu Company, In
-r surprised 20 learn shat The De
-.--..r .f Dorothy" by Frank Kin
... Ieer The subject Of a lively cor
r..... .... a the New York Times. An
Reader having pronounced IL
...-.rl all nasty. another Honest
."d other people wrote. saying
.I found the novel entertaining ard
E others thought the critic vas
.... T.e story deals with SO called SCI
...-.- The Dorothy who degen-
tre daughter OF a learned pro-
rn thinks ~ naught but crani-
. ... al u-Ife whom he had married in
rt-rf -omance-the child Of an
Ir... Younger son and French dancer.
T..r..r Dap af tho opening OF the story is
t.-.Ur charitable and religious girl
@.. meets with ara accident so serious as
t. r.rl.r TRANSMISSION ~ blood necessary;
and young Spaniard. an unsuccessful
.-.-.- u.ro happens 10 be al hand az the
critical moment. gives his blood for the
.rerafon. When Dorothy recovers a great
change SOD her character has taken pace.
rrao rerr voice which was bright lignt
.rpraro. bias acquired a sensuous fullness
r tore. her moral sense shows a little
bunting ard hcr degeneration has subty
fr+ completely begun. She marries her
1.afrrrhea hut after a violent series OF
.--rr--~Ittfrs runs Of with the Spaniard,
..ae.rc "a life OF sensual delight with him
'- spain De deserts her she attempts
tr commit suicide her husband who has
been striving q see her, ofIers ms bloou
ear pa now trarsfusion. she IS slowly
brought tarl, 90 ufc. forgetting all the in
---.----- .Aa arst accident. and she IS
.e rure and sweet rirl as II first. But
.- urlackv strain % music recalls her lie
.r guilt to her memory. and she dies or
ttc shock.
rho cnaeI-scicnce of the book IL very
.rrIrI. Ire-flftl lfnITe-elNtls hllltii'i'N9s
tr1rnathv and the TRANSMISSION of charac-
-rr with blood are among Its bases. and
The result is farrant hosh Passages here
~ there give evidence of cleverness in
..--orratIon and expression. The author,
.raerl. Is a roughly clever fellow. But 70
mo the book seemed 10 be- so evidently a
rfeoe ~ ealaciousness. with enough praise
~ purity t0 keep ~ from being kept ont
rar The mails that I was surprised - see
any doubt % its improperly. I still think
fhe Klrtpous part was written with the
tongue irs the cheek. (G. ". Dillingham;
Company New York; 81 5o)
r r. Russell has published a remark
able edition ~ John Bunyans Life and
Dsafh ~ nir. Badman." with twelve COM
positions by George Woolliscraft Rhead
ard Louis Rhcsd. designed 20 portray tho
deadly sins of the ungodly Mr. Badman's
Journey from this world 20 hell" and an
lltr-duction reprinted from Froude's Life
rf Ruryan." To "A student OF literary his
tory fhis work OF Bunyan is of great in
tcrcst. ae being one Of the forerunners Of