The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-01
THE W AR.
Books
for Boys.
TWO FAVORITES.
Authors Whose Books Are
ad--Ju7enile Fiction.

'All history" said Emerson, lis a
picture of war, referring doubtless to
the perpetual strife between divisions
of members Of all the spheres of being;
a conflict to which our attention is often
abruptly and unpleasantly called, and
has been particularly directed, in this
country, within the last six months, and
of which 1 am reminded today by one
of the books of that fruitful writer,
James Otis Kaler.
Publishers, ever observant of tie
current of public thought Cor thought
lessness) and public feeling, give us
what is most demanded, and so we are
having, this fall and winter, an ava
lanche of war history in the form of
fiction.
The boys of an earlier generation were
entranced by The Boys of Seventy
six. Following the Flag" and stories
of kindred theme and title; but it was
seldom that a series of such books APP
peared until Oliver Optic started his
series-and his was begun rather late
in life
Peace. having her victories no less
renowned than war, and far more to the
liking of the people, gave character to
nearly all the stories of or for bows
which appear in book form from as
late as five years after the civil war,
uhtll very few years ago; now, how
ever, under the influence of the war of
the United States with Spain the ten
dency of the publishers to supply the
tales OF battle when the war spirit is
abroad has been greatly stimulated. and
the market this season is heavy with
stores by many writers, the scenes of
which are on battle grounds
Among those who are writing these
tales on a historical basis, and in SER
les, are Rev DR. Everett T. Tomlinson.
u. A Henty and James Otis, whose full
name is James Otis Kaler. The last
named. who is a New Yorker. has
Sarbed in fiction some of the incidents
OF the battle of Bunker Hill and the
siege of Boston, under the title with
Warren at Bunker HILL" and has made
story which is very interesting to
adults, and / should suppose must be
equally interesting to boys and lads
The story belongs to the "Continental'
series issued by A. L. Burt, of 81 Reade
street, New York; it tells how George
wentworth and Ben Scarlet. Cam
bridge lads of IA. aided by Simon
Fletcher, a veteran of the siege of
Loulsbourg in 1745, carried themselves
through the period mentioned in orr
revolutionary history George Went
Ihese lads, entering on war service as
lnformers to Gen. Warren. rise in posi-
tlon until they become members of the
army, one of them being a sergeant.
The author relates the hardships AZ
well as the happy times of the two
lads, who are duly patriotic and obedi
eIt' ana VINO come out of their army life
alive, although one has been rescued
from prison by the other and the vet
eran of Louisbourg, and the other has
been wounded in battle.
IKE the manner of the narration.
winch is spirited, natural, and yet not
sensational, and also the fidelity with
which the history Of the conflict i'm
Boston Dorchester, RoXbury and
CharlestoWn is followed in all parts of
the book. Gen. Artemas Ward, sever
al memorials of whom are to be seen in
the house of Miss ELIZABETH Ward and
her sister in Shrewsbury. Gncluding a
letter from Gen. Washington, appears
IN the narrative, necessarily having at
one time had command of 5000 minute
men in camp in Cambridge
Or. Tomlinson's stories, which are
also of lads adventures are much
like kaler's in grade. but are bv no
means copies of Ealer or of any other
writer's. 1t seems but few years ago
mat Tomlinson was a boy in school al
westerly, Rhode Island, learning cas-
lily and reading eagerly lust such hooks
as he is now writing for other bows,
NO one then dreamed that he woIlId
ever write books or preach the gosnaI.
yet he is now at work on his fourth
series of stories and has been preach
ing fifteen years
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