The Portland daily press., 1899-12-20
CONCERNING BOOKS.

CONCERNING BOOKS.
One of the most significant and inter
esting works Of lotion Of the year Is Mr.
Charles W. Chssnu it's volume. The Wife
Of His Youth, aud Other Stories Of The
Color Line, published by Aessrs. Ho1gh-
ton, Mifflin & Go. (Portland: Lorina,
short Il Harmon The first book OF this
writer, 1hs Coujure Woman. made
strong impression upon the reading pub
Ito, and the power and literary skiil with
which these sho rter stories are written
will deepen the effect produced by the
earlier volume. All who read the title
story In the Atlantic Monthly will eagerly
welcome It In book form,s with eight
more aketches OF equal Importance. They
have psthos and they nave humor. and
beyond that they deal with the race prob
lem In the most natural and delicate
way, and appeal to US in that direction
as mere argument and parliamentary
pushing never can.
The first story Involves an important
question, which is solved for the time In
q high-minded and noble manner. Each
tale hes some special principle underlying
1t, even to The Passing Of Grandson
which is so amusing that It mi yht be
written solely for the entertainment of
the reader. One can hardly speak too
highly Of Mr.. Chesnutt's work, which Is
wit, wisdom ana strength combined.
The game publishers send US A Young
Savage, by Barabara Yechton, who Is al
ready favorite with the young people.
and whose bright, wholesome and vivac-
ious stories have been popular in the past.
This one il all about gay and alert
young girl, Juana Kyle BY name. who
Is as I'm trcken as ne OF The yot ng colts
of her fathers ranch 10 the far West.
But this parent wisely sees that the time
hrs come for different training for his
girl, and her advent into staid and
charming family Of young people. with
a gentle, delicate mother whom they
adore. Is very astonishing. Juana Is like
q frisky and fierce young puppy In the
midst of flock Of lambs, but she has
"the markings" Of fine woman, and her
freshness AMI even her lack Of discipline,
il not bad for the young Latimers, and
s'ilttle John" comes to be quite a charm
er In the end, when her warm heart gets
the better of her wild West ways.
Harper & Brothers portland; Loring,
Short & Harmony publishs MIR.
Morley Robsrts's novel, The Colossus
which has made q great sensation In
London, chiefly because the lsading char
, acter OF the story Eustaoe Loder is said
to be but ttinly disguised portrait of
MIR. Cecil Rhodes. At nll events, If tn IL
10 SO, and l believe Mr.. Roberts does
not dsnyit, he at least proves that he
has the courage of his convictions, for
hs cuts and slashss. right ana left. In
the most daring manner.
Loder Is introduced to us after the
following fashion: "The Great Fesich.
the God on awful wheels. the Keeper of
the African Sibylline Books, lay back In
big cane chair and looked out across
| the Nile
"Hs considered the making of ways.
The PATH finder 10 the Pioneer Of kmpire.
He pom dered over railways, and saw the
metals CLEAN till they ran north and
south out or sight, ard were but one
iron finger of direction. And nov they
ended near where Gordon fell and where
he was avenged" "Eussaoe
Loder was man with q mental geog-
raphy. He was yet unoharted; there
vera unknown seas in him; he did not
even know himself. And to s,me
human beings with ambition he offered
the very OPP ortunities OF Africa. He was
big as continent; cruel as q sen; tender
as the olive and amethystine bands Of
color that herald dawn. He was ounn-
ing as the great descendant Of the great
Msiligaze, and as childlike as the bands
of wanderers who went forever north
! They moved now to meet himl'
And Gertrude Boughton, the woman
; who loved him. wondered II he were a
ma n. at all "Not infrequently he ap-
I peared In her dreams as the Concentrated
essence of England; he was represen-
tative and yet not an indisidual; his
passions, thoughts, plans. and desires
had the force and the vsgueness Of all
Britons, not of one. His being man
was necessary accident. He could not
be touched by human methods; as well
Q might woman make love to a mass-
NEE ting. or TO parliament with subtle
9 entiosmsnts. A man may not marry his
3 grandmother, but woman can not. with
, any personal satisfaction, sspouse the
( State. II historic legend was to be cred
tied, Queen Elizabeth tried it. and failed
more than onoe''
Mr.. Roberts's book IL an extraordinary
! one, full OF force and fire, and has not q
commonplace line In IL 1t 10 story Of
. intrigue. Of INSCRIPTIONS methods, Of
ovsrweening ambition. In which . woman
: plays an Important part. dsssrminsd "a
. hazard all to win . mighty game for
0 one man. "He bad been strong. brutal.
! unsorupuious, powerful. She know he
was something better. which few could