Rock Island Argus., 1900-10-20
BOOK Of LOCAL INTEREST
Is the Romance "f GIIbsrt HoImes." a
Thrilling Epic.

| Is the Romance "f GILBERT Holmes," a
Thrilling Epic.
1t is not too much to say that when
Marshall Monroe kirkman turned
aside from, his work as a writer on
railway economics aud wrote the ex-
quisite story of love and adventure
entitled The Romance of Gilbert
Holmes, he created one of the great
est works of American fiction that has
yet appeared. In its historical char
acter it resem bles Sir Walter Scott's
novels. In rugged power it suggests
Kipling. In other words, the Chicago
novelist has united the finest qualities
of at least three great writer's in one
masterpiece of American fiction. 1t
is luxuriously bound volume of 425
pages (priee 81 5G), which has just
come from the press of the World
Railway Publishing company, 79
Dearborn street. Chicago.
The Romance of Gilbert Holmes"
will be the literary sensation of the
year. The writing of it is evidently
work of love on the authors part,
and even his closest friends have not
known of it. He has condensed into
this superb volume all the ripe ex-
perience and matured powers of a
lifetime. He realized that the historic
life of the Mississippi valley was rap
idly passing out of the memory of
the nation, and that if it was to be
preserved in permanent form it must
be done now. he has achieved this
valuable service by making his hero,
Gilbert Holmes. appear as an Illinois
boy, born on the border of a great
prairie in 1926. and by conducting
MIN through thrilling series of ad-
ventures covering the whole field of
human activity between Chicago and
the Mississippi river prior to 1870.
He has, in his own mastery way,
done for Illinois what Edward Eggle-
ston did for Indiana in The Hoosier
Schooimaster.
While the main current of the story
deals with the experiences of Gilbert
Holmes in his boyhood and youth,
especially his marvellous escapes from
persistent enemy, yet there are
other characters of equal interest.
Some of these are real historical char
acters. Black Hawk, the famous Sac
king, cuts noble and pathetic figure
in the earlier chapters. Abraham
Lincoln's tall form and rugged, mel
ancholy face appear in lifelike reality,
and the scenes in which he takes part
are among the finest in the book
The national scope and interest OF
The Romance of Gilbert Holmes" are
seen most impressively in the way ia
which Jefferson Davis figures in the
a IDxyk ha cSI do Of A
coin. The two historic figures meet
at time when both are still compare
lively young men, and the innate no.
bility of each is brought out in scenes
that stamp themselves forever on the
memory.
The wild life on the Mississippi
steamers in the historic days before
the coming of the railroads is theme
worthy Of the most powerful pen
That strange era brought together the
uoblest and basest elements of civili-
zation. This fact has been marvel
ously portrayed by bringing such men
as Lincoln and Davis into contact with
social outcasts and desPeradoes like
the fellow named Burke. Mr.. Davis
attempts to save a friend from being
robbed of his entire fortune at the
poker table. The result is that he
suddenly finds himself compelled to
encounter Burke, who already has a
record as N drderer.
The scene shifts to the neighborhood
of Rock Island and to other Missis-
sippi river points, and other charac-
ters come in to occupy the attention
of Gilbert Holmes. The Nemesis that
pursues him, in the shape of a law
yer, drives the youth repeatedly into
the wilderness. But neither wild an
inals nor more dreaded human enc
mics can break the superb courage of
the hero, nor can anything come be-
tween him and the gentle Constance
Seymour. The strands of love and
adventure are woven together with
supreme skill into romance of sur
passing sweetness and power In the
end the villain meets the fate he de-
serves, and unexpected good fortune
comes to the brave hero and his
sweetheart.
The story is as broad in spirit as the
prairies and valleys in which it is
laid. 1t is deep in its philosophy. 1t
is as fascinating as fairy tale, yet it
is simply idealized history.