The St. Louis Republic., 1900-12-09

friend. complete as lie planned #. TIL
chapter which appears last in The book WIS
fiuis he'd uu the night Of November }. 1856:
Field died the following night. Il i said
that h.. intended 10 describe in another
chapter the death OF the "tIlblIomania'.
Much If this book has foundation IN some
Of The personal experiences ot Field. who
w.Is al iuvcterIte and successful collector
Of odd volumes.
Since his ieath Fields works have been
reprhlishsd in ten volumes. which include
Love Songs Of ChiIdhood'-soIne ot his
verses set to music hy Reginald De kuven
and others.
lhrre are critics who ind fault WIN
Fields work. but they aye in ii hopeless
mircri'y dwinile ss the y"ars going
by. mellow the sweetness OF the tender lines
the loving lines-in which this son OF ST.
Louis wrote his immortality.
Immortality f. rather d comprehensive
word:
Perhaps so. but Fields verse-whatev'r
nay be the fate Of his pGose-w,u live as
long az childhood is as il was when Field
saw H. loved II and wrote his sOnnets 10 It.
And childhood-being much the same dis
it has been through all the ages from the
gives small promise .: change.
Early IN the decade that Is Just closing.
Augustus Thomas began 10 attract atten-
ton es a writer Of plays. ''Alabama'
a play which portrayed much that is best
in Southern ltfe-was his first prominent
success After that came in M,zzoura" "
In which Nat Goodwin added 70 his fame
q an actor; and later came what Is prob
ably the best OF Mr.. Thomas's work
Arizona" "A1aba,na" ami In Miz-
zoura" sre still being played. it IS true; but
they have never achieved the distinction
which Arizona" can clainl-that OF being
one OF the New York successes In its third
season. A later work Is ''On the Quiet
which is a Collier farce. with here and
there a pretty Thomas touch Of love-mak-
Ing.
Mr.. Thomas is claimed by 81. Louis. And
in Il measure. he supports that claim. For,
while his success as drama'ist and a
playwright has been gained since lie ceased
70 call 81. Louis home" II was here that
he got much OF the training which has
enabled him 10 make such good and profit
able u-e Of his talents.
Ia the past three or four wears a round
half dozen OF men and women Of st. Louis
Of books that are broadly classed as nov
els" But IN the period that extends from the
publication Of You and Me- by Pow
man in lSc. TO the exploitation Of 'Richard
Carvcr' in 1892. 10 less than fifty St Louis
people have published ore or more volumes
which achieved some popularity. In the
list are: Nathan G. Kouns. whose two
Bible stories. ".Arius, tho Iibyan," and
The Daughter Or FaustIna." stIll have a
crcditable number OF readers: Mrs. Jessie
Anderson Chase. who wrote OF The Three
Freshmen: X. T.. Clark, who wrote The
Dominant SEVENTH: II. Dauce. The Fair
Philosopher: Mrs. X. II. Davis. "Kitty's
Choice: Clarence King. Democracy
Mary Nixon OF Webster God. the King
My Rrother': Fannie Isabel Sherrick.
Love and Fame" and James X. IIosrncr
among whose interesting works are the
novels. How Thankful Was Bewltched. -
The Thinking Bayonet' and The Young
Sir Harry Nane."
While this article IS primarily a review
Of the career of ST Louis men and women
OF letters. who have given their attention
to the production of books of poetry. fiction
and humor diversion and a broader
reference to Professor Hosmer's work may
not he Inappropriate. He WAS for many
years professor of modern languages at
Washington University. and only left there
| In 1892 TO become librarian of the public
| library at Minneapolis. While here ne
| wrote a History Of German Literature -
which Is said to be the M ST popular worI,
OF that kind in the -. Louis Public Lib
| rary. Other books Of his that are most fire.
| quenily read and consulted are life OF
| Samuel Adams HIS stories of the Jews
| contained In History of the Nations -
| and short History # Anglo Saxon Free