The times., 1900-12-30
Eugene FieId,s Newspaper Work.


''sharps and Flats" the famous column
which was contributed daily to the Chi
cago Record" by Eugene Field, furnished
the material for several OF his earlier
volumes of prose and verse. The matter
which has been thus reprinted, however,
constitutes only very small part Of that
which he gave to the public in the more
ephemeral form Of newspaper paragraphs,
poems, and short stories; and it has been
deemed best to save from oblivion some
Of the contributions which he himself did
not select for publication in book form.
The result of this selection made by
Slason Thompson, is two-volume collec-
tion published under the title, "Sharps
and Flats"
1t is pot-pourri Of prose and verse. an
ecdote. comment, burlesque, dainty po-
ems, parodes, and topical verse of every
kind. Every line of 1t expresses the per-
soDaiity of the writer, and coming as 1t
does, long after his death, it will be dou
bly, appreciated by those who delight in
his writings and have mourned over the
untirnely ending OF his career.
There is in the prose good deal OF that
thing known as "guying." Some OF the
anecdotes should be taken with a grain
OF salt, and all are permeated with that
irreverent and audacious iollity which
would have made Field address the Sphinx
in confidential tones If he had ever hap
pened to meet her. For example, here we
have him soberly discoursing on the bale
full influence which Howells has had upon
Hamlin Garland and giving the younger
author good advice in the third person:
We can well understand how so young and so
impressionable person Garland il should fall
easy prey TO Howells, for we haze met How
els and he is indeed a charming, a most charm
ing eFTff co of
superhnman power Of his destinations that all the
time were with him kept repeating pater-
nosters lest we. too, should fall a victim to his
sugared and persuasive heterodoxy; and even then.
after being with him an hour or two, We felt
strangely tempted to throw away our collar and
let our victuals drop all over our shirt front.
The fascination OF realism is all the more dam
gerous because il is so subtle. II Is a bacillus
undoubtedly and when you once get it into your
system il is liable 10 break out at any time in
new spot. But Garland is not yet so far gone
with the malady but that can save him il he
will only keep away from Howells. In all So
lemnity We declare it 10 be our opinion that
Howells is the only bad habit Garland has.
It is a pity that Field did not live to
read the latest book of Mr.. Garland. The
man who wrote THE Eagles Heart was
surely innocent of any realism, but 1t is
to be doubted whether he was not in the
case of that scriptural character who
drove out the fiend and swept and gar
nished his house.
There Is a story of London mince pie
over which people who have been abroad
are likely to laugh, and also some dis
course on English customs and dialects
which will appeal to them. Among the
verses are some lyrics on the proceed
ings attending the marriage Of President
Cleveland which would probably cause Mr..
Field to languish in Jail il he had been
German and written them about the Kali
ser. They are distinctly open to the
charge Of lese majestic. The Eugene Field
boy is also Ia evidence in quatrain:
Down through the snowdrifts TO the street
With clustering joy he steers;
His rubber boots are full Of feet
And his tippet full of ears.
In short, the book is thoroughly char
aeteristic of Field, and when that is said
the nature OF II Is as nearly defined as 1t
can be. (New York: Charles Scribner's
Sons. So