The age-herald., 1900-10-06
NOTES FROM THE
 LITERARY WORLD

Northern Georgia Sketches by Will N. Hafben, A. C. McClurg and Company, 1900 is a book of short stories delineating the life of the white people and negroes of North Georgia. The sketches are clever and excellent, the dialect is good, as it only can be when written by a Southerner The story "A Humble Abolitonist," is an entertaining account of a white farmer of the poorer class, who did not own slaves, having to take one for a debt due him by one of the aristocracy. The negro was "a quality negro,' and the farmer and his wife were al their wits end to know what to do with him. As one of their neighbors- observed. A nigger ain't like no other Twin ere ture. A pore jest cayn't please em To make an impress sion on their new and undesired slave the farmers wife gets out the finest china 'the company plates with the blue decor ations" This so upsets the farmer that he cant work, and his wife observes, T declare, I'm afeered this nigger is a-goin to stick us up, whether or mo-"
 A solution of the problem Is finally reach ed by setting the negro free, the wife be- ing powerful glad we can git out of 1t so easy
 The other stories are equally good and the book will well repay the time spent in reading it.
 Magyar Poetry" translated by William N. Leon, Author Translator Editon 1S99 is collection of Hungarian poems MT. Leon, in the preface, distinctly disclaims all recognition as a poet, but those who read the poems will readily that MT Leon has been too modest. It is no easy task to translate Hungarian poetry into good English verse; the translation must necessarily be free, and the translator must be good deal of Q poet. That this is true with MT. Leon is shown by an original poem called "One Thousand Years,' be- ing a quasi bird s-eye view of Hungary's life for that period. MT. Leon says, de- scribing that time
 One thousand years ago! The printers art And Martin Luther's bold protest had not Yet stirred the core of mind and heart; Swift arrow flew from bow, no powders
 shot
 Was weapon then, and in the worlds
 quaint chart
 Steam had not placed one new discovered
 spot
 Then speaking to America, he says: Grasp thou our hand; thou western queen
 afar,
 Thou where the throne of freedoms
 god doth stand,
 Give thanks for us, that still our country's
 star
 Is lighted from fair freedoms burning
 brand;
 
 the scar
 Of heroes who have died for our fair
 land.
 The following is one verse of a transla- ton from Paul Gynlai:
 A flower I would say
 Thou art to me, but nay;
 For though thy fairy face
 Shows roses, lily's grace.
 Yet thee 1 cal not so;
 Can flowers feel? Oh. no!
 Dear maid, remain what now thou art,
 My loving and beloved sweetheart. translation from Alexander Petof call ed Drunk for the Country's Sake Is happy combination of humor and patriot ism:
 God bless you boysl Come drink again Let us the jovial glass fill high!
 Pray let me not my country see
 Forsaken and in misery,
 For rather drunk in dreams I'd lie. For then I dream that once again
 At home the voice of cheer 1 hear.
 It seems to that with each round
 Of joyous drink I heal a wound
 Thou sufferest from, my country dear If it could be while lie here
 My country truly happy were
 You never should, good friends, say,
 Even if ! might live for aye
 Behold me sober more I swear!
 
 "Alice of Old Vincennes," by Maurice Thompson, the Bowen-Merrill Company, 1900, is book whose typographical appear ance attracts favorable comment, ere the book itself is read. It is pleasure to read a we'll printed book In this age of bad eyes and glasses, and such sufferers heaye sigh of grateful relief to the typesetter who makes 1t possible to read book in comfort. tr aTa the Wabash river in 177S, in the days when, as Mr. Thompson says, women lightly braVed what the strongest men would shrink from now" Alice, the heroine, Is young girl of an independent spirit and the adopted daughter of a Frenchman, Gaspard Roussillon. She has no clew to her parentage. When the war of the Amer ican Revolution breaks out young lieu tenant named Beverley, who is sent to take command of the place, falls in love with her. The English afterward capture it. and Lieutenant Beverley escapes and makes his way to Colonel Clark, who is leading an expedition for its relief The place is retaken and the American flag Is again run up by Alice over the fort, she having at the time the VincenneS folk cast in their lot with the Americans, been the first to hoist the flag. This is one of the novels where all ends happily for the her oine.
 MT. Thompson has drawn some fine char acterS in this story. His Indian and front iersman are the best since Coopers time, while Alice and the French characters are drawn only as MT. Thompson, with his in innate Knowledge of French. can. The book is essentially American and the incl dents are dramatic and absorbing. One of the most striking is where Alice fights sword duel with an English officer who has come to arrest her foster-father. A file of soldiers come into the room, the wife extinguishes the light, and general melee ensues. Then one of the soldiers bethinks him to open dark lantern he has brought with him. In its light the young officer sees Alice with a rapier in her hand, and not being able to make out that it is woman, crosses swords with her The off, cer not being good swordsman, Is wound ed and falls to the floor, extinguishing the lantern.
 The story is full of life from start to finish There is nothing morbid or intro- spective, and the reader finds a healthy