The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-25
REVIEWS 0F THE BOOKS
GEORGE w. sTEEVENS' DEsCRIP-
rIONS IN HIS NEW BOOK, FROM
"CAPE TOWN TO LADYSMITH'
DESCRIPTION OF THE B0ERs
Hard Race TO Arouse and Hard
to SUbdUe-Denth of the
Author of the
HG0k.



Prom Cape Town 10 Ladysmith,' by
George w. Stevens. Dodd Mead /
Co, New York.
That the profession of journalism can
be e'eNaied into literature, to the dignity
and worth Of permanent literature is no
more misnomeT. One of these princes
ol war loirlsL ondenLs was the late George
w. Stevens. True, he devoted his life
Ia newspaper work, but it was such work
that il became a high credit 20 himself
and his profession. Of superior books of
travel many of them eQualing the best
work Of itayard Taylor, and his superb
With kitchner TO Khartum," are not
models OF literary excellence many emf
hent critics are labOring under delusion
They are far, indeed, from being ephemer-
al in character.
Great masters may have essayed more
meIentious work, but few of them have
done The work better. From Cape Town
10 Ladysmith" is the last of series Of
this work from the captivating pen Of
Mr. Stevens. EXcelling. all others in this
Inie or correspondence it was but neces-
sary foT him to go and see these scenes
Straightway the beautiful book flowed
from his pen, beautiful in real literary
culture and sound, logical reasoning This
truth IS brought home to us while reading
The short account of the seige Of Lady
smith. 1t is convincing. Day by day the
accounts Of the seige have been given in
the papers, and so far as facts are con-
cerhed they We're sufficient. But in the
Work OF Stevens there is spread before
us itch panorama, and we hear the
guns see the flags and realize that this
is war writing of the best.
Mr.. Stevens has described the Beers a g
they impressed him when he first saw
them. Let US read the description. We
snail doubtless gain as vivid a mental
picture OF these sturdy shepherds as
though we had ourselves seen them.
~, The Beers ride in from their farms.
rnGS are pig, bearded men, loose of limb,
shapblly dressed in broad-brimmed hats
corduroy trousers, and brown shoes; they
siI tllelF ponies at rockng-chair can
tei, erect ana easy; unkempt, rough, half
savage, their tanned faces and blue ewes
express lazy good nature, sluggish stub
norIlhess, dormant 1ierceness. They ask
the news in llsplng Dutch that might be
woman 5; but the lazy imperiousness
of their bearing stamps them as free
men ~ people hard to rouse, Won saw
ana as hard, when reused, to subdua
Cne OF the most significant bits in the
book is the authors account Of a. CONVEX
sation which he held with a Dutch mas
tor, who was also a professor Of a scho 1l
or Dopper theology He was short. but
thick set with a short but shaggy grav
beard; In Difference TO his calling he wore
a collar over his gray flannel shirt, but
no tie. Nevertheless, he turned out a
very charming, courteous old gentleman,
well informed, and his political pias was
melloWed with an irresistible sense Of
humor,' This old gentleman was a be-
never in the right of Boer resistance u
British aggression. Indeed, he elaine /
that no course was left to the Beers ex-
cept TO fight, and he summed the situa-
ton up thus: "Well, well; it is the law
of South Africa that the Boer drives the
native north and the English drive the
Boer north. But now the Boer can go
north no more two things stop him. the
tsetse fly and the fever. So if he mus1
perish, 1t is his duty-yes, I, minis er. say
1t is his duty to perish fighting"
One of the most spirited passages in
the book is the account of the battle OF
Elandslaagte, at which the author was
present. The bayonet charge by which
the Beer camp was "a sulging wave OF
men, all mixed inextricably; subalterns
commanding regiments. soldiers yelling
advice, officers firing carbines, stumbling.
leaping. killing, falling, all drunk with
battle. showing through hell to the throat
of the enemy And there beneath our feet
was the Boer camp and the last Beers
gaIloping out of it. There, also--.hank
heaven, thank hcaven!-were sqGadrons