The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04
III l 1|@ 3 ]

| as the blood stain on the key TO the eyes
of Bluebeard in the fairy-tale, and with
somewhat the air of a tragedy queen she
marches up TO the supposedly recreant low
| er (after questioning the German servant
! in a truly underbred manner, and pre-
sents to him the bouquet-and his ring. Inc
| young man, with a patience which is inf
nitely commendable in dealing with such
an utter ninny of a girl. explains that he
bought the flowers to give TO young lady
whom he had known slightly; that he had
| Intended to present them TO her at the sta
ton, when he escorted her and her mother
TO the train: but decided that she might
think such an action significant, and there
fore tossed the bouquet up or his closet
shelf and forgot all about it. II there ever
was such situation this outside of the
works Of Howells. il probably was in a lu-
matte asylum. for in ordinary society the
young man would probably have thought
himself well rid of the complication after
the following speech from the maiden:
"Yes. it's over. It isn't what you've done. It's
what you are. I believed in you, in spite of
your coming bsck when You said you wouldn't
and But / zee that what YOU did was you; it
your nature, and can't believe in You any
more"
Instead of taking himself off, how
ever, the youth aliases himself still further
before the lofty damsel, but all TO no
avail. She will have none OF him, and the
chapter ends in blue misery. or course,
this misery is later relieved by the recon-
citations of Burnamy and Miss Triscoe.
and one has a vision of another pair of
Marches starting forth on a career of petty
triviality and Irritating psychological anal
Uses of impossible problems. Perhaps Mr.
Howells will in time emulate the author
of what are known to authorities on juve-
nile literature as the Elsie books" and
give us an interminable series of Marches
and descendants of the Marches. We shall
have March as q grandfather listening 10
the matchmaking schemes of his wife,
which are inspired by subtle family traits
detected in toddliug infants; March trying
TO talk baby-talk, and helpless before the
mysteries OF pins and rsttles: Mrs. March
trying to implant the seeds o. Boston cul-
ture in Chicago or the Philippines, and
struggling with the problem OF making a
match between a Boston girl and q Mon
tana cowboy. If there is haven Of rest
TO which the Marches can be surreptitious-
ly removed. by kidnapping, garroting, or
otherwise, the reading world will be
thankful.
Such book as ,"Their Silver Wedding
Journey might be escusable. though 1t
certainly would not be salable. If written
fame; but that such writer as William
Dean Howells should use the lever of his
reputation TO- impose upon the public such
a mixture of hack-work, oyerdrawn and
morbid sentimentality, and absolute rub
bish, is not TO be condoned in any way.
Mr.. Howells is not young; he is not poor;
he Is not dependent in any way upon the
wishes of publishers who are so lacking
in literary judgment as TO accept such a ]
l.. IL.
first chapter that he sees the futility Of |
trying to combine guide book with love |
story to the extent of two large volumes; |
there is no excuse for him anywhere, |
though the ground be raked with a fine
tooth comb. He has simply tried TO do |
over again, apparently for profit, what he |
did once quite successfully.
"a Chance Acquaintance" was pretty |
little love story, not too long. and the pic |
turesque surroundings, being subordinated |
TO the story. added TO its charm. More |
over. the situation itself was happily con- |
ceived and true TO life though with touch |
Of the farcical. and Kitty Ellison was a
winsome heroine. But in this numbering
and loosely-constructed tale we have too
arge a dose of the guide-book and too
much complicated overstrained, and non
'ensical emotion mixed with feeble satire;
md the results anything but pleasing. 1t
S all the more distasteful from the fact
hat the author brought to his task much
kill and long experience. (New York:
Harper & Bros)