The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-09

The craze IN the book world Just a
present Is Alice Of Old vineennes" by
Maurice Thompson. The scene is laid IL
Old vincennes, on the wabash, In TIT
year IT'S. We get little glimpses OF the
town from time to time. as in the follow
/ ing passage:
This simple life under low thatchet
roofs had a charm. When a door was
opened he could see a fire OF logs on the
ample hearth shooting its yellow tongue
up the sooty chimney throat Soft Gre
ole voices murmured and sang, or fangie
their petty domestic diseords. Women in
scant petticoats, leggins and nnoccassins
swept snow from the squat verandas. OF
fed pigs in little sites behind the cabins
Every one cried cheerfulIy "Bon Jour
monsieur, comment alez-vous?" as n
went by. accompanying the salute with
a graceful wave of the hand When he
walked early IN the morning a wait OF
broiiing game and browning scenes was
abroad Pots and kettles occupied the
hearths with glowing Goals heape
around and under Shaggy dogs whine
at the doors until the mensal remnants
were tossed out to them in the front
yard.
For Old vincennes was French settle
ment a the time Of this story The
! struggle for American independence was
then going on. and one Of the most stir
4 ring scenes in the book IS that In which
the Inhabitants swear allegiance TO the
United States and the fair Alice runs
/ up the stars ana stripes over the fort
I Alice is ward and adopted daughter of
] Gaspard Rousslllon who rescued her
from the Indians She has no clew to
her parentage save some dim memores
! Of childhood and an old miniature. Gas
pard is a good natured. burlv. inagin-
/ ative Frenehman Of the tvpe DEPICTED
by Daudet, and was probably suggested
/ to Mr.. Thompson hy q study Of that
author It IS largely due to Gasparl's
/ eloquence that his fellow townsmen de-
clare for "zhorzh vasinton" The can
/ ture Of the British post on the wabash
river, known as Fort Sackville, in 177a
gave TO the American colonies an an
/ pire-a territory now comprising the
states Of Ohio, Indiana, illinois. Nucbi-
gan and q part of Wisconsin. we. who
/ are so familiar with this history. are
amazed at the tendency on the part Of
/ historians to pass It over with only cas-
ual mention, leaving the fun story to be
+ told by those writer's who deal with the
( history Of Indiana alone
Governor Roosevelt, in his "vvinpIns ~
the West" offers an explanation Of this
Indifference, or ignorance. when he saws.
The fact that the conquest OF Vfncen-
nes) took place just after we had dec'ar-
/ ed ourselves a free nation, and while
we were still battling to maintain our
independence, does not alter its charac-
/ ter in the least; but It has suficed 70
render the whole transaction very hazv
in the minds Of most subsequent histor-
fans who generally speak as # the nerth
west territory had been part Of our orig
NAL possessions"
It IS upon this important incident IN
the history Of American achievements that
Mr.. Thompson has built his unusualIv
pretty romance-an incident which Lends
itself so readily to the picturesque fancy
OF an idealist Of Mr.. Thompson's meas
ure. Words fail one in describing how
wei he has mingled the ideal with the
real in this story
In writing Alice Of Old vineinnes, Mr.
Thompson found history and romance
both at his hand in the immortalachiavr-
ments Of the rolleklng Captain Helm ana
the implacable General clark.
He had but to create his heroina and
In this most difficult task he has been
most successful lie has made Alice
Roussillon a thing Of life-a warm. svm-
pathetic, full-blooded. capricious. VET No
manly woman, possessed OF al the vir-
tues OF the frontiers woman. and more
than her need Of bravery.
Alice would not De natural n she we're
not biz Of coquette. and Ii Is IN tbs=a
contradictory phases Of her character
that Mr. Thompson is At his best Afos
possesses the natural feminine a6ufra-
ton for q handsome cavalier. but her ~
nate sense ~ propriety protects her from
neing imposed upCn bv exterior sr71sf-
hshments Maideniy reserve raises
safe barrier between Alice and Hs'ys.z
lieutenant Beverly and intuition nuts
her on the defensive with the appearance
of Ca1tain Farnsworth Ee~ duel WIN
this British officer IS an entirely natural
episode and one ~ the most exciting. as
it IS certainly unique IN fiction.
The author has made Alice Porzziff4-
his chief figure. as seems entirely ~~ore-
but Che interest fn The storv does me- a.
PEND upon her alone re introduces al,
inevitable French priest an excesfl5nst,,-
l9vable Father Bsrst whose American
patriot sn 8 hardly second 70 his ieye f5-
mother church. Genera ca1rr. Roger
Clark Captain Helm. ths hoastftI csu-
psrd Roussil'1n TIRE first rnavo- 'f WIN
cennes. Simon Kenten the pioneer. Ham
dt1n. "the hair-hnger general" as he s
known 81 history. combine ~ give f-ta~
est g. che DEVELOPMENT 70 ths tale on-is
5tz7u The -re3le sc5ut r creation tha-
Ti.l certainly live. To -rs Fsz1.sr u1f,
tho creole nature Mr Th1npsr-s On-7-
Jszon VIII especially ap-esi me ro--
Trajectory character e tkis soA-ies s. on
~ The chleE evidences - Es-ul-srsrs !
B7as-fu'ness is ~ inherent vice ~ ~
cradle ard raa can vel Believe that mo
-eckirxsness Ehi-h e enreusz-s wouIa -
his ur5ur = g uese 17s ~ tne rat
uraI shrer-rn-zs vifh vht-h - tss Been
endowed ores Taz5r possesses 81 e
these ~aa~sctsrfstfcs ~ aa e1neesi fr-ss
ara be auth-r has So usI1 5is---tusss 81
unlgue Il h-ny. phIese1nv thr-ea
che narrative shat ons rsss a. every
glimpse ~ hls Guains so~m
+ wei1 be xork = s11s-e-7rat ~
- p1lut o1f where NJ Thompson has e.
esUaa ~ interest ln this rcmauee =
any ralaa there are 8ozea incidents por-