The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-28
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GUITAR TO the mountsinoers. '',his ere lit Of
iron Is ics' the best smoothbore l ever fired in
my life.''
few MINUTES after this another Buck county
marine" who was equally ignorant OF nautical
etiquette, with the familiarity OF a backwoods-
man, called ont to Barney" Say. cap. do ycu see
that fellow with the white hstf' and firing as he
spoke Captain Barney looked in the direction in
Dictated. and with white hat on the
cnemy's deck jump at least three feet and fall
TO rise no more Cap" again called out the
marlsman. that's the third fellow I've made
hop After the battle was over the Americans
found that every one Of the Englishmrn who had
been killed or wounded by small arms had been
struck either in the head OF breast
Captain Boyle. a noted privatcersman.
showed supreme audacity in one pt-ticu-
lar expedtion-and audacity was charac-
teristic of the privateer in general II
had been the custom of British admirals
on the American stations TO issue paper
blockades," declaring the entire coast OF
the United States to be blockaded. Cap
tain Boyle, while wandering erratically
about the English Channel in search of
prey, took il into his head 10 send TO Lon
don a burlesque proclamation, to be post
ed in Lloyds Coffee House, stating that
the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ire
land were hereby declared by virtue of his
power and authority 10 be in state OF
strict and rigorous blockade. 1t is doubt
full whether the British nation appreciat
ed this piece of American humor, but IL is
certain that Captain Boyle bothered the
steady going English merchants a great
deal in the course of maintaining his
blockade II was he, with his Chas
seur. who encountered the English vessel
st. Lawrence in the West Indies, near the
close OF the war OF 1872 The British man.
81 Of n
merchantmen till the American ship was
within pistol shot of her, when she I'M
covered her guns and her men swarmed
up on the decks.
IL looked as If the Yankee was trapped
at last, and there was certainly nothing
for him TO do but surrender or fight. 1t
did not take him minute TO decide. The
action lasted fifteen minutes. and OF the
end of it the Chasseur had another vic
tory 10 her account IL is interesting to
note that this plucky and daring captain
seems to have been both an officer and a
gentleman. for the captured officers of the
St Lawrence testified TO his courteous and
kindly treatment OF them while prisoners.
Altogether. Mr.. Maclay has made a most
fascinating book out OF these old sea sto-
ries, and one which fully sustains his
reputation as a story teller and historian.
The book should be made accessible TO
every boy old enough to be interested In
the history of his country and most of the
girls will also find it interesting; though
il is not written for juvenile readers. II
ought to be in all public libraries, and in
those of private individuals who wish to
collect records of the life Of this nation.
New York: ID. Appleton d. Co. $500
A Romance of the Jersey Coast.
THE Light OF Scarthey' is a new
by Egert9n Castle, author of Tho
Pride OF Jennico," which was one of the
most popular books of a recent season. 1t
S story with charm OF its own, and the
luthor frankly confosses that it is his PCT
worn. This is whSahe says of it in he
preface TO The An 5tsn edition:
Among the works Of every writer of fiction
here are generally one or Two that owe their
leing 10 some haunting thought, lcug coinmuucd
Tiih-a thought which hss at last found a living
shape in story Of deel and passion
/ say or two sdyi-edlv, lor the srln Of
mans active life is short ana such haunting isn
les are, Of their essence. solitary. A. matter
II fact, indeed. the majority OF I n0yelisis
ions belong TO another class, mus. Of necessity
If he be prolific writcr) ind their conception
n more sudden impulses The great family If |
he children Of his bI3iIl' must be born Of IN |
orth into the word surrounded by the atInos-
here OF their authors present mood, dccked in
he colors Of his latest im1ginin.s, strengthened
" his latest passionai impressions and phii0- !
optical conclusions.
In the latter category the lack of long intimate
cquaintsnce between inc sntl5r and the friends |
. foes he depicts Is amply compensated for by |
he enthusiasm appeItaiIing TO new discoveries, !
s each character reveals its,lf. often in quite |
fforseen manner, and tic consequences Of each |
vent shape themselves inevitably and s1metTncs, 1
indeed, almost against lis viii.
Although dissinilsf in their genesis, both kinds |
Z stories can, in the telling, be equally life |
ike and equally pleasing to the reader. But |
What Of the Hriterg Among bis literary family |
there not one nearer his heart than all the rest
his dIeam-child? II may be the stoutest Of the |
rood o. it may be tie weskling; it may be the !
int, it often is the Benjamin Fathers in the |
esh know this secret tenderness. Many a child |
nd many book j. brooded over with 4 special |
owe even before It's birth. Loved thus. for no |
race or merit Of its own, this book is my dream
hid.
Mr.. Castle then goes on to tell something |
more of the books inception and writing |
ion are as real as those in history-and |
very true boOk-loyer feels that. He says |
hat in the case OF a book which is the |
uthor's .dreani-chid." the trouble is not |
o know what TO put in but what 10 leave |
ut: that there are numberless scenes, in |
idents. characters. connected with the |
lot, which are as real 10 him as those |
Fhich he has used. but which must be left |
ut In Difference TO the canons OF literary |
TT. The central idea of this book is GER
ainly original and strong. The hero is a |
nan who has had but one love in his life,
hat for a beautiful and spirited French
OF those women who seem
orn to draw all hearts to them. whether
s lover or friend-as courageous and 10y
] as she is beautiful. affectionate and 10y
la woman in thousand. After being |
Ter comrade-not her husband or lover
through a thousand yicissitudes, her death
emoves her from him forever, and he re-
urns to his castle, Searthey. to live a
onely man for twenty years. The daugh-
er of this woman resppears to him at the
nd Of this period, brought TO his door by
chance. her mothers very image That
the situation; the problem of the novel
81 is, What sill be the result of the meet
1g?
He has placed his characters in the To-
mantle and picturesque setting Of the Jer-
ey coast during the first years of the pres
mt century; he has woven into the tale in
idents and characters commonplace in
hat time Of stress and turmoil; he has
lade his local and historical coloring per
ect, and then set about the task of eyolv-
ne his characters according 10 the laws
( heredity and psychology. Fantastic as
he romance may seem, it Is nevertheless
'ell within the bounds of possibility. and
ONE Ct the chapters are marked by a pow
r of description and narration which is
daring Moreover. every char
cter is thoroughly lifelike, though all are
lor- or less unusual. 1t would be spelling
be noyelist's plot to outline 1t in any de-
all: suffice il to say tina Mr.. Castles
dream child" among novels is in no way
nworthy OF its parentage and may easily
rove one Of the most popular books of
le year. tNew York: Frederick A. Stokes