The times., 1901-05-05

IL Ii NJ
| urtraveled field 1t is nearly certain that
| one of the great topics of study, for nov
elists. statesmen, and artists in the next
| twenty five years will be the relations be-
tween the various races of the earth, now
! for the first time beginning to be brought
| into close general contact; and the char
acter, influence, and general behavior of
| the half breed viii be of considerable
| Importance in solving this problem. If it
| is ever to be solved. Mr. Palmer is
| therefore, in these two stories, heading in
a direction which is likely to be followed
| by a great current of fiction sooner or
| later. (New York: Charles Scribner's s
Sons. S1.5o)
The Claim Jumpers" by Stewart Ed
ward White, is an unpretentious bit of
| light fiction which is very happily done.
It's chief characteristic is the brightness
of its conversation and character work.
At the very beginning we are introduced
to a Bohemian abode, in which this motto
occupies prominent place:
'Have a place for everything, and
then there'll be one place you won't
| have to look
This place is inhabited by four young
men, who indulge during the first chapter
/ in running fire Of chaff, which serves
| to introduce the hero. q staid and some
what conventional youth, who has ap-
! parently spent his early years wrapped
| in cotton batting in bandboX. IT should
! be remembered, however, that it does not
hurt anything really valuable to be
| treated in this manner whether it be
| bronze, china, or wax; and the young man
in question is by no means a despicable
| hero when he gets a fair chance to be
| heroic; moreover, he himself makes this
| chance. The heroine, who appears after
the scene shifts to the West, is a wood
| sprite of "A girl with some of the ways
of good society, and the conversation Of
the twain is of a lofty and Intellectual
order, but not precisely unnatural.
The Look is not. however, all converse
tion. There is some lively adventure in
it, and an interesting though rather
transparent plot. The obviousness of the
| ending however, does not hinder the
readers enjoyment, and taken whole
the little romance is a capital bit of light
comedy. 1t is for that reason good sum
mer reading. Soda water with a dash of
cream is more grateful upon a still, warm
day than is roast beef; and soda water is
precisely what this little confection of ro-
nance resembles. (New York: d. Apple
ton & Co SD
THE Delectable Mountains by Arthur
Cotton, possesses an individuality of it's
own. That is the first impression re-
ceived by the reader What kind of an
individuality belongs to it is rather more
difficult to decide but that it is not just
like any other book is certain. 1t con-
sists of half dozen or more stories of
rural life, some pathetic, some humor-
Gus in a quiet way, and all possessing
a certain poetic charm. There is hint
In most of them of the grotesquely weird
creations of fancy which seem never to
be far from the dwellers among noun
tains. and of the mysterious awe and
solemnty of the woods and heights.
The story of Joppa, the deacons eve
necked horse, who ran away and enjoyed
a brief season of freedom in the woods, is
a piece of demure comedy which adds
something to Light literature. The Place
of Abandoned Gods" is another example
of what might be called slow-rnatch fun
the kind of fun which results in quiet
smiles, not in laughter. The Elders
Seat is a subtle character-study, dealing
with elemental types, not with indivfd-
uals, and its tone is that of impersonal
pathos, if there is such thing. "A VS.
ible Judgment is another character study
which reminds one a little of the infiexible
people OF Mary f. wilkins, beings akin
TO the gnarled apple trees in their own
orchards
The beginning of the story about The
Leather Hermit gives a fair idea Of the
style of Mr. Cotton. He begins it with
a description of a river and when he has
finished the reader knows all about that
river, has lived with it and is aware that
it has an individuality, as all rivers should
have when they are outside of factory
towns, where character is developed un-
der difficulties. lie says:
"To know the Wyantenaug thor
ouehlv is 10 be wise in rivers: which
If anyone doubts, let him follow II
from its springs 10 the sea-a possible
fortnight-and consider then how he
is a changed man with respect to riv-
erS. Not that by any means IL is the
epitome OF rivers. X is no spendthrift
food-stream TO be whirling over the
bottomlands In April and scarcely able
TO wet it's middle stones in August,
but a shrewd and honest river, a Canny
river flowing among canny folk, a
companionable river, loving both
laughter and sentiment with a taste
for the varieties of life and fine vein
of humor. Observe how ii dances and
sputters down the rapids-not really
losing it's temper, but pretending to be
nervous-dives into that sloping pass
where the rocks hang high and drip
forever runs through 1t like q sleuth-
hound, darkly and savagely. and saun-
ters out into the sunlight, as who
should say in guileless manner You
don't happen TO know where I'm GO
ing? Then it wanders about the val
ley, spreads out comfortably and lies
quiet a space, But IT really makes no
difference you know and after that
gives a chuckle, rounds a bunch Of
hills and goes sCampering off, quite
taken up with new idea. And so in
many ways it is an entertaining and
friendly river. with q liking for joke
and pretty notion Of dramatic effect
And speaking about poetry. has anyone
ever noticed how utterly destitute Of poet
ic instinct most Americans have been in
naming their rural landmarks? Here. for
example, we find a road described by Mr..
Cotton, "the MINDLESS Road, which goes
around a mountain. Anyone might think
1t meant that the road was closely shut in
by woods. so that no wind could reach the
passer-by, and there is a pretty vision sug-
gested. of a winding quiet pathway. cool
and sheltered. But the chances are that
nothing Of the kind was meant, first be-
cause "windless'' is not an American word,
and. second, because "windlass," pro-
nounced in the above fashion, is Most
likely the road was named because it
wound about the mountain like a wind
lass CNew York: Charles Scrbners
Sons $l501
THE Mystery Of the Clasped Hands is
a somewhat gruesome tale by Guy Booth
by, who has won some reputation in this
line of work. 1t is a detective romance