The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-09-13
MABEL GORDON.
Estimate ofa North Carolina Author.
\ Book That IS Peculiarly southern
In It's Features-The Characters.

Wilmington. n. c., September Z.
Editor Messenger:
1 have just finished reading Mabel
Gordon, d new candidate for honors In
the fruitful field of fiction, just from
the press of the ]. S. Ogilvie Publish
ing Co., 81 Rose street, New York. The
author is a North Carolinian under the
guise of "R. K. D." and in the preface
the pronoun his is used to impress
the fact that he's a him; but L am al
most, if not fully, persuaded that 1 had
the pleasure of knowing him when she
was in short dreSSeS-a bright capt.
waiting, ]precocious child of ii sum-
mers. 1t was just previous to my own
majority. She then knew more Latin
and Greek than Shakespeare, and was
familiar with many of the best books.
My time is too much occupied with
medicine to read critically many of
the numerous volumes pouring in an
uninterrupted stream from the various
publishing houses, and l do not there
fore feel competent to pass upon the
merits of a book of fiction.
There is little or none of the philos-
optical masculinity peculiar to George
Eliot pervading Mabel Gordon, nor
will you find therein the sesquipedalia
words and stilted, bombastic style OF
Mrs. Augusta (Evans) Wilson; the die
ton is more after the simple n at
tractive pattern of Anne Thackeray
Richie. The author has woven into
the fabric of her story people from
real life who are thoroughly familiar
to her. while others have been manu-
featured with rare skill to embellish
the tale. Her style, fashioned after no
models. is peculiarly her own, being
typical of the individual as much so
as her features or penmanShip. 1t is
easy, animated, graceful, n elegant
without ostentation. There ls not a
dull, prosy chapter, and the moral tone
throughout is excellent. The heroine,
of course, is Mabel Gordon, and the
gifted writer is depicting not only her
own sweet, guileless child, but uncon-
scously herself. Mabel is a pure, sun
~ny-souled. intelligent child with tan
gled red hair, a freckled face and
sparkling eyes that tell of the SOU
within. Music with her is a passion,
but it is not made the vehicle upon
which she rides to fame or fortune,
She is the daughter Of an educated.
refined Christian mother, and her faith
err is an old time, high-born, cultured
southern gentleman with vast posses
sions, which are suddenly swept away
by the ravages Of h war.
AS Mabel ripens with G h grows
more beautiful. her hair becomes dark
and is better kept, the freckles disap-
pear, anG she develops into a true,
brave Christian woman, ever modest
and gentle, but ashamed of her
religion. Allan Harvey is her child
lover, who proves false, almost break
ing her heart; n she afterwards
marries Colonel Rudolph Chester, a
brilliant lawyer n wealthy New
Yorker. Mrs. Rowland, Mr.. Gordon,
Colonel Chester and old Nanny Dicey
are exceptionally fine personalities.
"R. K. D." delineates character eX-
ceedingly well; and old Nanny, evil
IDENTIFY, is q real flesh and blood house
hold goddess of the farm, now rapidly
disappearing, who used the striking
and unique lingo just is represented.
The dialect of the good and faithful
old negro is equal to the best speci-
mems by Harris or Page. There is a
freshness, purity and charm about the
novel tina should delight every Tar
Heel. w. c. GALLOWAY.