The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17


bari at the proper Anglican biazes
away Well. sir. he said the result
was startiin'. Sati the bullet went
circlin, round thatntree trunk, zippin'
the bark. and cHur,ban' higher an
higher as it went Said the squirt got
xcited ut the hang o the gun ana II
went to eirclin round the tree. too;
'Cordin'. to his own tale. Josh stood
and watched the p'rformance-an
nearly died a-laRhin'. Round ana
round went the squfr
streak o creased dightnin: an after
tan gainin little by little-whizzed
the bullet. Josh said IT was bout fif-
teen minutes by the watch fore the
bullet ketched up with that SOUR ana
killed it
If anyone wants to read a book fun of
this kind of literature, Ralph Mariowe'
is the one for him to read. ;Akron, Ohio:
The Saalfields Publishing Company
"A Pillar of Salt" by Jennette Lee. is a
story of life in Connecticut factory
town, and the hero is an inventor. The
interest of the tale is mainly psychology
cal, the motive being the struggle of the
man against the petty details and con-
fiicting interests of the life around him,
and against his wife's lack of interest in
and opposition to, his work. The minor
characters are all skillfully drawn, and in
fact, there is no flaw in the character
work. The story is realistic without be-
ing squalid, and full of idealism without
being visionary. The style is throughout
carefully finished and full of reserved
refinement. There is, to take a page at
random, tiny character sketch of the
village clergyman which is not only
charming in itself but a good example of
the authors work:
TT was never a witty sermon or
striking one. Old DIR. Burke would
have made poor candidate. He had
passed his SEVENTEEN year-a long re-
move from the stirring young man
now in demand. DR.. Burke had been
young once. He had been pastor in
Burleighyille then as NOVELTY years
ago. Perhaps he did not preach very
wonderful sermons then; they We're
far from wonderful now.
But the people loved him.
ITO many of them he had always
been Old DIR. Burke. He had never
grown any older. and his heart had
always been young.
IF the sermons were dry and tedl-
ious, the congregation never suspected
it. For the vision Of an old white
horse logged placidiy through them.
and a low old-time carriage with Little
windows in the sides. through which
smiling old face looked out
Il find it hard to picture young
man of the appropriate age in DR..
Burkes place. Something of mellow
something of kindness and interest
l am sure that the appropriate young
man would remember the name of ev-
cry member of his congregation; but
/ have no certainty that he would re-
member every child on the street. or
would find time to beam out of the
old carriage on boys playing marbles.
The days of early spring are busy ones
for golden young men. Only the very
old and the very young can take an
interest in marbles and new willow
whistles and blackbirds and pussy
willows. Sometimes when we see
bunch of them for sale on the corner
we are taken back to the days that
were good for nothing but gathering
them DR.. Burke, i think, never out
grew those days. Almost any member
of the modern Christian Endeayor So
ciety could have given him points on
executive work and prayer meetings.
And the stereopticDn lecture had new
er enliveneG the evening service. But
the people loved him
No one before him today but had
at some time blessed his kindness.
Days of scarlet fever listened from
one pew, and days of wrestling with
temptation from another, and days of
mourning. To them all he was Old
Dr. Burke-a man who loved them. He
knew them better than they knew
each other, far better than they knew
themselves.
There is no Formally in the book, no
crudeness, and no straining after effect.
1t is simple charact er-study, and a clev-
er one. Boston: Houghton, Miffiin &
Co $l25) i