The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-02-09
BOOK NOTES.

In 1.-THE House Behind the Cedars,"
published by Houghton, Miffiin & Co.
MIR. Charles w. Chesnutt gives a furth-
er earnest of the future predicted for
him by those who have read his former
books '4The Conjure Woman" and The
Wife of His Youth" In this, Mr.. CheS-
NUTS first sustained work of fiction, is
revealed a growing breadth of concep-
ton and hrmness of touch which were
confidently expected. Mr. CheSnGttS
first book dealt with the old-time negro
of the plantations, with quaint beliefs
and SuperstitiOnS, set in a very cOnV1nc-
ing BACKGROUND It was the easy going
life of the old regime, with its upper
crust of wealth and culture in the great
house, and the pathetic and humorous
background of cabin and field. Old
Julius McAdoO has well been called
brother to Uncle Ren1uS, with a decided
originality of his own In THE Wifi
of His Youth Mr.. Chestnut went a step
farther, and sought to give an insight
into the life of the emancipate people
in their attempts at adjustment to free
dom and competition with the white
race The one was poetry. the other
dramatic and forceful study of present
day conditions. In Mr.. CheSnutt's novel
THE House Behind the Cedars," he has
very skillfully and successfully combin
ed the old life and the new. Located in
North and South Carolina, just before
and after the civil war, it has the rich
ness of local color which marked THE
Conjure Woman" and contains a care
ern town where the author spent his
youth and studied the types which he
has faithfully and sympathetically re-
produced The action Of the story,
which is of thrilling interest, concerns
the efforts of a beautiful girl to ESCAPE
the disabilities which the sins Of others
and the customs of the country and the
time imposed upon her.
"Old Ironsides" is to be rebuilt and re-
fitted, at an expense of nearly 100000
by the Daughters of 1872, of Massachus-
etts The historic old vessel is now ly-
efforts-in which congress will assist by
an appropriation-to save the conqueror
of the Guerrero. Java, Levant, and
Cyane are coincidental with the publ
cation, by Messrs. Houghton, Aiffiin &
Co, of THE Constitution: The Central
Figure of the Navy under Sail" by Ira
N. Hollis. sometime commander in the
United States navy and now professor
of engineering in Harvard university.
The vessel serves as the typical ship of
the old wooden navy, which is studied
from it's beginnings in the Constitution
to it's end in the Monitor.
While the battle of Antietam was in
progress. September II, 1862, one Of the
was being written in Oakland, Nd, by
q confederate officer, one of General
Beauregard's staff. The ballad was
t'Stonewan Jacksons Way of which
that it and Mrs Howe's Battle Hymn
of the Republic constituted about the
sole surviving poetry of the Civil war"
The author, John Williamson Palmer, is
now about to make public a long de-
sired collection of his lyrics and ballads.
including, in addition to the one named.
1.-THE Maryland Battalion C'inevitable
and unforget table" according toe. D. q.
Koberts), For Charles Sake "a favor
lite with Bayard Taylor, "Oranje Bo-
ven" (Nritten for Queen Wilhelmina's
coronation), and others. Funk & Wag-
nails are the publishers.
I wish'-the small blunt pencil was
lifted in air for the space of three min
utes before it again descended; then
with cheeks which burned, Miss Philura.
wrote the fateful words:
I wish to have a lover, and to be
married.
. There, I have done it, she said to
herself her little fingers trembling with
agitation He must already exist in the
Fncircling Good. He is mfnei-I am en-
gagged to be married at this very mo
ment- +"
This is an extract from a novelette,
soon to appear from the pen of Florence
Morse Kingsley (author Of Titus" etc),
entitled THE TRANSPORTATION Of Miss
Philura" In It the subject divine heal
ing is treated somewhat symDathet-
fcally. and the TRANSPORTATION is
effected by Miss Philura's very literal