The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-11-17

several plausible stories, she had re-
ceived considerable attention and enter
tainment in everal OHIO towns. There
were some parts of her story, however,
which aroused suspicion and one * the
sceptics wrote to General Wallace a1out
the matter The following reply was re-
ceived by return mail;
''My own mother died when ! was TOO
young to realize my loss. a fact which
should be sufficient 20 prove the wor'an
in question an imposter. Moreover, as
l am now seventy-three years old, IT Is
scarcely possible that a woman of seven
ty-four could have such an intimate re-
lationship."
There have been many attempts since
the success of Dooley, AIDE, Kiser, Billy
Baxter and others to write somewhat
similar systems of philosophic humor or
of humorous philosophy. In some guise
or other the successful humorist must
present a certain amount of homely phil
osophy. 1t would be difficult to name the
successful element; whether it is the hui
NOR which leavens the lump of philosophy
or the philosophy which gives substance
and purpose to the humor. At any rate,
both element are necessarily present, and
long may the combination exist in right
proportion. Unfortunately however
many of the attempts of the past and
present seasons have failed of their pur-
pose Vulgarity has crept in on the one
hand and. on the lother, woodeness OF
characters has prevented a realization OF
lifelikeness in the expressions. For the
most part, this kind of writing has had to
pass the test of newspaper publication a
fact for which We should be grateful since
il has resulted in a Discrimination on the
part of publishers to bring out in book
form newspaper humor which has not re-
ceived the stamp of popular approval. A
not unpleasant specimen of mOnologue hui
NOR of this kind has just been published
under the title of lone Forty Two be-
ing the confessions of a reformed mes
senger boy The author is Chicago
newspaper man and his sketches are Ia
miliar to the inhabitants of that city
Number One FortY-tWo may never nave
existed in the hesh-indeed he is too in
teilgent for such suspicion to be en-
tertained-but, in fiction, he is character
to spend a few minutes with when one
tires of a long novel or more serious
work of fact The author, Mr.. Henry NJ
HYDE has made a real hero out OF One
Forty Two in some of the stories; in mos1
of them the messenger boy plays a goo6
part modestly hidden under the usua
frailties of his craft
Around the personality of favorite au
thors, there hangs a glamor; the leas
detail of their lives, methods of work
amusements, personal peculiarities and 81
on, are eagerly sought. Doubtless in re
Spouse to just this sort OF curiosity-anC
a most legitimate curiosity it is-ar'
published such books as American Au
thors and Their Homes and Little Pill
grmages Among Men ana Women WIZ
Have Written Famous Books" The for
mer volume is beautiful book (howeve
awllwardly / have said it, for it has in
Guided half tones of photographs of the
homes of every author whose sketch ap
pears The subject matter has not, per
haps, included as much personal data a.
an admirer would care to read of his ia
vorite author, but the volume fills it's pur
pose of giving a brief glimpse into the
home life of many favorites. The Little
Pilgrimage Among Men Who Have Writ
ten Famous Books although it stagger!
under it's long title, is likewise valu
able volume of this kind. 1t is wortl
while this getting acquainted with thu
men who have written great books, though
the list of authors included in the volume
may seem longer than is applicable t
just that term. 1t is a good book to reat
and to keep. Later on the publisher
promise a similar acquaintance with TIL
women who are worthy of a like cata
loguing in flames gallery.
HERBERT BREWSTER.