The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-03
s. ARTHUR FRESHMAN, Lit. D.


the ignorance Of Thompson's works
be of choice. The humor. the pa thos,
the intimate knowledge of our dunno
brethren, the charming manner in which
/ that knowledge is displayed the perfect
sympathy with the animals which man
Germs .'lesser''-all these combine to make
s Ernest Seton-T lo1npson the most delight
s f.ll@s writer that ever told us stories
OF fact concerning wild animal:
& Hero is no fantastic tale of talking beasts;
{ Mr.. Seton-Thompson makes his animals
+ talk. but it is the talk which. is displayed
in action and his Interpretation of their
thoughts is true to all who. as he, love
animals and know them. Every one5nf
his stories or sketches bears absolute
conviction of truth; we know that these
things are truly told, that the. author.
has penetrated behind the screen Of
dumbness and found the spirit of the
animal, and that the great Interpreter
OF the escoteric aspects o fanimal life has
come to US in Mr.. Seton-Thompson.
I-e latest work of tie gifted author of
..Wild Animals L Have Known lies. be-
fore u.s. 1t is called Lives of the Hunt
er. and is finely printed and bound, while
it is full of capital Illustrations and each
page is en1belished with. marginal pic
lures, all the work Of the author, The
-istrarion in their combined accuracy
and humor, are delightful; there are two
of baby BEAR in the sketch called
Johnny Bear" which are alone worth
the price Of the book to any one who loves
animals, and possesses appreciation OF
true humor. That which bears ono pun
intended) the legend. His Whole Appear,
ance Suggested Dyspepsia is simply I'M
mense; and almost as mirth-pprovollinS
is that entitled But Johnny Wante1sto
See.'' And all the rest are good. though
in illustrating the author is far better III
humorous than in pathetic subjects
THE LIFE OF ROBERT LOUIS STE
vENSON. BY Graham Balfour. Charles
Scrlbner's Sons, New York.
it is with genuine pleasure that we
read 1.-The Life OF Robert Louis Steven
son." by Graham Ba,four. Making al
aloWance for enthusiasm OF worship which
can see no flaw IN it's idol, Mr.. Bal1o:ir
has done his work WE'LL He shows US
stevenson I'm his abit as he lived; and
from his description we arc able to get
something more than gllmpseS OF the sal
liant. cherry and yet snaoowed life which
knew its end in Samoa. Being. cousin 70
Stevenson, Mr.. Balfour has had ample
opportunity to gather details from the
ayailed himself OF his opportunities with
a result that is in all ways satisfactory.
Intense admirer of Stevenson as ne IS,
the biographer shows throughout spirit
OF fairness, which Is promised in these
words from his preface: Lie mad many
failinss, but few or none that made ms
friends think worse of him or love him
any the less That is pregnant SEN
stence; and probably it is strictly truthful.
Stevenson overcame. the worst OF his
failings, and those which remained With
him to the end were of a nature. not .
repel, though they might awaken. regret;
and few men have had warmer friends
than he: .,f,ss2ss
Mr.. Balfour adopts the excellent plan
Of making he subject of his biography
speak for himself when this isTpossible.
with the result that we: obtain a;clearer,
even if more agnlentary, conception OF
the real Stevenson than we could have
been given in any other manner. In a
work of this class, there is little neces-s
sity for elegance and finish of literary
style; We care entirely for the matter
and the best bicgra piers are those who
] entirely subordinate themselves to their
subject. In this respect, Mr.. Balfour has
done satisfactory work. We cordially
recommend the book, which is published
in two volumes, of excellent mechanics.
Ito all lovers OF Stevenson; and we yet
more cordially commend it. to all lovers
Of: humanity. who. can sympathize with
a brave fight against odds made with IN.
daunted cheerfulness and ending in VIC
tory at last. He must indeed, be an un-
unreasonable man. who can read ''The
Life Of Robert Louis Stevenson and not
find foundation for resolve and hone and
combat with all that is mean and base
r. II. R.
CAREERS OF DANGER AND DARING.
By Cleveland Moffett The Century
Company, New York.
Mr.. Cleveland Motfett has written a
Z book which he calls Careers ofDanger
and Daring" We suppose that the book
was written primarily for boys; but We
are quite sure that If the father Of the
boy happens TO set hold of said book. be-
fore his son does so. the latter will be
kept waiting 8Runtil the sire has read
every word. We dipped carelessly into
Mr.. Noffctt's book, rather expecting to
be bored. by conventionalities, and in five
minutes we We're so tensrossed that even
a call to dinner found us deaf. 1t may
be that all readers will not agree with
us: SOFT. We can only assert that no ro-
nance that we have read in the past dec
ade has so thrilled and entranced us as
nave Mr.. Moffetts unpretendlns stories
OF men and things that arc in our every
day knowledge, but whose true values
we have never before appreciated. or
course, we vaguely knew that there was
peril III the calling of a fireman. a pilot,
a bridge builder, and others of whom Mr..
N1ohett. tells US; but tho trues-ronlance
of their scallings, the 8staunch yet uncon-E
scious heroisnl cal led forth by their yoca-s
tons. the bravery that makes light OF
things which in the detail cause us = o.
hold our breath-these things were hid
den from US. or only carelessly. recog-i