The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-09
SOME OF THE new BOOKS


Mr.. Otto Stechhan is so honestly per-
sistent in his literary efforts that one can
not help wishing he might succeed in max
ing his mark as an author, but his re-
peated attempts in that direction only serve
to confirm the opinion that his best hold
is that of a manufacturer and business
man. Some of his verses. Of which he has
published two or three volumes. show some
poetic feeling and facility of expression,
though marred by a certain stiffness Incl
dent to the use of a language not altogether
familiar. In his latest effort Mr.. Stechhan
has dropped into prose. '~Unrequited Love
has the literary form and semblance Of a
novel. 1t is laid in Indiana on the borders
of Phantom lake. which is frequented by
summer boarders and his heroine Tn
story opens with a minute description or
Lake View Hotel" which was kept by "a
widow. a Mrs. Rushton. a kind-hearted
lady, a matron of possibly fifty years or
more, who. with the assistance OF her
youngest daughter, Jessie, twenty years OF
age. and Dave. an overgrown boy, the paoy
or the family. attended to the duties asso-
ciated with caring for the bcarderS as pest
she could with the limited means at her
The reader is Informed that
Mrs. RuShton was IAN 1"ndetaJgaDle
worker, up early and late, never idle a
minute, While Dave was c0nstltutlOnauy
lazy, and, what made the situation sun
more a~ggrayating was the fact that TINS
incorriglble boy was as strong as any man
and he could have readily done the work
required of him had he been disposed to DO
So Dave was not unique in this regard:
Jessie, who turns out to be the heroine OF
the story, was as obedient and dutiful as
Dave was the opposite, and a very pretty
girl, of which fact, fortunately, she was
not aware. She assisted her mother ma
tRT11llX In Whatever HQnnRiTV WAS most
necessary, ever making herself useful In
some manner about the premises" Never
theless, when a city chap named Henri
NernOn-nOt Henry but Henri-dlScOVerS
her splitting wood "she stopped, ashamed
and blushed TO have been caught doing this
kind of work" OF course, that was Dawes
work, but he was probably off rabbit-hunt-
ing, though the author does not say so.
The w~oOd-splitting incident leads to a ro-
mantle acquaintance between Henri and
Jessie. which results In her falling madly
in love with him, while he persists in re-
garding her with q inc of brOtherly, pla-
tonic affection. Several pages are given to
describing Jessie's treatment of a favorite
cat which was accidentally hurt by John
Stacks horse Charley" The reader learns
that the cats name was 'Tabby" and that
Charley was the ''off horse" These details
are recorded with historic accuracy, though
the novel is not an historical one. Suisse
quent chapters describe the development of
Jessie's hopeless passion for Henri. which
is the main theme of the story. One chap
ter describes a Yacht race which some
drunken young fellows, actuated by Jeal-
ousy of Henri. tried to prevent by mutt
lating his boat, with the result that THE
yacht club offered a handsome reward for
the apprehension of the fiends who had
despoiled her. Jessie plays an important
part in the boat race, but later makes a
fool Of herself and compromises her reputa-
ton by making love in a very ridiculous
fashion to Henri, which he tries TO repel
by applying himself ZealOusly to his art,
working with a feverish haste" From
being lovesick Jessie becomes temporarily
insane, but finally RECEIVERS and when Henri
called to see her Mrs. Rushton received
him at the door and Informed him that
Jessie had been belfast for several weeks
and that 1t would soon be over with her
earthly career, the tears stealing down her
furrowed cheeks while acknowledging this
painful truth" Henri was allowed to i'm
print "a long. lingering kiss upon Jessie's
thin, white lips" and then, latter paying a
visit to the Barton farm he departed for
his home" Some weeks later. learning
that Jessie was still alive. he sent her a
bunch of roses, but IAN unaccOuntable de-
lay in shipment caused the flowers to arrive
too late and what Henri had so earnestly
hoped would be the last token of life
proved to be the first tribute to death. fol-
Jessie had just expired in the arms of her
delivered" The story shows a conscien.
tious and laborious effort TO make some
thing out of nothing, but the incidents are
trivial and the misunderstanding lacks
effectiveness. New York: The Abbey Press