The Washington times., 1901-10-06
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"The Great God Success" by John Ora
ham, is a newspaper novel, or tries to oe.
Some of its atmosphere is true to life. and
more of it is not. 1t is unlikely. for eN-
ample. that the situation portrayed in the
first chapter ever really happened-a raw
and unframed college graduate walking
into n newspaper office and getting a
place as reporter at S20 4 week. So advance
on the price usually paid by his manag-
ing editor, simply because of his audacity.
1t is also to be doubted whether, even in
New York, getting on in that profession
is quite as easy as it is here represented
TO be
Yet there is some realism in the book,
especially where it describes the evolu-
ton Of yellow journalism. 1t is rather
obvious that a well-known New York
newspaper is the object of some of the
authors filings, and it is frankly stated
that some of the characters are men well
known in the profession. He evidently
knows New York and his ground general
ly; where he fails it is not through lack
of knowledge, but want of skill in re-
producing the atmosphere with which he
is familiar The human interest is fur
nished by the heros liaison with shop
girl. her death, and his subsequent mar
riage to a woman of society. 1t is not
exactly an artistic piece of fiction, but it
is an interesting book. (New York:
Frederick \. Stokes 6 Co. s1.50)
'"The Battle Invisible" by Eleanor C.
Reed, is a book containing five stories of
farm and country life. by a new Chicago
writer. They are somewhat in the style of
Mary E. Wilkins. and one, Trans
planted" " is very much like some of the
work of the latter. Chicago: A. c. Nc
Clurg K Co sl.25)
THE Strength of the Hills" by Flor
ence Wilkinson, author Of The Lady of
the Flag Flowers" is in a slightly differ
ent vein from that of the writer's first
novel its scene being laid in the Adiron-
dacks near Saranac. The heroine is a
lumberman, Enoch Holme, and the hero
inc city girl, Alison Macdonald. The
contrast between the summer folks" at
Colonel HOLSTERS camp and the natives
is sharply drawn, and the author under
stands human nature, perhaps, better
than she understands pOrtraying it. The
realism Of the book is not its strong point.
and there is a certain air of fancfulness
about most Of the characters. The mo-
tives for the most part are genuine but
the reader does not always feel that the
incidents are, though there is no intrinsic
improbability. One of the finest bits of
work is to be found in the conversation
between Holme and Miss Macdonald, in
which she tells him that he judges the
summer people too lightly, as heartless
and superficial. and shows him that they
have all known the realities of life as
well as he. The atmosphere of the story
is fresh, bracing, and wholesome. CNew
York: Harper & Brothers. $500
'Flood-Tide," by Sarah P. Mclean
Greene, best known as the author of
Cape Cod Folks is a dreamy study of
the Maine coast. with all the mystical
fervor of the authors first book, and not
much of its humor. The best drawn char
acter in the book is Dinsmore, the small
boy Of the community. There is no plot
to speak of, and not much style (New
York: Harper & Brothers. sL5O)
The latest volume in Harper's Portrait
Collection of Short Stories" is The Pun
ishment of the Stingy." a volume of In
dian legends collected and written down
by George Bird Grinnen The way in
which these legends grew up is thus de-
scribed by the narrator:
LAS the Indians have no written
characters, memorable events are re-
tained only in the minds of the peo-
pie, ana are handed down by the elders
to their children and by these again
transmitted TO their children. so pass
ing from generation to generation.
Unll recent years one of the sacred
duties of certain elders OF the tribes
was the handing down of these his
tories to their SUCCESSORS. As they re-
peated them they impressed upon the
hearer the Importance of remembering
the stories precisely as told, and OF
telling them again exactly as he had
received them. neither adding nor TAX
ing away anything. Thus early taught
his duty, each listener strove TO per
form il, and to impress on those
whom he in turn instructed a similar
obligation
In transcribing stories such as
these. care must be used to take down
just what the narrator says. The stor-
les must be reproduced as they are
told; otherwise they lose that primi-
tive flavor which is often one of their
charms. In their true form they are
full OF human nature, fuI of uncon-
scious suggestion rs to how the primi-
tive mind worked, and fun also of
hints as to the customs and life of the
people in the old days.
Seated by the Pickering fire in
Blackfoot sldn-lodge, or in Pawnee
dirt-house, or in seashore dwelling on
the northwest coast l have received
historians, and have set them down
here as l have heard them"
OF the "Buejay Stories" the first
group in the collection, he says:
"On the shores Of the ocean which
washes our northwest coast live many
tribes OF 4 hardy, seafaring people.
Their houses stand along The beach
just above high-Water mark, and be
hind them the wooded mountains rise
sharply. The waters at their feet yield
them the chief share Of their living
The salmon that each year come 10 the
rivers 20 spawn, the great shoals of
little herTings that visit the beach,
the halibut that lie at the bottom, far
at sea, the seals. the sea-lions, the
porpoises and the whales, all provide
something toward the tribes support.
Or Il for while all these fail, there
are hat-hsh on the shoals, CLANS In the
mud flats, and mussels clinging TO the
rocks In the stories told by this race
OF seafarers, the incidents have TO do
with the common events OF their lives,
and the scenes are commonly laid on
the water or at the waters edge. Thus
they treat of the hunting of the sea-
lion, of the catching of the salmon,
and most often Of the search for food.
Most of the stories to be related
here are very old, and date from
period when men ard animals were far
more closely related than they seem to
be today; when, as the tales clearly
show, each could understand the 9TH
ers language, and when friendly in
tercourse between them was common"
Some of the stories are simply folk
lore, grotesque and curious rather than
artistic: others seem TO have a symbol
cal meaning, and sull others, as Little
Friend Coyote" have human interest.
"Bluejay, the Imitator." is story which
would probably be amusing to children.
Like the Irish fairy-tales and many 9th
ers, it is largely composed OF repeutions
Of the same situation in slightly varied
forms: and like them, it has a somewhat
quaint and whimsical moral which can
be extracted by some ingenuity. tNew