The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-19
ABNER DANIEL by Will N. Harden.
Publishers: Harper & Brothers, New
York. Price $780,

Publishers: Harper & Brothers, New
York. Price $1.50.
* Georgia is more prolific in popular au-
thors, platform speakers and writer's
than any other Southern State Easily
the first man of letters in the South is
Joel Chandler Harris. better known as
"Uncle Remus." Many men have tried to
write the negro dialect. and some have
ucceeded-notably Thomas Nelson Page
but uncle Remus" is the only writer
who has mastered it. He has learned it
until he can talk and write negro dialect
better than the negro himself No other
Georgian has had the temerity to try TO
write negro story. Mr.. Harris's pri-
macy is unquestioned.
The most interesting and prolific field
for character study in the South is in the
mountain section The people there are
less understood than any other people,
and they have changed less than any
others. Mrs. Murfree was the first to
CLEAN in that field, but though others
have followed the reapers, the harvest
is SO plentiful that there is abundance
for all who know how to CLEAN. The
stories are not to be had by superficial
study of the mountaineer. He must be
studied as one would study anything else
worth learning. He has a head full of
common sense-what they call horse
sense-and the Yankee who thinks he can
do him wakes up to find that he has
tackled the wrong fellow.
Before writing "Abner Daniel the au-
thor studied the mountain character CT
North Georgia until he knew it as we'll
as he knew the b c's. He didn't write
lists from a superficial knowledge of their
true worth and an exaggerated idea OF
their eccentricitiesl He POUNDS his novel
upon an appreciative knowledge Ct their
worth, their sense, their shrewdness.
their grit and the stern stuff of manhood
that is in them. Moreover he has learned
their idioms. their customs, their folk
lore. He writes as if he had himself
been born in a mountain cove-as he may
have been. for all we know-and been
brought up in the associations he de-
picts so we'll
"Abner Daniel has been character
ICED as the David Harum of the South"
and the Characterization is not far
wrong. 1t is Southern mountain story
in warp and wool. with the life depicted
as it really is. The characters are like
in our mountains The occupations,
amusements, virtues and vices are illus
trated by many a quaint story. Abner
Daniel is not in every respect David
Harum but Mr.. Harden has created
character whose quaint philosophy. re-
ligion without cant, and wholesomeness
make him a more admirable character
than David, and to a Southern reader an
even more interesting character. His be-
havior when on trial in church and his
speech when the railroads wanted to get
the people to give them a right of way,
are such as to elicit the warmest admi-
ration. homely philosopher full of the
milk of human kindness and quaint wit
Abner Daniel is a strongly drawn charac-
ter But perhaps, even more vitalized
is the character of Pole Baker, a sort of
half derelict and genius, full of faults but
fuller of virtues, with all the shrewdness
and shiftlessness of typical moonshiner'
Pole is a wonder in his way and through
the kindness Of Abner and his nephew is
made a good citizen, and turns out to be
a detective who. could give Sherlock
Holmes pointers.
The love story or stories, may be COM
pared to the breath of violets in spring
sweet and pure with just enough OF ro-
nance and uncertainty to keep the in
terest at the absorbing pltcn
from start to finish. 1t is wholesome
story of the love that abides in the
South-t;lis not calculating love of man
for maid love that ennObles man and
woman, the tender romance that makes
life holy and beautiful in ten thousand
hills and valleys of the South. Ii Las IN
it no element of unworthiness. There IS
no canker. no noXious weed to turn IL
into shame and unhappiness. Ihe MOD
ern novel too often deals with the strong
est of human passion as II 1t is interesting
only when of doubtful propriety or OF ao-
soIute inpropriety. Such stories poison
the mind and the heart. Mr.. Harbens
love story is the "old, old story where,
after a novel and interesting and not
wholly unnatural delay and opposiuon'
the stream of love at last runs strong
and true, the lovers marry and "hve To-
gether happily ever afterwards. "A mover
with any other ending is not mt TO De
read no matter what its literary quail
ties.
Mr. Harben's book illustrates the indus
trial. mineral and timber development OF
our mountain country and MS story
brings out the shrewdness OF the SOUTH
ern Yankee whose trading capacity is not
surpassed by any son of New England
The story of the land-poor old man, VINO
bad firm conviction that mountain I'm
Der land would one day make him ricn'
opens the way for the introduction oil the
shrewd Northern promoter and lumber
man who found his match in the inlet
tered mountain ex-moonshiner.
1t is delightful book 'racy OF the
soil" The best test of book is: do
YOU wish to devour it, do you become so
interested in the characters and the plot
that you will put aside your work to read
il 10 the end? BY that test we pronounce
"Abncr Daniel" one of the very pest
novels of the year. 1t ought to be IN the
hands of all who love wholesome ao-
sorbing, delightful story ~~
WHY so MANY NEW BOOKS!