Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-10-04
make her charming companion,

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Like Ruth Hairs earlier books, "The
Downrenters Son (H0ughtQ. Miillin
x Coz contains abundant adventure,
incident, and color. II deals with a
little-known eddy in the stream OF
New York history-the strange attempt
10 abolish rents about sixty years afO.
The political struggle involved Is pre-
scented through the medium Of few
striking characters, whose dialogue is
very well managed. There are two
scenes of marked dramatic power one
where a man is about TO be tarred and
feathered, and another in which "Old
Hagar' dehes the officers Of the law.
While not a juvenile book, the story is
Of equal interest TO both older and
younger readers,
Harper & Brothers report the con-
tinued and almost surprising success Of
their new edition of the works OF
Charles Dickens orders for the edi-
ton have come quite as much from
rural as from metropolitan districts,
and from all parts of the country, Mr.,
Hall Game recently gave IT as his opin-
ion that Dickens great hold on the
public was accounted for by the de-
mand he made on their affection, Every
new fact added 20 the story Of Dickens
life as an author confirms the senti-
ment Of admiration so long attached
to his name. How very much the adj
miration Of the public for an author
may increase when his personality
holds their affection might be- ilustrat-
ed by a contrast between the careers
Of Dickens and Trollope and their re-
spective places in popular esteem II
has been pointed out that the publlca-
ton of Anthony TrollOpe's autobiog
raphy. so permeated with cynical con-
LESSONS which did him injustice, suiii-
GENTLY explains the partial oblivion
which involved that once popular
novelist soon after his death. on the
other hand. Fosters Life OF Dickens
placed Dickens in the very heart of
the people, where every succeeding
work Of biography has hut fixed more
lastingly the loved memory of the great
humorst. In this respect, Dickensin-
deed. couples a unique place among
literary workers the world over
1.-THE Flag on the Hilltop" by Mary
Tracy Earle is the story of
southern boy who Is placed
under the care Of northern I'M
Gle during the civil war This uncle.
n country doctor. lives In a Copperhead
community of southern Illinois. re"
zion dominated by Confederate sym
pathizers called "The knights of the
Golden Circle" In defiance Of his
nelghbors. the doctor flies a Union flag
nj the ton Of his tallest tree on a hill,
where It can be seen for twenty miles
around Under these circumstances the
boys loyalty 10 his uncle aud his loyal
~ 20 the south bring about events
which provide the action Of the story
The author has already established her
reputation as a writer Of stories, anG
her new book Is an excellent piece OF
literary work which will prove most
acceptable reading, especially TO boys.
--Houghton Mifiiin e. co.
''The Downrenters SON. tale Of n
strange movement IN New York sixty
years ago. Is the fifth novel 10 come
from the pen of Miss Ruth Hall, and
her readers may be interested to learn
more about her.
She Is now living in Catskill New
York whittier her parents removed
from SchOharie when she was very
small. Her father was the late JO-
seph y. Hail. a politician and editor;
her mother belonged to the Oldest colo
NAL families.
Miss Hall was educated at Catskil
partly at private school but more by
the good books with which she has al
ways been surrounded. During two
years of her girlhood she travelled quite