davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
The Laureate Sings.

greeting has come TO America from
across the water, in the shape OF book
by Alfred Austin, entitled "A Tale of
True Love and Other Poems" II is dedi-
rated 10 President Roosevelt; IL has pre-
go addressed especially TO the American
,,aonie and il is obviously intended TO
,nr,.nt the bond between the two great
,rancbes of the Anglo-Saxon race. One
nav state without prejudice, however,
,het Mr.. Kiplings stories and Mr. Rhodes
,n,li,ons are likely 20 do a good deal more
an this line than the poetry directed TO-
ward us by Mr.. Austin.
No, that IL is bad poetry. There is not
backbone enough in most OF IL TO be bad
arho volume. which is a slender one. does
-, con:ain the famous stanzas on the
roIief of Ladysmitb, nor some OF the
.,har effusiops in which Mr.. Austin
snrain.a the Kings English so badly
mai one felt that q bottle OF liniment
ought to go with the poem. This book is
simply poetry, and that is about all that
one can say abou, IT, The average man
could read IL through twice and not re-
member what IL was all about.
In the poem which contains the most
verses Britain is represented as nymph
by the name of Egeria, whom knight
named Alured finds wandering ABOUT IN
Garden wbereupon love is made In the
approved fashion. Then something nap
pens, IL is not quite clear what, ana the
AFFAIR is interrupted, and finally the knight
goes 10 the Boer war and Egeria sits al
home waiting for news. And then IL
stops. 1t docs not close or come 10
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

country gives to such men OF rising above
ancestral conditions. He does not rise.
in outward appearance, and prosperity
spoils him, not because he is a common
man, but because he has not the proper
ideals OF the common man. 1t is refresh
ing in an age when there is a certain
reaction toward the moretricious notion
that it is not what man is. but what
he has that makes him worthy, to find
a writer as clever as this novelist. able
to deal with the commonest and most
squalid phase of American life-its
political squabbles-and do 1t in way
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
Justice Brewers Book.

An important contribution to political
science. published by Scribners. is a
book made up OF the lectures delivered
to the students of Yale University by
Associate Justice of the United States
Supreme Court David ]. Brewer In the
course known as the yale Lectures on
the Responsibilities of Citizenship" The
book is entitled American Citizenship"
The topics discussed are obligations of
Citizenship" THE Maintenance OF a Good
Character Primary Obligation of Every
Citizen" Service a Responsibility of
Citizenship" obligations of Obedience" 9"
and THE Duty of Striving to Better the
Life of the Nation
Justice Brewer has this to say OF jury
duty as nowadays conducted:
I'VE are called upon to act as witnesses
and Jurors. How many gladly avoid the
discharge of those duties? II is astonish-
ing when jury list is summoned to find
how many sick people there are on IT. /
do not wonder that they are sick ] think
l should be. The sickness of a Juror is
like the Sunday headache, which used to
be SO common in college.
1.-THE jury system as at present admin
istered, in many States at least, is little
more than relic of seni-civilized con-
ditions.
THE Juror is too often treated as a
criminal or suspected OF an intention TO
become one. Shut up at night, as If for
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

| fear he may become fugitive from JUS
tice, given a compensation scarcely ex-
ceeding that which day laborer receives.
listening for days to witnesses who are
sometimes stupid and often confusing. an
noyed by the wearisome wrangles be-
tween attorneys concerning the admis-
sion or rejection of testimony. | do not
wonder that business man seeks to avoid
its burdens; and hope that the time will
come when a Juror will be treated as
though he were an honest man, denied no
more of the comforts OF home than the
Judge himself. paid that which is an ade-
quate compensation for his time, and then
the unanimity now required and which
prompts TO all the strenuous effort to
guard against undue influences upon one,
or to secure the kindly assistance of one
a unanimity which is called for in scarce
ly any other tribunal on the face of the
earth-shall give way to system in
which the concurrence of a reasonable
majority Of the jurors snail determine
the verdict" New York: Charles scrib-
ner's SonsJ
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
A Shakespearean Interlude.

THE Courtship of Sweet Anne Page"
by Ellen V. Talbot, is a dainty little book
with quaint old-timc cover which is an
earnest OF the comfts to be found within.
as the heroine might say. 1t is the story,
as written in Anne Pages diary. of her
share in the befoollng Of that most unctu-
Gus OF comedians. Sir John Falstaff The
spirit and diction OF the Elizabethan age
arc kept throughout, and the demure par
agraphs are brimming over with mischief
and artless gayety and the spontaneous
romance Of that simple time. IL is de-
lightful glimpse into world which the
genius OF Shakespeare has preserved liv-
ing and real for all time. (New York:
Funk q Wagnalls Company
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

! and the strain of Gaelic blood which ap-
pears, far more frequently than that of
the Lowlands. in the best English families
! kipling Gladstone, and Burne-J Jones are
among the prominent men of England
whose mothers were of Highland Celtic
| blood. However, the fact remains that
William Blacks best work was done in
| those novels in which the scene is laid
! in the Highlands and in which he de-
scribes the relations between the High
land temperament and that of some con-
trasting race. In one it is the American
in the Highlands who furnishes the foil,
in another 1t is the Londoner. in another
the Lowland Scot. but the picture is in
variably true and fine.
People who are always on the lookout
for the original persons from whom the
novelist draws his characters will be dis
appointed If they hunt through this book
! for anything of the kind, for practically
all that Sir Wemyss Reid has done is to
contradict two or 'hree ridiculous stories
OF the sort which we're set afoat years
ago. One Of them is to the effect that the
where the novelist spent much time, was
the original Sheila; but we are told that
Mrs. Black, who was Miss Eva Wharton
Simpson, was the original, so far as there
was one, of Bell in "The Strange Adven-
lures of Phaeton,'' which was written
during the summer of the authors court
ship. One may also suspect that the
character of Archie Gilchrist in wild
Ezlin'' owes some of its realism to ex-
periences of its creators early life in
Glasgow. and that the distaste with which
Ronald strang, in White Heather" re-
CARDS that smoky town was due somewhat
to early associations OF a not very pleas
ant kind.
1t is not generally known that William
Black was twice married, his first wife
being a German lady whom he met very
early in his career. Her death, after
little more than a year of married life.
and that of their only child, boy, four or
FIVE years later, resulted in Mr. Black
devoting himself to his work as his only
solace and remaining almost hermit
until he was past thirty. when his second
marriage took place and success and hap
piness came together. The charming
story OF his married life may be read be-
tween the lines Of this biography, glim-
mering through the record like sunshine
through the leaves of forest
An interesting, If pathetic, circum-
stance which will be new 10 most read
ers is that Macleod of Dare" was a sort
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
Wl IAM BLACK, NOVEL IST"-By SIR WEMYSS REDl

I die OF stories in his pocket. and offered
them to American publishers. who vir-
| tually told him to get himself a reputa-
tion before interviewing them. The Lowell
company finally brought out his short
stories. which promptly caught on"
After the name Of Kipling had sprung into
| familiarity the Harpers published some OF
the tales, as the author declared. with
out his permission and under a name not
of his choosing. Controversy arose. in
which the irate young author got the
worst OF 1t. and when he told OF his ex-
perience at an authors club in London he
had the further consolation of being told
by Besant. Hardy, and Black that his
antagonists had always treated them we'll
and that something must be the matter
with him. Kiplins then went home.
dipped his pen in blood and vitriol, and
wrote "The Three Captains" which. as he
darkly intimates, lis apparently an ac-
count Of an exploit OF Paul Jones, the no
torious American pirate" but is really
metaphorical account of his troubles with
the Harpers and the attitude which his
friends had assumed. He himself figures
in it as the captain OF a little trading
brig, who has been robbed by the pirate
and comes where
"At the close OF winters day,
Their anchors down. by London town,
the three great captains lay.
And one was Admiral of the North, from
Solwey Firth to Skye,
And one was Lord OF the Wessex coast,
and all the lands thereby.
And ono Naster of the Thames from
Limehouse to Blackwall.
And he was the Captain of the Fleet, the
bravest of them ALL
Further on the names of the three cap
tains are introduced in a punning line,
which ends:
THE besant is hard, ay, and black"
The ballad Is rich reading from the fact
what state of seething, kissing indignG-
tion Kipling was in when he wrote it. for
in it Americans are cursed. root and
branch, with a fuency which is artistic
and effective. II explains. moreover, why
the Harpers have not published any OF
Mr.. kipling's books, or even a story in
magazine. though nearly every other
firm in the United States has done at
least little OF that.
However. this firm published William
Blacks stories for many years. and the
biographer shows plainly that their re-
Iations with him were invariably friend
ly Taken for all in all, this is one of the
notable books of the year. (New York.
Harper G. Brothers.)
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

, which is realistic without losing the ideal
or obtruding 1t like Sunday school book.
Whether all this was an effect consciously
or unconsciously produced by Mr.. whit
lock. the fact remains that his book is
a coed one morally and artistically, and
that is much to say Of any novel.
The character drawing alone is worth
the time of reading the book, for it is cap
ital from beginning to end. Each person
concerned in the plot is drawn with a
sure faithfulness which is not labored.
The most likeable of all, perhaps, is Jim
Rankin. the faithful lieutenant OF Gar
wood. the practical politician. unscrupu-
lous and loyal, generous and resourceful.
illiterate. but with certain fineness of
nature, gentle, but capable of sort OF
aboriginal ferceness. Most men in po-
litical life have met Jim Rankin and
some of them have reason to thank him
and some have reason to be cursed by
him. Jerome Garwood is known to most
Washington people. not as a person. hut
as n type. The unclean little editor.
Pusey. is also a character whom most
people VIII remember better tnan tney
wish to. Another of the minor characters,
Zeph Bailey, is one of the best pieces of
work ever put into a novel. He is distinct
ly creation, ana might easily be made
the central figure of another novel even
more fascinating than this.
There are two or three descriptive
chapters also, which are unusually good,
notably the opening chapter. in which
Garwood is given an ovation by the people
OF his town, and the pages which describe
the nominating convention at Pekin.
About the only fault which anyone is like
ly 10 find with the book is that it is not
agreeable. 1t does not deal with people
with whom one would like to talk for very
long at a time. The atmosphere is and
must be scented with cabbage and beer
ana other things plebelan, instead of with
rose gardens. But when a man has n no
tion as good as this Of Mr.. Whitlock he
is entitled to build his edifce of potato
parings ii he can. indianapolis: The
Bowen Merrill Company
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

scorn with which he regarded affectation,
\ whether in great writer's or in the hum
| blest of the people about him. was all
through his life one Of his distinguishing
| characteristics. He himself had never
posed-never from his earliest days to his
last. He went, indeed, to the other ex-
treme If he did his work conscientiously
and thoroughly, as was undoubtedly the
case, he left 1t to speak for itself, and
never invited the admiration of his friends
or of the outside world. He may have
but his Indifference to their praise or
blame was a real Indifference. and most
manly one. He never aspired to set up
school, or to attach himself to one, and he
hated all mutual admiration cliques. Some
may be startled by the strength of his in
dignation at the posturing and posing
from which even a death bed was not free.
but it came from his heart, and 1t is right
that the world should know it,
1t would be interesting to know who
the poseur in this case was, but most peO-
pie can hazard guess.
A discriminating and appreciative esti-
mate of that most sunny-tempered OF nov
els, ''In Far Lochaber," follows this
paragraph. This, 1t appears, is the only
work in which Black allowed himself to
make even a roundabout statement of his
religious faith. The biographer says that
it was to him matter too intimate and
sacred to be discussed even with close
friends, but that he recognized the
atmosphere of love and goodwill and un-
selfshness as the essence Of genuine re-
ligion."
In the character of this unusual man
there was also vein of practical
shrewdness, as shown in the way which
he found to get around the copyright law
at the time OF the publication Of Green
Pastures and Piccadilly." 1t was one of
those performances which are exceedingly
ingenious without being unscrupulous.
Yet he was not without idealism even in
his business relations, as is shown by the
prOmptness with which he came to the
defense of American publishers when they
were attacked. They had treated him
well, and he had no hesitation in ranging
himself on the side of the Harpers in
particular. when they involved themselves
in a difficulty some years ago. This diff
Guilty is now chiefly memorable for the
cryptogram by Rudyard Kipiing in which
1t is chronicled, and it is interesting to
find Blacks share in 1t recorded In these
pages, though the whole story Is not
given. Kipling came to America while
still comparatively unknown. with bun
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

! the sennachies or Gaelic story tellers, ant
| OF which the work of Ossian is the bes
known. example in literature. 1t is s
tragic poem in the form Of novel, weird
mystical. and full OF broodlng fate. II
is the fullest expression of the Celtic side
OF Blacks nature, and a man does not put
the essence OF his own soul into book
without paving the penalty.
Happier "reminiscences deal with the
the family of Mr.. Black. We are told
that his nickname for the actress was
THAT Beautiful WRETCH" and that she
retorted by referring to him as the
"Double-Dyed Black Villain"-for short,
d. d. B. ". which mystifed strangers.
Some of his letters and notes to her are
printed here, and they are full of boy
ish drolIery. as are some OF the episodes
of the friendship.
Another trait in Blacks nature was his
frank expression of opinion on subjects
upon which he felt strongly. There was
no cant about him, as anyone may gather
from his books. and he had a singular in
tuitive faculty of seeing what was right
and true, especially in matters of taste
and sentiment. The biographer reprints
In this connection a letter of his to Sir
John Robinson, and adds an explanatory
comment:
my dear Robinson: Perhaps the Car
lyle project had better drop. l should not
like to append my name in full for my OBJ
ject was not to seek notoriety sor myself.
but to give the public some interesting
memoranda about a great man. | should
not like to place myself in the same cate
CORY with - and -, who have been bat
tening on IS dead body ever since the
poor chap died. Was there ever anybody
so treated by both relatives and friends?
Hardly had the telegram announcing his
death reached London when - and -
were racing each other in hansoms down
to the Times Office to get IS last let
ters to them printed. Then came the aw
ful picture-the dead man with his arms
propped up in bed and his fingers clasped
as IL in prayer-to be photographed for
publication. And then actually his private
FORM OF ue'otioh was suppiieu W tne pa
pers, and they printed that horrible piece
Of affectation in which he so plainly said:
Look here, God, isn't this a nice bit OF
English?"
81 don't want to come into that crowd.
Yours sincerely. WILLIAM BLACK
Il should not have printed this letter
but for the light which it throws upon my
friends own character. The almost savage
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
National Questions.

In his latest book. on Commonwealth
or Empire" published last week by the
Macmillan Company. Prof. Goodwin Smith
discusses the two lines of national policy
which, since the recent territorial expan-
sions have presented themselves to Amer
lean craftsmanship. and the choice be-
tween which is likely to have a decisive
influence on the future character. insti-
tutions. and relations of the Republic.
Prof. Smith takes a birdseye view of re-
cent political, social, and commercial
tendencies, not confning himself wholly
to America.
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

An 0ld-Fashioned Romance.

"Foggs Ferry" by C. E. Callahan. is
a romance of the old-time kind. There is
a beautiful heroine in it. brought up in
poor circumstances because she has been
changed in her cradle for another child,
the daughter OF rich parents; there are
two or three suitors, villain. and all
the rest of the familiar cast OF characters.
That is all there is to it, except that the
scene is laid in Tennessee and that the
novel is the story form of play of the
same name. Chicago: Laird & Lee)
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

being one in temper and nature as they
ever were. In Donald Ross Of Heimra, -
In Far Lochaber.'' and White Heather
William Black illustrated this variance
and gave the world pictures of the IDEAL
istic, impulsive, keen witted Ceit, such
as IL never had before in fiction. Nobody
who reads of the feud between Donald
Ross and the Little Red Dwarf, or of
Ludovic Macdonell's advent into Lanark-
shire. is likely TO get the Highlands and
the Lowlands mixed thereafter.
Blacks family belonged TO n branch Of
the Clan Lamond or Lamont, who came
from somewhere in the West Highlands,
not far from that Fort William which he
made the scene of In Far Lochaber,'' and
he possessed to an almost atavistic de-
gree the temperament which he has given
to two or three OF his finest characters.
This fact is clearly brought cut by the
present biographer, who thoroughly un-
derstcod it, and who says in one Of the
earlier chapters:
1t was from this stock of stern hard
working. clean-living men that Black
GdHt. NJ out COulO really
his character who did not know to what
extent il was Influenced by the Highland
blood in his veins. He had the romanti
cism of his race; its vivid Imagination;
its reticence tthe necessary weapon of
defense in the troublous times when a
chance word might so easily have brought
a household to RUM; its brooding contem-
plation of things unseen by the natural
eye: and its proneness to rare outbursts
of high spirits, when for a season the
whole Celtic nature seems to undergo a
complete transformation and in place of
the sober, serious man, slow of speech
and deliberate of action, there appears
another being-joyous, emotional brim-
ming over, as 1t were, with the Joy of liv-
ing. This strain of Highland blood was
the key to Blacks nature. the secret of
characteristics which sometimes puzzled
his friends"
Undoubtedly many of his readers have
wished that he had confined himself en-
tirely to the ground which was in literal
truth his native heath, and not gone row.
ing so much into other fields; but this
also happens to be characteristic Of his
race. There is not a corner of the earth
which the Scot has not penetrated, and
it is characteristic Of the Celt to fra
ternize with foreigners. Witness the
Jacobite loyalty 10 the Stuart race, more
than half French, and the Black Watch
with its record of being anywhere on the
face Of the earth where there is fighting,
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

which they frankly confess "The Thir-
teenth District" is strongly characterized
by all of these qualities. The author has
kept his own personal prejudices out of
the thing. but nevertheless ne has ex
pressed very strongly a certain moral
ideal. SO broad that IT cannot easily be
elemental. of more than average intelli-
gence. with the opportunities which this
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
A Novel of Philanthropy.

Gertrude Dorrance." by Mary Fisher,
is a new story by new writer. the
characters being engaged in one way or
another in philanthropic work. The mo-
tive of the story. so far as there is one
aside from the love interest. is to show
the foolishness and inadequacy of certain
methods of fashionable philanthropy. The
heroine is a bright young girl. daughter
of poor musician. and the hero typical
young collegian and athlete. The develop
ment OF the girls character is skillfully
traced, and the turns and twists of the
plot are somewhat unexpected and quite
original There is one quite delightful
character in the tale-Mrs. Finlay. a
warm hearted, shrewd, and motherly Irish
widow. Chicago: A. c. McClurg & Co.,
si.50)
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
Daniel Webster.

A Webster centennial was recently held
at Fryeburg. Me, to celebrate the com
ing of Daniel Webster 10 take the princi-
palship of Fryeburg Academy on the lst
of January, 1902 The addresses made on
the occasion, together with much inter
esting information about the great states
man, have been published in a little pam
phlet edited and largely written by A. F.
Lewis, OF this city.
The Washington times., 1902-04-27

climax or anything; It stops. That is
the only really effective thing which Mr..
Austin seems able to do.
Some of the SMILES and other figures
Of speech are quite pretty, but SMILES
wandering around loose do not mako a
poem. The other contents Of the book are
Of much the same sort. (New York: Har-
per a. Bros)
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
Prehistoric Man.

1.-The sabertooth,' by Stephen Kinder.
is an extravaganza of modern life in
which prehistoric man figures maiestical-
ly. in complete contrast with all the ether
characters, who are irredeemably COM
mon The authors style is that OF the
majority of the people of whom he writes.
Chicago: Laird & Lee)
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
Instructions in Social Arts.

1.-The Man Who Pleases and the Woman
Who Fascinates." by John a. Cone. is a
collection of brief essays on the art Of
making life agreeable to ones self and
other people. Most of the advice is fairly
good, although most people of fair intelli-
genee will be able to do without it. New
York: F. Tennyson NeelyD
The Washington times., 1902-04-27
Some American History.

second edition of "hrnold's Expedi-
tion to Quebec" by John Goldman. jr., has
been published. The book is an inter
esting addition TO the general history of
the United States. New York: The Mac
milan Company
Gilpin observer., 1902-06-12
PROTECTION OF PRESIDENT.
House Passes Anti-Anarchy Bill by
Vote of 175 to SO.

Washington, June 10.-The house
yesterday passed the bill to protect
the president. vice president mem
bers OF the cabinet and foreign minis
ters and ambassadors and to suppress
the teaching of anarchy, by vote OF
ITS to 3S. a motion to recommit the
measure with instructions to strike
out certain sections was defeated-T1
to 123
The remainder of the day was de-
voted TO the bill to transfer certain
forest reserves from the interior de-
partment to the agricultural depart
ment and to authorize the creation In
such reserves OF game and fish pre-
serves. President Roosevelt, in his
annual message, recommended such i
measure. The minority of the public
lands committee offered as a substitute
for the bill measure which eliminat-
ed that portion of the bill which trans
fers the reserves to the agricultural
department. Lacey Qa.), Klebers
(Tex), Perkins On. W and Williams
(Miss) spoke in favor of the bill.
Mondell (Wyo). and Shafroth (Colo.)
supported the minority substitute.
Bell (Colo) opposed the bill.