Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-02

I
temptuous illusions to the Baker lad'l
prudence and better impulses the NEAR
! boy puts his artless friend on his mettll
and goads him into doing many naughty
thing that would otherwise be left un.
done.
Now. in the days when Pony Baker
lived, just as is the case now, all boys
hankered after adventures and 1onged fol
life among the Indians, or with cir.
Gus Such things were talked Of all tbs
time among the village imps. and 50 II
was but natural for Pony, with all hit
fancied grievances and his many temp
tiers and abettorE, to decide to run away
from home. And It is on this resolve
and it's sequel that the plot hinges. How
Pony fled, whittier he went and what be-
came Of him. We shall not say. Suhdce
it to add that he is about the naturalist,
most humanity boyiEh boy we've met since
we encountered Tom Sawyer and Huck
Finn. Hardly less interesting are the
youngsters with whom he associates. In
the group are good boys and bad boys,
adventurous boys and t11nid boys-boys
whose very sins make them lovable and
boys who are deteshble almost from their
infancy.
Mr.. Howells is always delightful, al
ways dainty, and never without csrtain
well-restricted and thoroughly refined hui
NOR. but in this work he is at his best.
The extreme simplicity and apparent art
lessness Of his story, lend it a peculiar
charm, while his thumb nail sketches, OF
village characters and village life ARE IN
imitable. 1.-THE Flight Of Pony Baker
ought to prove popular with all persons
between the ages of and SO. En-. G.
THE GIRL PROFESSIONAL BUNCH
Ut
AIDE. r. H. Russell, New York.
Mr.. AIDE has become so widely known
in the United States through his FABLES
in Slang that it Is useless to say who
he is or how he stands In the literary
world His readers number hundreds Of
thousands, perhaps millions, for when
ones articles are syndlcated IN the news
papers there is no telling how many peo-
pie peruse them. It Is, not the slang ME-.
AIDE uses which has made him famous,
but his exceptional and apparently mex
haustible powers as sa hrlst. he sees
the humor-perhaps the weakness-ln
everything that comes before his gaze
and his way of depicting 1t accentuates
his fun-making. George AIDE has found
MANY i1nitators in the last twelve months,
but he IS still "sui generis." and holds
his ground well. The volume before US
gives additional evidences Of his fecun-
dity as a humorfst, and Is not one Hhlt
less entertaining than the other works ne
has produced II simply brings bis OBJ
servations up to date and gives US add
.iona1 ma terial for amusement and recrea-
ton.
."rhe Girl Proposition" is well illustrat-
ed bv artists who appear to have caught
Mr.. AIDES infectious humor. The pictures
in the box are in imita ton Of the old
style wood cuts and produce a very quaint
effect.
THE PRIVATE SOLDIER UNDER
GEORGE WASHINGTON. By Charles
Knowles Bolton. Illustrated. Charles
scribner's Sons. New, York.
For sale here by the Bell BOOK com
pany.
INTO this book the author has gathered
great numbers Of interesting 1acts con-
corning the enlistment. life in camp, pay,
dress. arms. marches. and fights Of the
private soldier in Washington's army.
To us his production Is Of absorbing In
terest as it presents phase Of the Revo-
lutionary struggle quite new In many or
it's details.
Whoever would understand that war
thorouchly ought to read this book. near
" every statement of which Is based upon
official data or diaries kept by officers
or men. The author not only mas done
his part faithfully, but has made me
volume interesting reading.
We could wish that in his narrative ne
has given more attention to the soldiers
of the Southern Department but we
can we'll understand what limitations the
space at his command put upon the work
Of his hands.