The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-07-20
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was thus interviewed in London), ne
wants to correct this false impression,
and he hopes to do it by writing a series
of five historical novels. The obvious
thing for American readers to do is to
buy Mr.. Churchill's books as rapidly as
they are published and learn the mean
| ing of patriotism. 1t is to be hoped,
at the same time, though that the great
reading public will not accept Mr..
Churchill's descriptions of scenes, man
| ners, etc, as absolutely correct. "Rich-
ard Carvef' certainly did not give a
true picture of colonial life, nor did
1.-THE Crisis" give an accurate knowledge
of the Civil War period. Mr.. Churchilrs
next novel will go back further in point
of time than "The Crisis" which will,
in fact, be the third or fourth in chrome
logical order in the series. 1t happened
that the author had several friends who
knew Lincoln intimately, and he gives
as his reason for writing THE Crisis"
when he did the opportunity to collect
this material before it was too late.
***
The student of chirography would
doubtless be much interested in a COM
parison of the writing of Conan Doyle
(nOw Sir Arthur Doyle) and that of
Edgar Allan Poe. Each wrote a small,
regular hand and made few corrections.
The manuscript of THE Hound of the
Baskervilles'' is now being exhibited in
this country, and it is a most remark
able. piece of work, from the point of
view of clear, legible handwriting. There
are very few changes or erasures; the
painstaking character of the great de-
tective seems to be quality of the
novelist who created him. There are
few erasures or changes even in the
most thrilling parts of the story, and
when these have been made, it is evil
IDENTIFY with the purpose of making the
story clearer. 1t is singular that both
Poe and Doyle should have the same
general characteristics in this regard,
and the question naturally arises as to
whether the handwriting expresses the
quality and manner of thought. Ger
tainly Doyle is a disciple of Poe, so far
as his mystery stories are concerned. 1t
remains now for the ambitious novelist
to cultivate the chirography of Dickens
or Thackeray or Scott and discover
whether the rule works both ways or not.
IS
There can be little doubt that the Civil
field for our novelists for some time to
come. "A novel of reconstruction" will be
the subj title of more than few stories
1.-The Leopards Spots,'' by Thomas
Dixon, Jr., has attracted considerable at
tention because of its virulence Mr..
Dixon betrayed the fact that he was
trained as a preacher and born a South
erner: his hatred of the negro is inbred.
AS a matter of fact, most readers agree
with the author, but they will not all
like his methods. The story lacks GER
tain elements of construction which even
the element of strength will not conceal.
1t is a curious fact that all of the really
good novels of the Civil War period, at
least the stories which deal with the
problems of reconstruction, have been
written by Southern writer's. This con-
dition will probably continue; the writer's
from other parts of the country do not
and cannot know with the same degree
of intimacy the truth about this matter.
And this reminds me of what will
probably be the most important novel
published this fall. 1t is the latest, and,
it has been said, the best work of Joel
Chandler Harris, a long novel, entitled
Gabriel Toliiver." Mr.. Harris has
probably a larger circle of admirers than
any other Southern writer, and his novel
will be awaited with more than usual
interest.
There have recently been published
two books about West Point, 'Chevrons,"
a novel by Miss Lippincott, which will
interest girls and Life at West Point"
which will be of particular interest to
boys and young men, The national
military academy has always been
fruitful field for the romantic novelists.
Lillian Bell, General Charles King and
many other writer's have taken their
heroes from among the cadets and their
herOines from the girls who, as sisters
and sweethearts, swarm about the place
on various occasions. "Chevrons" is one
of these rOmances set down in black and
white. Life at West Point,T however,
is serious account of the work of the
academy from it's beginning down to the
present time, the system by which each
cadet is trained, and a collection of in
formation relating to the work required
to enter and to graduate. If any one
has the idea that the cadet has an easy
time of it or that his education is at
all superficial he might well read this
volume. Colonel Mills the present SUI
perintendent, writes a preface, in which
he vouchesl for the authors qualifica-
tions to write the book.