The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-04
new FICTION.

AT sUNwICH PORT. by w. w. Jacobs;
published by Charles scribner's Sons
For sale by Preston g. Rounds. S.5o)
The telling Of Mr.. Jacobs new story as
sisted by a whole lot OF funny drawings
by VIII Owen make AT Sunwich Port"
a merrily interesting romance. II Is q
cure for the blues and a very present
help In any sort Of trouble. Mr.. Jacobs
writing is distinctive In respect 10 all au-
thors of all times and II is especially and
significantly so In these times when the
writer's OF successful books are SO severe
ly serious about their work. We used TO
think that the most genuinely funny
book we ever read was "Out Of the
Hurry Burly." Later. we came to enjoy
the delicious fun OF "Rudder Grange"
Having read every word OF AT Sunwich
Port" we feel that nothing more cheer
lily entertaining In lighter fiction has been
written In this generation.
II is a merry and yet very human
story that is told. One makes the ac-
quaintance OF q most entertaining group
OF people. residents at Sunwich. and one
gets also some delightful atmosphere and
local color from the bits relating TO the
same that are unobstrusively introduced
into the story and more clearly indicated
I'm Mr.. Owens capital pen and Ink draw
ings. The story tells of an uncompromis-
ing but ridiculous fued between two old
sea captains resident at Sunwich and
how the son Of one OF them seeks the
hand OF the daughter OF the other. his
way being beset by peculiar difficulties
since the daughter cares nothing about
him until he impresses himself on her.
There Is a rare old sea-going steward
who ties up with his skipper ashore as
well as afloat There Is q rascally sailor
boarding master who Is not above q
crimping turn on occasion. There IL a
greedy old clos dealer. There is a ne'er-
do-well son OF one OF the captains and
there are a number OF other vigorously
sketched and entertaining characters and
sea-faring men OF high and low degree
In the background all the time, contribut-
ing TO the flavor OF the tale OF this typi-
cal English port. For familiar points or
local interest. also. there are the Jovial
1.-TWO Schooners and the "CheQuers"
and the "Goblets" and Captain Nugent's
Equator Lodge" and Kybird's store with
its two oil skin suits guarding the
gloomy entrance and Mr.. Wilks' bach
elor quarters In Fullalove Alley and High
street and the old wharves and the ship
brokers' office and other places, OF which
there are hundreds OF the like all over the
English coast. The author doesn't take
much time to describe them. but the
reader acquires familiarity with them
through attending upon the characters
in their rounds. The pictures show them,
Of course, and with much expressiveness
various interiors at Kybirds. glimpses
of the old streets, of the shipping and
the dock, of Fullalove Alley and bits out
of Equator Lodge from kitchen to gar
den--for here is the home of the heroine
and the cosy and redolent interiors OF
the 'publcs," especially notable being
the select room at the 'Goblets' which
Is exclusive TO the sea-faring men OF the
rank OF captain and their social class.
among the shore folk.
We get portraits OF all the people In
the story, too. and they fulfill remarka-
bly, the readers idea OF them as II grows
during the telling of the tale. And you
get the tar and salt and oil skin taste
I'm the air and the smell OF things around
the old seaport. the flavor OF the foam
ing ale In the mug-whether IL be drawn
at the public or from the kitchen at
steward wilks' shore quarters. II Is
alike delicious-and the fragrance OF
black pipes And you get quite In love
with Miss Nugent Just as Jem Hardy
did. She wouldn't go back on the feud
because, being n Nugent. she was bound
TO stand by her father-a rougn ana haru
enough old skipper he is too But young
Hardy wins the skipper. as well, by
most extraordinary and ingenious enter
prise.
II Is a wholesome and refreshing style
that is demonstrate ted In the telling OF the
tale The story Is crisply humorous and
there In a chuckle. at least. for the read
er 10 indulge In on every page. while fire.
auently all degrees Of laughter are pro-
yoked. Both unforced and unrestraincd
as the authors style seems TO be. IL Is
plainly the fns art Of the story teller.
BYLOw HILL by George w. Cable:
published by Charles Scribner's Sons
For sale by Preston q Rounds. 80
This In Mr. Cables first story with a
Northern setting. Its heroine. how
! ever, II a Southern girl. and she is OF a
| very admirable sort. Two men love her
one a young lawyer. the other young
minister. two OF the chief characters. as
| appears. In the little group OF nice people
| who are resident on ByIow Hill-and. by
| the way. this story is by no means as
| placid and restful as the sound Of Its title
| 10 the ear might reasonably indicate. On
| the contrary, IL is exceedingly tense, not
to say sensational
IL APPEARS that the lawyer r. believed 10
| have the heart Of the Southern girl, but
| the minister captures her. taking advan-
| tage OF a tin between her and the other
| ops the most astonishing suspicious OF
/ his vvife's conduct with her former suitor