The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-12

That there are fads and fashions in
DOCK writing and in the subjects for books
is as true as that fads prevail in things
not of the mind. A few years ago the
religious novel began to ride on the wave
OF prosperity, and while still holding it's
own in the ability to interest many people
OF dltferent minds, it is plainly to be seen
that there is growing rage for novels
treating of political questions, the reIa-
ton Of capital and labor and the great
social problems of the day. Witness to
this the success of 1.-The Octopus by
Frank Norris; the many books, largely
Of short STORIES treating of railroads,
strikes and the hand-to- hand fight for
existence made by the laboring class.
These books treat of real conditions in
deed they are the last word of realistic
fiction, bits Of life itself. In this class
are the tramp stories of Wyckoff, the
realism of which he has himself ex-
per1enced in his search for literary ma
terial. Valuable as these may be to the
student Of literature and it's many devel-
opments, there is q class that regards
them as far from healthy. They are
dangerously near the Shilling shocker'
style of literature and have in some n
stances melted the small boy to seek a
life of desperate adventure in the West
that vague place-and filled him with
desire to live without work. Some of
these bold Adventures ended very proper
ly in a dark closet and on a sustenance
of bread and water.
The publication of a new illustrated
edition of Dickens works induces the
thought of how perennial is his charm.
how enduring his fame. The statement of
some literary magazines that there is now
revival of Dickers, is misleading.
There is always a Dickens revival. Every
year since his death the sale Of his books
has increased and every year the
demand is greater. Those few per
sons who do not read and en-
joy Dickens form a class - small
and select-Who have missed one of the
greatest pleasures of reading, indeed to
the enthusiastic Dickensist they seem not
fully developed mentally. This particular
Dickens edition is a joy to the book
lover 1t is illustrated with steel en-
cravings and etchings from the designs
drawn for the original English editions
by Cruikshank, 'Phiz' Seymour, John
Leech, and others, in all numbering 60
illustrations. The price of this very fine
edition is 500 and it viii commend itself
to the lover of beautiful books.
Booth Harrington, a few years ago I'M
known to fame, but now well known as
the writer of THE Gentleman From In
DIANA" and Monsieur Beaucaire,'' is go
ing in for politics and aspires to seat
in the legislature of Indiana. An ex-
change says that in the words of a
hllmorist, he "has taken the first fatal
step on the downward road to congress-"
The literary output continues to be tre-
mendous; indeed, it would seem that the
whole world has gone to writing books.
The only mystery is that they should find
publishers; and yet publishers have never
been considered a particularly easy class.
A literary magazine remarks that if
writers We're obliged to put upon the
outside of their books the reason for
their being they would have to fall back
upon the humorous excuse given by Bob
Burdette (who has so recently visited us)
on the title page Of mis- early effort, Rise
and Fall Of the Mustache;" This book is
published for two dollars and a half"
There is no doubt that this food Of books,
mainly fiction, is injuring real literature
and frittering away the minds of the
younger generation. To read trash de-
stroyS ones good taste for good reading,
and thrash preponderates these days.
Yet there does not seem to be any rem
edy for it. There are too many books,
too many magazines too many newspa-
pers.
kate Bonnet is Frank Stockton's last
contribution to the books of the day. He
calls it the romance of a pirates daugG-
ter, and it is replete with the Stockton
humor and peculiar point Of view which
makes Stockton SO unique and class by
himself. There seems no limit to his i'm
agination and no end to the vein of hui
NOR which is 50 entirely his.
A book quite out Of the common is Miss
Furniture of Our Forefa-
thers.' 1t reveals to US the manner of
living of our ancestors, and as the outer
is always a revelation of the inner, it
gives us more than a glimpse Of the real
life Of those who came before US. Miss
Singleton has made a study of colonial
life and gives many interesting stories of
antique bits of furniture so carefully pre-
served by the descendants OF our sturdy
forefathers. The book is fully illustrated.
Englishmen are prepared for the I'M
in connection with Mr.. w. T.
Stead, but doubtless they consider he has
reached the limit in his latest book,
Characterization Of the World" In it
he sounds a note of warning to his coun-
trymen and prophesies a wonderful fu-
ture for this country when England must
either follow US or become a second-rate
power. Mr.. Stead is a brave man, but it
is rumored that his compatriots regard
him as weak mentally.
''The War in South Africa" is the lat
est book Of DR.. A. Conan Doyle, in which
he takes the role of an apo1ogist for
England and endeavors to show the JUS
tice of it's course in the Boer war. He
writes without bitterness though as a
partisan, but gives Boer as well as Eng
lish testimony regarding the war, its
particular battles and many incidents Of
a struggle which will grow more memoir
able as time goes on.
Thu ROoIy o1yar