New-York tribune., 1902-08-03

Company
THE MATE Pg TIE GS2P sHrf BY YoRK RI CAR oR
Rgsse I5 IN With Rofon ff0ntIpeCce R Page PS e Co.
WORLDS PEOPLE. BY Julien Gordon CHrs. Van
& Co
THE Battle Ground" is a well written story
of Southern life just before and during the war
We meet within its pages characters of the sort
which is rapidly becoming. if it has not al
redy become, stereOtyped in American hctlon.
The usual family groups are here, the mascu-
line members of them exhibiting that pride and
courtesy which. according to the superstition of
Southern writer's were invented the other
side of Mason and Dixon's line; the women in
them having likewise the exclusively Southern
charm and beauty famous in a hundred novels
Naturally too the background is filled with the
familiar faithful slaves, who will never, under
any circumstances, be persuaded to forsake "Ole
Marse." AS in her types. in her incidents
Miss Glasgow follows the beaten path. But,
unlike many of her predecessors, she contrives
to invest her conventional material with fresh
and engaging atmosphere. The people in this
book may possess traits of the stereotyped
sort but they not without the touch of life,
and. what is more TO the point, the sentiment
in which the story is saturated is. the whole.
genuine and sweet
Mr. Harben also tells good story in "Abner
Daniel" but the book is chiefly interesting in
its portraiture. The author has a sense of
humor. and the types of Southern life with
which he deals, though not invariably likable
are often amusing and interesting. Abner
Daniel himself is of those hornespun
individuals who have been getting themselves
exploited by one novelist after another for their
dry wisdom and humor. Abner is not precisely
the kind f talker whom one would travel far
hear but he iS in bic
and Mr., Harben's book will do very well for a
lazy hour. Here is a specimen of the talk afore-
said taken from the scene in which the speaker
is advocating the Introduction Of a railroad in
his neighborhood:
"Gentlemen and ladies'" he began clearing his !
throat, and wiping his mouth with his long
hand. This amt no putin O. mine gracious
KNOWS! l haint got nOthin'. an don't expect |
to lose or gain by what is done in this matter |
but want to do what 1 kin fer what L think |
Is right an proper. Fer my part | don't think
we Kin do without a railroad much longer Folks |
IS a-pokin' fun at us. l tell you. It's Cod |
truth I'0tter day | over at Darey |
a-Waikln along the railroad nigh the turnin'- |
table. whar they flirt engines round like chill |
dTen on a in'-jinny, when all at once a big !
SLtdPtln IeIier "lth red flag in his hand run |
up an knocked me off'n the track kerwaIlop in /
ditch. 1t was just in time to keen mo from
bein run over by a switch engine. He was as
mad as Tucker Looky heer.' ses he did YOU
thlnk that thing MAS playin tag with ycu an
I'd tap You on the shoulder an run an jda he
hlnd a tree? Say, amt you from Short Pine
District, this side o. the muuntains"' told i'm
ne q guessed right, an he said 4 lowed So. FIR
thar am [ no other spot the uhirliu' l.Iabe
lHdt produces folks as green s g0urds.' We'll +
gentlemen. mat noored ne; it Was bad enough
10 De JerEcd about like a rag doll. but il was
loueh TO hecr my section jcered at What /
makes you say that l axed i'm as I stood
thar tryln TO git a passle o. glass ont o. |
my mp pocket without cuttin my fingers |
Laughter, led by Pole Baker vino scrspd the |
meaning Of the referenceI 'Beca's eos h. |
you mossh2cks over thar don't know the wars
over; Niger from thar cane in 10 town
tother day an heerd fer the fust time that he
was free Two mon over thar sEappcd wives I
without KNOWN thar 4 law aEin it. Half
o you-uns never laid eyes on a railroad an
wouldn't have one free gift turned off
an LETT i'm an went up the main street. trp
that barber ketched by the arm an said /
seS he, come in an let cut that hair. You
are from Short Pine. ain't YOU ! axed him /
why he thought so. an he said Ses he 'Rcca Sc /
you got Short Pine haircut What's that - /
SeS /. An he laughed at feIIcr cooked up in a
cheer an said. It's cut that is made by the /
upside down on the mems heads an trim around /
the edges ! could tell a mile: they make (,
a man look like b0b-tailed mule TLaughtnr
loud and prolonged. Yes as | said they are /
a-pokln all manner o fun at US an it's chiefly
becaSe We haint got railroad"
Mr. Becke relates in "Breachley Black Sheep"
the adventures of a young Australian son of q !
timber getter." and accustomed from his ear
liest boyh0od to hard work and hard knocks |
The title of the book is not altogether accurate
The real black sheep Of the story is not"Bilr'