The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-06
BOOK NOTICES.

'"The Substitute" by Will N. Harden,
author of "Abner Daniel" Harper &
Brothers publishers, New York, cloth;
S1.5O. For sale by the estate of E. NJ.
Conner corner of Bull and Broughton
streets.
1t would be difficult to find
more delightful story among the books
of this year than this one. 1t is good
all the way through, and it is a clean
story. The characters are found in
North Georgia, a section which the
author finds rich in material for his
stories.
The hero is George Buckley and the
heorine is Lydia Cranston. They are
kept apart by difference in station,
Buckley being the son of a man of not
only an humble but a disgraceful con-
dition in life, and Lydia Cranston be-
ing the daughter of people who pride
themselves upon their family, having
good reason to do so. Other and very
important characters are Hiram Hill
yer, a grain merchant, and his big
hearted, candid and amusing wife.
Buckley is adopted by HiIlyer, who is
anxious to atone for a past fault,
by training him to become his moral
substitute in the eyes of Providence.
In this way the book gets it's name
The chief interest in the story is
of course in the love affair. between
Buckley and Lydia Cranstcn. He has
much to contend against in his efforts
to win the girl, but being a manly and
meritorious young fellow he finally
succeeds. Throughout he has the as
sistance of Hiram Hillyer. 1t is I'M
necessary to say that the story abounds
in incident and humorous yarns. Those
who have read "Abnar Daniel will
appreciate what is in store for them
in 'The Substitute" in every thing
which makes an entertaining story
from the lives, sayings and doings of
small-town characters. Mr.. Harden
has won place among story writer's
of which he may we'll be proud. He
is a Georgian and it is certain that
this, his latest work, will have many
readers among Georgians.
Kent Fort Manor" by William
Henry Babcock. Henry T. Coates &
Co, Philadelphia, publishers. Cloth,
$3.50.
"Kent Fort Manor" is a real tract
it seems, located as described, and the
author says. has borne that name
ever since a certain grant of the Lord
Proprietary in the early part of the
seventeenth century" It is not very
far from Baltimore, and can be reach
ed twice a day from that city by boat
But because Kent Fort Manor is a
real tract it does not follow that the
characters and incidents of the story
are real. On the contrary they are
creatures of the imagination. The
characters are not typical. They are
Individual, but, according to the
authors statement living persons,
widely scattered, have furnished the
germs of most of them" The prin-
cipal of inherited memory plays an
important and interesting part in the
story in fact, it may be said that it
plays the most important part. 1t
runs all through the book and fur
nishes the climax.
The author says that none of the
people in the story bears on his
shoulders the dreadful responsibility
"of adequately representing either side
or section in the Civil War" The
book is strongly written and very en-
tertaining. Those who read it will
not regret having done so.
Songs and Stories From Tonnes
see,' by John Trotwood Moore. Henry
T. Coates g. Co. publishers, Phila-
delphia- Mr.. Moore, reared in the
Blue Grass region of Tennessee, so
rich in romance and folk lore, has
gathered in this volume a number
of the best stories and songs of the
middle basin of the Tennessee river.
Much of the matter in the book has
to do with the wit, humor and pathos
of the colored race. The quaint stories
and characteristic songs Of the ne
groes have that element about them
a4riiraa che Caufbarya raadar al