The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-02
The Forest Hearth.

In this story Mr.. Charles Major, author
Of When Knighthood Was in Flower
and Dorothy Vernon" departs from the
scene of his earlier tales. He turns from
royal courts TO the simple life OF pioneers
on Blue river when Indiana was young.
The tale might be called the annals OF a
neighborhood, for though IL deals chiefly
with the fortunes of one family. many OF
the events have TO do with other people OF
the vicinity, and the reader is afforded
giimpses of the occupations. customs and
amusements of the old-time rural COM
munity. The family 20 which chief atten-
ton is given is described as coming from
North Carolina I'm the twenties and set
Ting upon a quarter section Of government
land. 1t consisted OF four persons, fdthef,
mother, son and daughter. The father Is
a weil-meaning man OF weak character
and little ability; the mother an aggressive,
commanding person known 10 the neigh
bors as 'the chief Justice; the son - a
degenerate creature, humored and spoiled
by his mother, VINO Is, on the other hand.
stern and even cruel TO her daughter. This
young person is represented as a paragon
of beauty amiab.lity and virtue. She is
only seventeen, and has had no school
training worth mentioning. but somehow
she mas gained enough education Co. sur
prise a visiting Harvard man" by her
cleverness. As a matter OF course. such a
girl must have lovers, and she has two
very ardent ones. One Is a son OF the soil,
handsome, manly and highly pleasing to
the youthful feminine fancy; the other rs
rich, but a rascal. With the first man
another girl Of the neighborhood, whose
morals are not OF the strictest is deeply
in love. Out OF these elements the author
has constructed a love story OF a variety
Of incident and considerable warmth one
OF the episodes Is Of a sort similar TO that
upon which James Lane Aliens latest
story turns. In this case the truly good
lover OF the heroine. whose goodness
lapses for an interval, tells his sweetheart
that he will have 10 marry the other
girl" The heroine. after a few hours OF
indignation, and after learning that the
other girl has run on with another man,
~forgives her recreant lover willingly and
gladly. This outcome and certain accom-
panying comments show that the au-
thor takes a different view from Mr.. Alien
OF the seriousness OF such masculine Of
lenses and of the attitude OF women in
regard 20 them Any one who has read
When Knighthood Was In Flower" would
ing by the same author. The fashion OF
INDUCING In philosophical for
instance, which is characteristic II the first
book. is continued in this; the moralizing.
Some OF IL. indeed. might be els
pensed with 10 the Improvement OF tbs
tale. Fastldious readers, too, may posi-
bly, demur at the insistence upon the phys
story and at the realistic details OF some
OF the love-making. However. Mr.. Major
has a story 10 tell and tells IL in his own
way, which. as IL Is a way that pleases a
great number OF people. should not be
criticised severely. This story. since IL
deals with a period which has not been
overworked by fiction writer's, should
please an additional class OF readers. and
It's local color should especially commend it
J to Indiana admirers OF Mr.. Majors work