The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-12
NEW BOOK NEWS
CONDUCTED BY MARTHA YOUNG

Bred I'm the Bone.--Mr. Thomas Nell
son Page is essentially a short story
writer. What a pity that the Ameri-
can public. or the American publishers,
cannot be cultivated up to that work
Of appreciation that permits an author
to do that which 1t is his bent to do?
But the cry is continually. Down with
the short, story! Give 1t US for the
magazines; then no more of 1t. What
10 the author to do with all the crisp.
excellent stuff that he has put into
magazines? Let all that good work.
vivid color, rare atmosphere fade for
ever in back numbers? When there
is money to be made the writer must,
however terse and concise his bent,
pad out a short story into a three hun
dred page novel Then<the book sells.
The publisher shakes his head over
q volume of short stories by even Mr..
Page. Mrs. DeLaw, Miss Wilkinson
(Mrs. Freeman).
I have 1t from authority of one
writer whose whole fitness is for the
concise genre picture of humanity at
some crucial moment that a long novel
pays her at the rate OF sixteen to one
as compared with the short story.
Is 1t the public that will not have the
short story? Or is-it the publisherss
Bred in the Bone is a story of the
race course and the thoroughbred. The
boy who goes ii to win a steeple chass
that he may gain means to send his sis
ter to college wins all heats. 1t Is 4
story with enough of that
"savin' grace
To sanctify quarter racer
The Spectre in the Court" is drawn
doubtless from the earlier days when
the law Office and the court room were
familiar places to Mr.. Page. They are
full of story--material today the law
Office and the court. Each neighbor-
hood also has its well attested spectre
which might take it's semblance from
broken bough or white night sky seen
through cedar branches, but which
leaves its CHASTITY memory ever on the
mind.
THE Sheriff's Bluff" is perhaps near
est truth, sad truth in respect of some
village officials, of all the tales of this
volume. Mary, with her fearless and
supporting strength, and her daring
bluff" is the blessing of many such
reckless community.
The Long Hillside" and "Old Jules
Marital Experience" have, one regrets
to say, rather a careless custom made
cut about them-a made with hope-to-
suit-anybody and fit-nobody air about
them. They are scarcely worth while.
So great a writer as Mr.. Page should
be able to wait till he has story to
tell before he begins to cover pages
Christians Peace" is on the old lines
of a family feud. double fence, two
punctillious old gentlemen who only
meet across years of family feud to
spend the night with each other. They
find Christians Peace over a grandson,
MAN Liddy's Recognition is good
picture of the old nanny of the South
Wise and witty and quantity winning as
old mammies are. II
Bred in the Bone, by Thomas Nelson
Page. Charles Scribner's Sons, New
York; $3.50.
Evelyn Byrd.-Mr. George Cary Egg
gleston in Evelyn Byrd gives the thread
of a series of war stories written from
a Southern point of view. The hero Is
a very high minded gentleman beset by
dire difficulties and dangers which are
only to be suffered from in romance.
Difficulties and dangers which any sane
man in real life could scatter to the
winds with a word. But of such stun
seem romances to be made. Witness
moor Sir Mortimer of Miss Johnston
latest novel who suffers through many
wearisome pages for believing a false
report against himself.
Arthur Brent's distinction between
"evidence" and Testimony" as cited BY
him for owen Kilgariff's comfort might
be JUNCTION to the soul OF all or these
super-sensitive heroes who believe ali
things against themselves and reason
EVELYN Byrd is a very charming he
roine. Not differing from many South
ern damsels of the old regime. MI
Frrleston might have spared himself
and her, had he desired. the many ad-
ventures she passed through, that is II
those adventures were brought about
to explain Evelyn's strange education
and accomplishments.
MANY a Southern girl of even today
has read the whole of the Penny Cy-
clopedia," can repeat whole dialogues
from Jane Shore, She Stoops to Con-
0uer." and from any other ancient gem
of the two fine old volumes of The
British Drama.
They are two portly volumes that al
most every old Southern home library
holds, and all the world knows that
they bear re-reading.
Very splendid is Mr. Egglestons stir
ring account of the Fight of the VIII
derness on a line of hills near Spott-
sylvania Court House.
Mr.. EggleSton puts his Herr Kifga-
riff in command of the charge up the
hill: Before Kilgarin had traversed
half the distance toward the crest the
commander of that North Carolina bri-
gade had called out a message that was
quickly passes from mouth to mouth
down his line, The message was: We
must save those guns and hold that
hill. They call US tar heels. Let us
show how tar sticks"
How with a yell the charge was
made. how Kilgariff having diverted
the enemy with his bold onslaught and
made victory for our main army, how
that done he withdrew his one gun by
hand down HILL "by hand for the rea.
SOC that not horse remained of the
thirty odd that had so lately gallopet
u. the steep" is all told with animal.
ing zeal"
How the women worked at manu-
featuring medicines for the soldiers ou
OF bitter weed" of castor beans" ant
other stun of the field and forest /,
truly related It takes all Mr.. Egele
ston's own enthusiasm to convince u,
that Evelyn, who broke her step-fatb
er's nose with brush handle. ran ava,
with a circus, struck a young prizes
with an oxwhip because he had killet
a chipmunk, is sweeter character foi
all these misdemeanors. Had sh,
learned self-control little earlier sh,