The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-15

a:x x:s
The provocation under which Blount
acted was extreme, there was no recogni-
ton of law. by the blacks at the time.
Were all cases as clear as that there
would be little criticism of summary
action on the part of the whites acting in
self defense. Yet the act of an individ-
ual may point to practical condition Of
anarchy and insecurity to society, such
as demand stringent measures. So far all
will agree with Mr.. Hough's position, and
even farther, for we do not understand
Mr.. HOugh to Insist on the rule of the
higher law to the point of those CHASTITY
wreakings Of vengeance which are seen
now and then in the torture of perpetra-
tors Of nameless crimes. But in the in
depreciation of the law Of necessity there
is always danger, especially when the in
terpretaton is undertaken under the
white heat of passion, and on that ground
some of Mr. Houghs readers will not be
ready to accept all that may be inferred
from his position, or that of his hero; for
it may be assumed that Mr.. Hough is
merely stating the southern white position
rather than his own.
The above is more than sufficient to
show that 1.-The Law of the Land is a
problem novel. But it has romantic ap-
! peal that takes strong hold Of the reader,
in mystery in the life of the heroine,
Miss Lady, a charming girl, with whom
the author does not let the reader become
we'll enough acquainted. The mystery is
one that is worked out with much skill
and the book ends when the end of the
| story is reached, which last is very high
praise.
Incidentally, the railroad claim agent is
''hit off, in the course Of the story with
much skill. A blooded filly of Colone
Blount's has been killed by a train on
road running thru his plantation.
her day if she had lived said the colonel.
| Eyes, and if she had you would have had tt
back her, wouldn't YOU? You would have
trained that tilly and paid couple of hundred
for it. You would have fitted her at the tracl
and paid several hundred more. You would
have bet couple of thousand, anyway, as
matter of principle; and. like enough, you'd have
lost it. Now, if this road paid YOU $15 for tina
tilly and saved you twenty-five hundred or three
thousand into the bargain. how ought you to fee
about it? Are you twenty-five hundred behind
or fifteen ahead?''
). Thereupon there was almost a murder
, which would have had no defense in tn
, higher law of necessity, tho verdict o
, justiiable homicide would hardly hav
been out of the way, had Blount slain tn
agent.
The Bobbs- Merrill company, indianapolis.
. ToIstoy EmuIates Carnegie.-Count Tol
stoy has opened book stores in Moscoy
: and St. Petersburg and is offering to pro
vide village libraries with books at low
Prices.
f New Novel by Edith Wharton.-Edit
S Wharton's first long novel of contem
porary American life will begin in tn
January Scribner's under the title 9TH
q House of Mirth.'' It is said to be a shar
i comment on modern social conditions an
a serious presentation of their tragic ten
dencies The heroine is a charm1n
young woman who is placed in a false pc
sition.
Strange Things Happen on Christina
:, Eve In the Kentucky Mountains.-Th
= work of John Fox Jr., has shown marke
: ! improvement recently. At least, so
+ seems to u.s. In Christmas Eve on Lone
some, a book Of short stories, we find
truer touch and coloring than we hav
noted, at least in much Of his other worl
The story which gives the title to tn
book, for example, leaves the reader sat
isfied. He is conscious of no straining
motives to account for the actions Of an
Of the characters, and that Is more tina
3 can be said Of many of the stories of tn
S day. The story is that of Kentucky eX
convict just thru with a three years sen
tence, thirsting for the blood of the ma
whose perjury sent him to prison and VIII
had robbed him Of his sweetheart. Their
comes, at the critical moment, a mora
: struggle that is excellently depicted.
' A longer story is 1.-THE Army of tn
Callahan" an army which perhaps fey
have heard Of Its commanders ptctur
does not hang in the galleries of the great
either He was Captain Wells. He coul
fight on occasion, but he was more lkel
q to play Bum -ba daddy and hunt
= place behind a hickory tree. The stor
, Of how he saved glitter Bills store fror
an attack by the wild Jayhawkers
Kaintuck' is bit Of high-quality humol
The stories are all Of that section of tn
country in which Mr.. Fox is ut home an
at portraying which he is at his best.
Charles Scribner's Sons New York. 81. 80.
s>The 1903 Christian Year kaIendar is jus
out. It is handsomely printed and at
tractively arranged, and without dout
the most valuable edition of the kalenda
2 vet issued.
q The Church Kalendar company, 2 West -Four
teenth street. New York. Toe.