The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-29
BOOK REVIEWS
and
LITERARY NOTES

The Crossing. BY Winston Churchill.
Illustrated; sos pages. New York:
The Macmillan Company. Price,
$l.50.
Much is expected of the author who
has written two highly successful
novels. No exception is to be made
in the case of Mr.. Churchill. His
Richard Carvel" took the reading
public by storm; not so much for its
history, however, as for the charm
of it's story. 1t was a masterpiece,
and received its just reward of pub
lie recognition. Then came THE
Crisis" dealing with the troublous
times shortly previous to and during
the Civil War. The novel was in some
degree less sustained in interest than
its predecessor, and ran to prolixity;
yet it was we'll received for its intrinsic
worth as a story. THE Crossing" is
the third in Mr.. Churchilrs series of
American novels; and candOr compels
the opinion that it is the least strong
of the three. Not that it is a poor
narrative, or weakly told Far from
it. Had the author transposed his Sc
quence and made No. to be No. /,
his audience and increased his fame
with each succeeding book. But hav-
ing put forth his best effort first, his
appreciative and friendly readers have
been somewhat disappointed to find
that his subsequent efforts have not
held the pace at first set.
Critics found 1.-THE Crisis too ver-
bose. They will find the same weak
ness in THE Crossing" in greater de-
gree. Not that there is any lack of
stirring incidents or interesting char
acters; indeed, both abound. But the
author employs too many words to
tell of them. Had greater brevity been
observed both incidents and characters
would have been Strengthened.
This is not said in dspaIagement,
but in friendly criticism, because Mr..
Churchill is so delightful a novelist
that we wish to caution him against
the possibility of becoming a space
writer Any hack" can fill space; no
genius of literature ever wasted words.
If twenty lines will express an idea.
Il is worse than folly to give 200 to
it. In 1.-THE Crossing" we think the
seasoned newspaper editor would often.
with his blue pencil, have cut 200 lines
to twenty and that without weakening
the tale that it told.
The story is one of strong American
interest. 1t is pitched in the line of
the settlement of the territory that is
now Kenucky and Tennessee. when
the white men were wrestling the lands
from the Indians. There are glimpses
of Daniel Boone, George Rogers Clark,
John Sewer and other heroes of what
was then the West" The central fig
ure of the group, possibly, is that OF
Clark, who added an empire to the
domain of the United States, and was
badly used by the government. The
story of Clark's sacrifices, herosm and
wrongs is not conducive to ones re-
spect for republics; but it shows what
strong and patriotic men endured in
the early days for the advancement
ard glory of the new country. The
narrative is the autobiography of
"Davy'' Rite HE, 6es d from a noble
Scotch family-though he is unaware of
that fact in early life. "Davy" has
experiences in Charleston, in the
mountains of Kentucky. in st. Louis, in
New Orleans and elsewhere. He skins
deer under the tutelage of Daniel
Boone, and kills Indians while a drum
mer boy for Col. Clark. In the latter
capacity he inspires regiment to
| march weary miles through flooded
swamps to the attack and capture of
Vincennes after having performed
wonderful feats at Kaskaskai and Ca
hokia. Then he becomes a lawyer of
LOUIS lllS anu CUES " view OIltdliS
to investigate a plot against American
sovereignty, on which errand he falls
in with his fate, a French countess,
whom he happily marries after having
discovered enough to checkntate the
plotters. incidentally we are intro
duced to and make the acquaintance
of Polly Ann" one of natures noble
women of the mountains: Tom Nc
Chesney," who marries Polly Ann"
and becomes the father of a future
governor of Kentucky" named in
honor of the photographer David
Richie McChesney;" then the
movement is forward to New Orleans,
where the hero, after many vicissitudes,
meets the Countess and is warmly
loved by and happily married to her.
The thread of political history that
runs through the web of the tale keeps
ever before the reader the central idea
of the author. 1t is the growth of a
nation that is passing in review. The
story ends with the passing of the
Louisiana territory into the possession
of the United States. David is as for
tunate in his love affairs as he