New-York tribune., 1904-10-08

.r.ho- .. sx.., ssves US a volume Of
more than four hundred pages '"O -, - =
historical disquisition. and d sS0.A'
conventional fiction. As storS' - So ~
where and ends nowhere It's drauaaus PERSONS
are mere spectators. lay hgures' ""'O4 ~ "O'
seek to dominate the field OF sC'I'H' Da'
carried along like fotsam In Ius
torical current What climax inert sNe
action comes In a Stephen Crane-hke oeScr'p-
ton. In thirty or forty pages OF the hrst battle
of Bull Run. The rest is essentially long oIa""
predatory note Mr.. sinclair's book Is In reahry
philippe against the Southern slave Queslion-
The Zero OF the nOvel-if so he may De c4leu-
is the son Of a Mississippi planter VINO se's MS
education at the North and comes 70 aOhOr
slavery. He passes through many oraInHc CA
periences, but his own part in the historieaI IN
ciderts brought IN IS never made OF serious con-
sequence The forces behind the sctual scenes
are those on which the author fixes his atten-
ton AMI expends his energy. As a study Of the
conditions which led up TO the war the ooos
shows reading and intelligence It's quality as
fiction fs however almost negligible Mr.. Sin
clair has the courage 20 dispense entirely with
heroine The voice Of the softer sex is hushed
in the shock Of political ideas and passions II
is to be regretted that the author did not also
dispense with the stock war story" caricature
OF Abraham Lincoln as an eternal teller OF far
fetched and Unnecessary anecdotes. As hui
man figure Lincoln has suffered too much al
ready at the hands Of both iconoclastic and
hero worshipping historical romancers.
The new short stories that eome 20 hand at
the moment are sufficiently varied in character.
MI Loornis's More Cheerful Americans" Is
collection OF humorous sketches similar to those
which we read in his last volume and gladly
praised. He finds his types among the people we
all know, and puts them in situations which. II
funnier than those OF every day life. never seem
improbable His touch is light and there is an
tngratiating kindliness about his attitude toward
the men ard women he sketches There Is moth
ing sarcastic or cynical about the chuckle that
he allows US 20 catch between the lines
bright book. well calculated 10 conquer At OF
depression. The Mr. Esper Indiman. with whom
we are made acquainted In The Gates OF
chance" Mr.. Sutphen's clever little volume. is
eonnoisssur OF sensations. he browses about
looking for odd types and occurrences. and. IN
the company Of the young man who tells the
tales he hnds them here In New-York- a vein
~ ssnfirnsnt is introduced but bizarre adventure
Is what the author chiefly endeavors 20 devise.
He is ingenious and facie. and has produced q
sprightly book Captain Vaughan has written
In "Old HendrIk's Tales" kind Of South African
Uncle Remus" and he Is worthier Of his prede-
cessor than il would seem possible for any one
20 be. His dialect, It Is true, is somewhat for
bidding The old Hottentot who puts the ami
mails OF these pages through their PAGES has
fearful and q wonderful tongue Fortunately he
has also something TO say and a humorous feel
ing for the right saying Of Il Mr.. Shepherds
illustrations for these stories explaining why
old Baboon has that hnk IN his tall" Why the
Tortoise has no hair on" How old JackaI got
the pigs" and so on. add greatly TO the force OF
Captain vaughan's delightful text