The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-08-07
BOOKS OF THE WEEK PASSED
BEFORE THE REVIEWERS EYE
1.-THE Watchers Of the Trails
Ii New Animal Story BY
Roberts.
HISTORY OF OLD ST. JOHNS
Records Of Henrieo Parish Col
lected in Interesting Volume.
Autumn Books to Come.
Roberts

WATCHERS OF THE TRAILS. Bs,
Charles G. D. Roberts. Published ~
! l.. C. Page and Company. of Boston.
For sale by the Bell Book and bta-
tioncry Company. a
1t is the sailor who sails the ocean that
loves best the briny5 flavor OF the ocean
winds and Understands most about tlle
!. ever changing charm which the sea puts
& on to greet the eve that seeks her out,
/ and, so seeking, owns her. mistress.
~ n 1t Is the man who comes face to face
Il with the handwriting Of God In flowers
that can read best the lesson that God
transmits TO humanity through the dell
cate tracery Of leaf and blossom.
And 1T is to tho lonely Watcher of the
iTrails', that the traditions OF the forest,
Sthe code of forest life, and the primal
passions regulating that code are most
& fully revealed.
Il The thousands throughout America to
= Hhom MIR. Roberts previous books have
h been a revelation and a delight will greet
with the grea1st pleasure a new book
"A over his signature. Born in Douglas, at
1.-THE mouth Of the Keswick River, near
Frederjckton, New Brunswick. his early
d hoyhood was colored with the thrilling
u experiences HllicS he knows 50 we'll how
il 10 describe for the pleasure of others.
4 Endowed with an intense love for nature,
q animate and inaninate his passion for
n the former CLOVIS In the fire of his words
4 when he paints a sunset or a moonrlse:
1T CLEANS wllcn$th the chill of a death in life
sscreeps through his lines In picturing the
Il great gaunts silences of the snow and Ice
= bound Northern winter; It swirls in the
y sweep of great winds; 1t roars with the
A torrents leap, and 1T is image as to AMI
mate nature in the unerring accuracy
with which the characteristics and habits
s8of furry feathered and 6finny. forest folk
* are delineated by his pen,
5s No forest life Is too poor or too insig-
nificant for the artistic hand of Mr. Rob
N erts to render interesting. All grades
live for him. and through him are shown
with extraordinary power % his readers.
1.-THE first story his new book, and one
u that Is typical Of the series is entitled
he Freedom Of the Black-faced Ram
NJ TIL story opens IN the summit Of Ring
d walk Hill In the following words:
The sunrise was the breaking of the
black faced rams first day in the Wild
q erllcss. Never before had he stood on an
open hill top and watched he light spread
ma gically6 over Wild, wild landscape.s
Up to the morning OF the previ0s day.
4 his three years Of life had been pass
ed in protected green-hedged valley pas
lures, amid titled fields and weil-stocked
stnrns, beside a llied water This rug
y Ecd lonely wde-visioned world into
which fortune had so unexpectedly pro-
jected hin, filled him with wonder Yet
~ he felt strangely at ease therein. I ne
hedged pastures had never quite suited
~ him; but here atSlength, in the great
Il spades, he felt at home. The fact was
that. alike in character and outward
appearance he was q 3reVerS:oh 70 Lar
: off ancestry, L
Now the black-faced ram had become
free BY butting over his master and
q running away from him. On the sum
: nit of the hill. from which he watched
the sunrise. he found a eve with her
lamb, and was at once transformed into
g a knight-crrant for the defense Of the
weak and helpless against the savasery
4 OF the wilderness.
Is he proved his proves by fighting away
from his little adopted family pair of
z; invading lynxes and a rusty coated black
\ bear that-in the language Of his back
woods owner-''lle just knocked silly.
And them In the proud moment when he
NJ had reached the zenith of his glory and
Il his independence, his master, who had
feen hunting for two days far and wide,
3 came and Mr.. Roberts tells one:
n He had no mind to go again into cap
tivity. But, on the other hand, for all
MS tSlQrOUneSS HE.
& was his natural ruler AT first he low
cred his head IN: whesa the backwopiS
man shouted 1T finn he sullenly drew
aside. With a good natured laugh. the
man picked UP the lanlb in his arms
Il whcreupon the mother stepped timidlY TO
his side evidently having no fear. The
2 man turned and walked slowly down the
hill. carrying tile lamb. ne eve fol-
lowed crowdIng cloae and stumbling be-
s cause her eyes were fixed upon her little
a one.
"The ram hcsitated. He looked at the
i hillside, the woods and the sky begin,
ming to grow chill with tile onrush Of
twilight. Then he looked Al the retreat
ing figures. Suddenly he SAN his world
* growing empty and desoiate With an
anxious Dleat he trotted after he eve
II and took his docie place few feet be-
hind the mans heels. In u few moments
& the little procession disappeared in The
y woods. moving toward the settlement and
Rinkwaak Hill was left solitary in the
dusk. with the lonely notes of the night
hawks twanging over IT,.
The story concerns an animal. but In
5e reading 1t one can but help realizing how
u much akin animals and men are. for the
y black-faced ram. Ike his two "a
"a brother, merely claimed his right 10 have
8ls his fling and then, when matrimonial
4 shackes fell on. he Yielded mcekly like
f his prototype, TO the Inevitable, and re.
turned TO the habits Of conyentionalily
X again.
1TTs.gro
"a + d . d