The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-15

these two and their love in which we
are interested, there is a great deal of
the serious in the book and Mr.. Hough
draws a telling picture of conditions in
the south just after that time when
the negroes had been allowed to hold
Office and had shown their absolute un-
fitness for responsibility Even though
it Is a long time since those days, still
there are reasons why this explicit
statement of many hard facts Is. not
malaprepos today. Col. Calvin Blount;
one of the most interesting figures in
the story, gives a thorough exposition
of the negro question from southern
standpoint, and What he says of thirty
years ago is equally true now. The
plot is of the mystery of the birth Of
Miss Lady, heir to a fortune, who had
fallen Into the hands of sharpers from
whom she was saved by John Eddring
and Col. Blount, and of course mar
ries the former as she should The
story is well written, strong and valu-.
able as giving us a phase and side Of
great question about which the peo-
pie of this country cannot be too well
informed.
The Confessions of an Old Maid-By Lou
Lawrence. Press of the Rose Jar, New
York.
A diagram and explanatory notes
should have been sent with this book,
to tell what it is about and let the
public know why 1t was written. One
has very well grounded suspicion
that 1t was written by a man and that
most of the confessions of old maids
are. The real thing in old maids rare
ly confesses. If there was anything in
teresting, anything novel in this con-
fess1on, even If it was a trifle risque
there might be some excuse for it, but
as 1T consists of a rambling account Of
the most commonplace matters told in
anything but an interesting manner
one is forced to the conclusion that 1t
has not even the merit of being real.
A true story is almost always exciting
Inc writer confesses in the "introduc-
ton that it was undertaken for the
purpose of making some money, and as
1t has pretty cover and the name
sounds as if there might be entertain
ing revelations within, it may find
few purchasers. But it is to be doubt
ed whether its author becomes riot
ouSly extravagant on the proceeds Of
It's sale. The last chapter leaves one
with the impression that the old maid
becomes a wife. 1t is to be hoped SO,
as 1t will raise her above the necessity
OF writing any more books.
Cabbages and kings-By o. Henry. Nc
Clure, Phillips & Co. For sale by ST.
Paul Book and tationery company
There are many Of these stories
which are as good as much that Kip
nng has done, and better than some of
his recent efforts. As a background
the Writer takes some of the small re-
pubi1cs of Central America with
their overnight revolutions and tells
excellent stories of the antics of
american sharpers among the guile
less LatinS. There is main
Unread through the book, the story of
Mr.. and Mrs. Goodwin, the denoue-
ment of which is curious and does not
come until the last chapter, thus keep
ing the readers interest to the end.
One of the funniest stories in the lot
Is the Introduction of the phonograph
into Central America, and a short tale
called Shoes" A young Virginian
having left home because the girl he
loved refused him, becomes American
consul at Coralio, and soon the Ian
Suor OF the air gets into his veins and
ne does nothing all day long but smoke
and tell stories. One day he received
O letter from the postmaster at his old
nome, asking If there was chance for
man to open shoe store at Coralio
ana make some money. Now as every
one went barefoot in Coralio save the
handfui of Americans, John Atwood
answered the letter sarcastically and
told of the wonderful chance for an en-
terprising shoe dealer, remarking that
there Were 5000 Inhabitants and not a
single shoe store. He forgot the incl
dent, but was forcibly reminded of 1t a
Few weeks later when an old man, ac-
companied by his daughter, and a large
stock of shoes, arrived by, the boat.
John Atwood's discontinue was com
plete when he discovered that the girl
was his adored one and she had ac-
companied her father, who thought he
was going to make his fortune So Mr..
John Atwood hurried about. got his
few American friends to promise to
buy shoes every day until he could
think of way out. So. father and
daughter We're installed, the shoes un-
packed, and for few days the old
man did a wonderful business In the
meantime Atwood had not been idle:
he had written to Virginia and had
sent him 500 pounds of cockleburrs,
and in the dead Of night he
sowed the roads of Coralio thick with
burrs. The scheme worked to a
charm; all the natives took to shoes
and the stock was nearly sold out.
The end of this absurd little story is
as it should be. John marries the girl
and they all go back to Virginia. O.
Henry is one Of the most prolific and
original of present day short story
writers.
The Rug PrImer-Published by Clifford e.
Lawton, Union Square.
A most excellent little book is this.
republished from .1The Upholsterer,
giving in small space just the informa-
tlon that all lovers of rugs want. It
tells not only about the weave, quality
n alrr<- 80 IA