The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-02
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
THE UNEASY CHAIR

NEWS u THE BOOK WORLD II
THE UNEASY CHAIR
An Average Love Affair and the out
come; an Accurate Piece OF Realism
The average tale Of love is very far
from being an accurate tale OF average
love. The average tale is far more high
~ colored than the average love, and the
incidents Of the former are usually much
exaggerated. Brand Whitlock's The
Happy Average is superior story OF an
average love affair; it avoids largely the
exaggerations of the ordinary romance,
and is an accurate and we'll executed
piece Of realism. Indeed, it is almost pho
tographic; quite SO in places. But there
is the promise in that Of fidelity to truth
and nature, at least; and time and expert
ence may be counted upon to soften the
defects in Mr.. Whitlock's work and to
heighten his skill. Which is to say, that,
while his work is Of a kind to merit atten-
ton now, better work, work of real dis
tinction may be expected from him.
''The Happy Average" Is story Of the
son of a Methodist minister and the
daughter of a judge in a small Ohio town.
The boy meets the girl thru the agency Of
a college friend, the time is early sum-
mer, when a young mans fancy has nos
passed spring thoughts o. love, and the
average fate falls. The girls fancy Is
touched also, and a fair future seems to
await the two. "a
But the average boy just out Of col
lege is a callow creature and crude, and
has a long road to travel before he is
ready to assume the duties and obligations
Of a husband; at least before careful par
ents will commit lovable daughter to his
care. Fortunately he is usually far
r,cr1, IN In RI
element Of seriousness in life, and that
work is demanded; and that is the case
with Marley, the average young man In
the present average case. He decides to
study law, but the moment he does, one
by one average obstacles to the progress
Of young men begin to arise. All this Mr..
Whitlock puts in a matter of-flct man.
ner that fits perfectly the matter of-fact-
ness of the average life. '. --..-
| Then there is the opposition of the judge
and his wife to having their eldest daugh-
ter pledge her love to one so untried. The
very fact of an inclination in that direc-
! ton comes as a shock. The author shows
how the father received the news IN the
! following, from which it will be seen that
the mother has already been informed:
s'what do you know about this business be-
tween Lavinia and that young Marley"' he
asked. ut seems to have developed rapidly dur
ing my ABSENCE
l II,
| pose," laughed Mrs. Blair: 'You know that
Connie is apt to be sensational"
Judge Blair eyed his wife narrowly. Connie
was his favorite child, tho he would not, OF
course, admit as much and he was ever ready
| to spring to her defense. -
'She has very bright eyes," he said.
ooh, now, dear said Mrs: Blair, don't over
estimate this thing. Lavinia's nothing but 9
child" . ~
THAT'S just the point. Has the young man
been about here much?,
lnings, in fact .IN.
.sHumph: He seems to have taken advantage
of the sunshine Of my absence to make hay
I Don't do him an injustice. He didn't NEE,
Lavinia until just about the time you went
away" ..-.
E'well, Wen gee about it," said the judge
darkly. ....3
serious by an unnecessary opposition; don't driv'
the children into position where they viii
consider themselves prosecuted lovers.
"Just let them alone,'' she said, ''or, leave
to me-" -..Es t-'.s
eyes," said the judge, peevishly, 'leave i
: to you. You'd probably aid and abet them:
And then, instantly regretting his Ill humor, b.
added hastily, "You're so kind-hearted."
Perhaps that has a ring Of common
placeness about it. But that is what tn
story is, a story Of average life, albeit o
i a HAPPY average with its serious, it
pathetic, it's humorous, its bright and it
"A sordid sides; of interest to the reader VIII
u finds interest in the lives of the peop1
! he meets every day. =
| The Bobbs- Merrill company, Indianapolis. :
Mark Twain as a Religious. WRITER
u The librarian Of the United Service clu
J. Of Calcutta is native Indian. His cata
log of the library contains some remark
able classifications, among which is
amusing one in connection with book {
Mark Twain's-his Extracts fror
Adam Diary" The native librarian evi
. IDENTIFY didn't quite know whether Adam
. Diary came under religion or philosOph!
J., so to make it sure he put 1t under bot
r headings, gravely adding Mark Twain
e own words. Translated from the or1gin'
MS" '. ...~ ....-.s.
9 Poems BY an AnthropoIoglst.-Al
+ der Francis Chamberlain, Ph.D., assistar
, professor Of anthropology at Clark univel
sity, has had published small book {
s verses. They include hymns and religion
: poems, poems Of love and childhood, sor
nets, poems Of peace, war and polite
and others. Among the sonnets is tt
+ following '"To the Hon. George F. Hoar,
which is representative of the author
. art:
"Peace hath her victories, no less renowned -,
9 Than war" Thus Milton spoke, who was tn
d OF that awakening which had lately found
= Its strong right arm in Cromwell. Ere the 70
. OF English guns had ceased to startle those
L Age-seated tyrants of the continent, e.
Who placed in God their blasphemous repose,
His message to the great protector went
. And Cromwell needed. Is the lesson vain
. Today? The greater England in war
>. Scarce three months long has vanquished cru
. Spain
IL And amid the clearing smoke Of battle, Hoar
O Speaks to our Cromwell: Let this be the land
That dares the lust Of empire to withstand.
y Richard G. Badger Boston. $3.50.
A Detective Story-Louis Tracy hi
written some further adventures of Reg
@ Maid Brett, barrister detective, in II
Albert Gate Mystery. These adventur
make a detective story, dealing with tt
Y. disappearance of some fifty diamonds b
l. longing to the sultan, which had be-
"a taken to an Albert Gate mansion by Tur
ish gentlemen to be cut. Notwithstan
" ing the protection offered these men al
jewels by the English government, four
the party were found dead one mornil
70 and the diamonds gone. The rest Of t
J. book is the unraveling Of the mystery.
i. r. B. Fenno & Co., New York. $1.50.
81 THE MAGAZINES