The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-27
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
THE UNEASY CHAIR

publics.-The republics of Central Amer
lea have been waiting for some one to do
them literary justice. They need wait
no longer; the man has been found. His
name is Sydney Porter He is better
known, however, as o. Henry. Perhaps it
will be asserted that he Is unjust to the
helpless little ten-cent-size republics
winch are a prey to northern grafters
Well. perhaps. At any rate he is equal 10
the humor that their histories afford and
the poky lives of their people abound in
His book, Cabbages and Kings, a series
OF magazine articles deftly joined, proves
it, y..s .-.s 81. !. .. -
AT the very outset almost one comes
upon morsel the humor Of which is likely
10 SUCK In his memory. A friend in the in
terror OF Anchuria wished to wire Don"
Frank Goodwin, an American at Coralio
that President Miraflores of the country
was secretly leaving, taking with him in
plus. If lie told the facts in English or
spanish others would "catch on; there
was no conventional code convenient:
what should he do? This: ".
His Nibs skedadded yesterday per jackrabbit
ilne, with all the coin in the kitty and the
nunole OF muslin he's spoony about. The doodle
Is six figures short Our crowd in good shane,
but we need the sponduicks You collar r.
Inc main guy and the dry goods are headed
for the briny. You know what to do.
When Goodwin got that, he knew what
to do. He was on the lookout for His
Nibs's and the "dry goods" He saw an
elderly gentleman and young woman
enter a hotel one night, and, with a char
acterlstic directness, went single ha ndcd
to recapture the missing Doodle. The re-
suit? That is Mr.. Henry's mystery be-
You'd the fact that Goodwin married the
young woman-after certain obsequies.
A bit of Mr.. Henry's humor is found in
the description of Coralio, put into the
mouth of Detective ODay, in the south
looking for northern insurance COM
pany's president and certain valuables:
Dinky little mud houses; grass over your
shoetops In the streets; ladies in low-neck and
short-seeves walking around smoking cigars;
tree frogs rafting like a hose cart going to a
ten blow; big mountains dropping gravel in
| the back yards and the licking the paint
i off in front.
Among the funniest things in the book
is the story of 1.-The Photograph and the
Graft" which is the story Of how Homer
P. Mellinger, private secretary to the
president Of Anchuria, whose graft was
honesty, was saved from $4,000 tempta-
ton by 'Home, Sweet Home" sung by
company of New York and London" In
this story, by the way, the photograph is
referred to variously as canned music
| the galvanized prina DONNA the "mu.
steal cornsheller." etc.
Mr.. Henry's book is decidedly worth
reading by those seeking to forget thei,
troubles or to add to their pleasures.
| Mcclure, Phillips & Co., New York.
| Poems from South Dakota-Happ,
Days, lis the name c. E. Holmes of Sioux
Falls, S. D., gives to little book oil
verses Of his own composition. They are
such as can add to the happiness Of the
days of the reader; hence are well named
as we'll as because they sing of happy
days and things. Mr.. Holmes in many OF
his verses shows himself possessed OF
considerable poetic skill and feeling. Ii
other places he shows a lack of willing.
ness to take pains. One of his most ambi
tious efforts is 1.-THE Hymn of the Prai
ries,'' which ends thus:
Love is the musical master that thrills the
deep heart of the west;
| Love in the sunbeam,
| Love in the stargleam, #,
Waking the birds from their rest 1851 ,
Love in the Tilt of the rivers that run to the
Love in the wild winds drumming theil
| threnody M
! Love for humanity. Ia =
! The Trials Of a Stage. Struck Countr,
Youth.-The youth who gets the stag,
microbe might do we'll to read Fighter
Miles from Home, by William T. Hodge
1t is the tale Of country youth VIII,
thought he could do Romeo after thu
manner Of the great Shakspereans. He il
given chance when hypotist and pain
less dentist combination comes to town
His reward is a tomato at ten PAGES
thrown with unerring aim. However, h
becomes the "angeI' of the company t.
the extent Of $3.50 savings, and goes on tn
road. He gets eighteen miles away, /
given Knockout Drops and left san
company and sans savings. The stor,
would be sure cure for the stage feve
were it not for the fact that the lad
experiences were so extravagantly ludi
crOus.
/ Small, Maynard & Co., Boston.