The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-04
NEW HOOKS.
1nunderelaps Aflcr the Nar.

Dixon. Jr. tDOuDltGhS' rage a ~ w slliS
a, the page numbered ., and on the follow
iny page va find II said regarding the war
between the North and South, when had
h.st terminated IN the carly half OF the
year 1866
B tn sides had things TO learn, and
learned them in a school whose logic Is
fnal-a four years' course in the University
Of Hell-the scream Of eagles. the howl OF
wolves. tle bay Of tigers, the roar of lions
all locked in Deaths embrace, and each
mad scene lit by the glare OF volcanoes
OF savage passions
Passing over the emotion evoked by tho
curious phrase, the lay Of tigers which
ia not geographical. Of course. and net
nleasantrv, any mora than 1t necessarily
would be if the author had spoken Of the
Gulf OF lions we may remark the early
Introduction Of the vigorous manner.
Surely our story, even in the beginning,
roars az capahly as the lions themselves.
II tbunders in the index. The following
paragraph affords us some relief. 1t says:
But the long agony was over
Turning the leaf. We come upon Col.
Ben Cameron, aged 10, lying grievously
wounded in a hospital in Washington.
This gallant young Confederate was stricken
down literally at the lannon's mouth.
Perhaps the bubble reputation hit him.
His fine voice attracted the attention Of the
surgeon in attendance The surgeon said
"a Elsie. the beautiful young nurse:
His voice is one OF peculiar tenderness,
penetrating and musical. 1t goes CULVER
ing into your soul, and compels you to
listen until you swear it's your brother or
sweetheart or sister or mother calling you.
The surgeons description of Col. Ben's
voice was calculated to interest sympa-
thetic and imaginative young woman. We
dare gay that Elsie made note OF IL. AS
though what he had already said was not
enough. this eloquent practitioner went on
10 describe the Colonel in battle. 1t is here
that we see Col. Ben at the lannon's mouth.
The surgeon said in part:
Suddenly this boy sprang on the breast
work He was dressed in new gray Colonefs
uniform that mother of his, in the pride
Of her soul had sent him. He was hand
some fgure-tall slender, straight, gor-
reous yellow sash tasseed with gold around
his waist. his sword flashing in the SUM-
his SLOUGH hat cooked on one side and an
eagles feather in it. Ills naked
sword flashed suddenly above that eagles
feather and his grizzled ragamuffins sprang
forward and charged us ike so many
demons. OF course 1t was mnd-
ness We blew them down that hill like
chaff before hurricane
Al but the Colonel He continued TO
advance. We shall see him at the can
mons mouth presently, and see him doing
a mighty queer thing there. The story
goes on. When the AS man had staggered
ack or fallen, on came this boy. alone,
carrying the colors he had snAtched from
q falling soldier, as If no we're leading a
million men,
Ne beg pardon for interrupting the
authors description. but We came at that
moment to the end Of a page Of our manu-
script, and we said TO ourselves that we
would start the next page with paragraph
We did this for mechanical reason based
largely upon a thought Of what would be con-
venient for the printers but we promise
now to accompany Col. Ben without further
deviation TO the lannon's mouth The
story goes on;
A bullet had blown his hat from his
head. and we could see the blood streaming |
down the side OF his face. He charged |
straight into the jaws OF one Of our guns.
And then. with a smile on his lips and a
dare to Death in his big brown eyes. he
rammed that flag into the lannon's mouth,
reeled and fell! A cheer broke from our
men
We wanted to stop again to consider
the wind that the bullet made and that
was great enough TO blow of the Colonel's |
hat, but We remembered our promise and |
we did not do it. We stepped along to the |
lannon's mouth, resisting firmly all our |
vagrant inclinations: and II the reader |
finds it In his kind heart to thank US we
shall be glad to have him do 40. We must |
say that we ourselves feel little heroic |
after this fairly desperate performance.
Col. Ben's mother went to see the Presi- |
dent about getting the Colonel pardoned. |
She noticed a number OF things that are
carefully recorded here and that go TO
snow that Mr.. Dixon is a master of tho |
realistic and historic az well as the romantic
and heroic styles. For one thing, she
noticed that Mr.. Lincolns feet we're large.
and that they rested on piece Of simple
straw mating The President was en-
gagged in the exercise of mercy at a time
when his Secretary Of War was particularly !
unforgiving and truculent. Mr.. Lincoln
could discriminate. however. even under
pressure Of his merciful inclination. A man
who had been put out Of the army came 70
him impudently. MIR. President said |
he, l see you are fully determined not to
do me Justice Lincoln took him by the arm
and led him to the door. As he was about
10 thrust him out he said This is the third
time you have forced your presence on
me, sir. asking that reverse the just SEN
tence Of court-martial Diminishing you from
the service. told you my decision was
carefully made and was final. Now give
you fair warning never to show yourself
In this room again. can bear oensure,
but will not endure Insults
We will wager that that petitioner, II he
kept sober, never came back. 4 German
girl from the Western plains who fol-
lowed, obtained readily u pardon for her
soldier brother, who had slept on post
How said Alr. Lincoln. could consent
- snoot boy raised on a farm, in the habit
OF going to bed at dark. for falling asleep
e' his post when required to " atch all
night, You seem an honest, truthful.
sweet girl, he added. sand you don't wear
b. L