Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-10-22

viii Of Iiba Wilder "A wealthy resident
of the village. When Wilder dicd IL
Was found that the squire had Inherit
cd all his property instead OF Iiha@
worthless chcat-thc- galluws son James.
! The latter only smiled when the ms
, appointing news was told hin' Sali
that maybe the squire might give MN
Il little out of charity. and driftcd away
| down the world" Years later Il
strange experience bcfel the squire IN
the night as the result Of when q
young girl made her appearance as
| member of his family. Later sun 81
piratical sca-farer made his appearance
| in the village who seemed to exercise
Il mysterious and powerful influence
over the squire. A strike in the
Squirc'S mill brings into prominence Il
labor leader and agitator VINO rams
deeply in love with the Squirc'S Wa:d'
| but whose affection is not reciprocatei
! by her. The stirring incidents whlrh
| bring the squire 10 "a tardy punishment
! for his miSdccds, and the result IN thc
marriage Of his beautiful ward 10 INC
man of her choice, q rising vnln" az
| list, max" up a story Of absorbing In
| t"rc%t. In the closing pages OF thc
narrative the mystery of the young
| lady'S identity is solved She is the
daughter Of James Wilder, and tn"
' piratic;tl sea fHr"r whose strong per
.;onalty has been the subject of so
| much con lecture, is non" other than
| Wilder himself In a spirit Of self alb
, ncgatio however. he rcfrainI from re-
| ycaling himself to his daughter, and,
| having made her Independently rich.
through the hlackmail he had levied
| uTnn til" squire, nc very accommodate
ingIv lc;akcs himself off I" "a life "n
' the ocean wave. 1t is right mere thA'
, the author seems to have missed his
opportunity. If he had reformed
James Wilder, through love 81 ms
, beautiful and accomplished dauShtc"'
ami had given him quiet corner III
her happy domestic life the story
youId have left a much better ta:t;
,, in the mouth Of the reader
Cupid's Middlcman, by Edward y.
Lent. author of Being Done Good.
Published by Cupplcs Leon Ne"
York Emo. Prize $l'U
The first Of Mr.. Lcnt'S books, hciiG
Done Good" attracted wider attention
than is usually accorded an author y
first production. 1t described To" tE-
pcricncns ana suff"ringS endured hE q
sufferer from rheumatism in ms YAM
efforts to secure relief from tn"
PHYSICAL ills that afflicted him. 1t
VouId seem scarcely crcditabIc that
such n subject could afford 4 field Tor
tho display If Il quaint humor, and vet
Mr. Lent was able. to invest 1T with
this quality. and left his readers I"
wonder at the optimism Of spirit which
vas able to triumph over the ills Of
the flesh and look out upon life in such
a spirit of light -hcartcdncsS.
The author is really Il sufferer from
some blind form of rheumatism. which
has had the effect of Gripping him 70
a very serious degree. and tn" things
which he described in that book We're.
between the lines. very real accounts
of very real happenings. 1t takes
courage Of very high order I" do
what he did then: not Very many folk
! have the strength of character that
makes it possible.
Being Done Good" was 4 narrativ"
Of personal experiences; "Curid's
Middlnman" is fiction. into which the
author has put something If his
knowledge of the world and Of men.
for the man WHO now turns novelist
! has had a varied experience. II" be
gan life as a boy in the Office of the
brooklyn Times: then graduated from
st. Lawrence University, and then be
| cam" a member Of the Brooklyn Daily
Eagl" staff. Later. II" was secretary
of the BROOKLYN Civil Service Com
! mission. and was one of the founders
and first secretary Of IN" Brooklyn
League. ii" was engaged in = larE"
business house. when II" was stricken
with tn" mysterious form of rhcuma-
, tism which has $" seriously crippled
him. Eut as his books testify. il has
not taken the edge from his mental
equipment nor dUllcd the point ana
temper of his humor. Physical stress
is as unable :" tam" him as ii was i'm
poSSilI" to tam" Stevenson.
''curid's Nidilcman." il \ work Of
fiction. In il Mr.. Lent is even NOR"
entertaining than in his other book.
for is has 4 complete narrative to sus-
tain the interest.
It relates in 4 very entertaining ana
amusing way the experiences Of two
bachelor chum# living III New York
City. on" of whom carries ON Il love
'''i - Nl''lfitiitr WI HIS l's'S SIltt''l
friend.
IN" plot. interesting as il is. and
surprising ut every turn. is unfnldcd in
! Styl" no less amusing. The ahSurdi-
ties that arise when ono man under
takes to do annthcr's counting calls for
an original style t" match the queer
theme.
"tupd's Middlrman" is entertaining
throughout. It has the Mark Twain
haV"r Of sly fun. and is not one Of
ihnSc b"iSt"rnuS funny books that
make you weary by the effort To Sis
tlln Il climax interest in every SEN
t"Ilc". II is more like Mark Twain'S
"RouGhing It," POW an American
classic. And Yet the StyI" and the
story are wholly original If a book is
wanted to furnish entertainment ia
IN" Jadcd man or woman, this is the
volume to call for now
Power Lot. by Sarah +. Mclean
Greene, Author of Cape Cod Folks"
Ncsty Of the Basins" Deacon