davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
'Infatuation'' by Lloyd Osbourne

b Lloyd Osbourne. Published by the Bchbs-
one OF the first things which the
4rltics viii say about Lloyd os-
bourne's new novel "Infatuation." is
that IL win be a bad example for the
very young person, and perhaps they
@iIl have a shade the best Of the argu-
mont IL one tries to arguc the point;
but why should the young person" be
considered hrst? The book is the best
thing AIr. Osbourne has done yet, and
that IS saying a good deal for so sue
cessful q writer. What's the matter with
the book? why viii Il hurt the young
person? Is il immoral. indecent. erotic.
q problem2 No, nothing like that at all
listen TO sketch OF the plot
Phyllis Ladd is the story. She is ador-
able from the opening word Of the book
% the end, and every page IS full Of
her. She IS the moLherless daughter OF
Robert T. r Ladd. the president OF the
r. B. and D. railway. She and her
father are the best OF chums and all the
love they have is spent on each other.
Phyllis goes to Washington TO visit an
aunt for the winter. She meets J.
WhitIOck Pastor. the most eligible
young man in washington. All the girls
and mammas have angled unsuccess-
fully for him season after season He
sucCumbs to Phyllis charm at once, and
she telegraphs her papa 10 come and
bless them.
Mr.. Ladd saw before him a tall, thin
young man OF polished and somewhat
cold exterior. with a dryness Of express
sion that was positively parching. Like
one OF those priceless enamels OF the
orient. one feels that J. Whitlock Pas
tOr had been roasted and glazed. roasted
and glazed, roasted and glazed until the
substance beneath had become but a
matter OF conjecture. The enamel was
nagnihcent-but where was the man."
Poor little Phyllis had simply fallen
under the influence Of the people Of
. Washington who had been engaged for
years in worshiping at the shrine Of
These trigid people, and as soon as her
father came and passed one evening
with the family Phyllis gained courage
g tell him she hated :. Whitlock and
hated his mother and hated the atmos-
phcre for 40 yards all around them. and
she promptly broke ii All of. It was a
terrible Jolt to washington society and
3 worse one TO her aunt. especially
when she nippantly explained: He
teoked very nice IN the show window,
but now we are going to take him back
and get q credit slip for something we
: want more"
Tie next experience which came TO
this wise young person was Captain
: Baron Semptt Won Pfller, first attache
imperial German embassy, Washington.
9 She accepted him, but told her father
not 10 come until she had got used to
s. She became a celebrity at once with
this engagement, for captain the baron,
. etc, was a parsonage at court, and the
kaiser sent cablegram Of congratula-
tion and wrote a formal letter about
America and Germany and made Phyllis
an International question.
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
"The Passing OF the Tariff
BY Raymond L. Bridgman. Published
sherman French q CO.. Boston PrIce ~ Q

BY Raymond l.. BrluBman. published by
sherman French a Co.. Boston. Price 81 20.
In view OF the economic restlessness
concerning present high tariff duties
and their possible early revision by
congress. this volume could not be more
timely or more aptly prepared for those
desiring a well thought out and excel
1ently presented, but untechnical, sur
vey of both the economic and moral
merits Of the tariff question. The book
presents a view of the political, indus
trial and economic feeling in this coun-
try, bringing out the fact that a new
situation has been developed radically
different from that of even SO recent a
date as the Wilson tariff. The book
does not profess to cover the old and
familiar scientific ground SO thoroughly
covered by experts, but 1t does aim to
show what forces now in operation are
apparently sure to accomplish The
author. in addition to daily newspaper
work for many years. has written nu-
merous magazine articles upon public
and political questions OF the times.
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
Gossip of Books and Writers

Larry Chittenden. author Of Ranch
Verses" is travelling for his health. and
is now in Bermuda. AS a result Of his
stay there he has written a collection
of verse which will be published some
time this spring under the title, Der
muda Lines"
Montrose J. Moses. the author OF
Henrik Ibsen, the Man and His Plays"
and "Children's Books and Reading
will give a course Of lectures on the
history of children's books before the
Carnegie library school for training OF
Librarians in Pittsburg, and viii address
a librarians meeting in Atlantic City on
the attractive power of books and the
librarians methods. during the present
month.
BY an act of congress Baltimore is to
have at last a memorial to Francis
Scott Key, author of The Star Spangled
Banner" A handsome bronze tablet. in
the shape of a shield and suitably in
scribed. will be put on the iagstan at
Fort McHenry and will constitute the
sole memorial TO Key in his native city.
No woman is to appear in the seven
or eight stories which Mrs. Edith Whar-
ton is to contribute TO Scribners maya
zine during the coming year. They will
be published under the general title OF
Tales OF Men," 1t is stated. however.
that indirect evidence of the eternal
feminine is not wanting"
M. Rene Bazin. the translatiOns OF
whose works are now. being brought
out so rapidly in this country and in
England, is a professor of criminal
law at the Catholic university at An
gers.
Edward w. Townsend. author OF
The Climbing Courvatels." which is
just out. has written a play in col
laboration with Frank O'Malley. It
will be brought out by Liebler very
soon, with Ada Lewis in the principal
part.
In April the Macmillan company will
publish a new novel by Frank Dandy.
The appearance of another story by
the author Of "The Heart Of a Child
and Pigs in Clover will be eagerly
welcomed by the admirers Of those
clever books.
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
"A Prince of Dreamers"

By Flora Annie Steel author of ION tile
Eace. Of the Waters" etc. Published by
Doubleday, Page Co, New York. Price
SIPS.
Flora Annie Steel has tried again,
but still unsuccessfully. TO win back
her old admirers. but il must be ad-
mitted, however reluctantly, that she is
a one story author. "On the Face of the
Waters" was the great book Of the year
when II appeared, but it's author has
never been able to touch it in interest
since. Her latest novel, "A Prince of
Dreamers." is a historical novel of the
year 1910. The scene is laid in India.
which Mrs. Steel knows SO well, and
the story is OF the ruler Akbar. the
third and last OF the great moguls and
contemporary of Queen Elizabeth OF
England. Mrs. Steel has a few expla-
nations to offer in her preface, and
among other things she says:
1T has been suggested to me that
for those to whom the word mogul is
mixed up with tobacconists' shops and
packs of cards a brief outline OF the
dynasty called by that name might be
advisable.
1T was founded. then. by one Babar.
poet. knight errant. perfect lover, who
is. without doubt. the most charming
figure in all history. He sacrificed his
life in 1910 for his son, Humayon. that
most unfortunate OF kingly adVentur-
ers. from whose opium soddened hands
the 13 year old boy. Akbar. took an
uncertain scepter. In him the glory
Of the moguls eliminated"
This great mogul built a wonderful
city Of victory. Fatehpur Sikri, in honor
OF the birth OF his son. but 1t had to be
abano oned for some unknown reason,
probably lack of water and it was a
sad blow 10 Akbar. This period. inn
mediately before the abandonment, is
the time selected by the author for
her story. and it is difficult to see why
the book should not be a success.
Akbar. the royal dreamer was GEN.
turtles ahead of his time in his percep-
ton of the essential brotherhood of man.
and by himself is an interesting study.
Mrs. Steel says:
His rightful place is among the
great company OF dreamers-Shake-
speare Raphael. Drake, Calico, Mi
chaeI Angelo. Cervantes and half a hun
dred others-who In the sixteenth CEN
tury arose (and God alone knows why
or whence) to place the whole world
spiritual and temporal, under the sway
of Imagination for the time
Many of the other characters of the
book are interesting in themselves, not
ably Atma- -Devi, the girl herald. But
the book as a whole does not hold
one. The historical pictures are beauti-
full. the gorgeous oriental color and
pomp are delightful and impressive
and one reads on and on to the end
hoping for the story which is not.
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
Books Received

Loaded Dice" by Ellery Fl. Clark: the
Bobbs-Merrill company. indianapolis.
'-Parsimoay In Nutrition" by Sir James
Crichton- Browne; Funk & WagnaIls company
New York.
The Climbing, Courvatels." by Edward W.
Townsend; Frederick A. Stokes & Co.. New
York.
Janet and Her Dear Phebe." by ClarIssa
Dixon; Frederick A. Stokes company. New York
The Roosevelt That / Know by Mike Don
ovan; 3. ". Dodge & Co. New York.
The Correspondents Manual" By William
Hiekok; Lothrop, Lee Shepard company.
Boston
steps Along the Path by Katharine H.
Neweomb; LothrOp. Lee Shepard company
Boston.
why We Love lincoln by James creeIman;
Lothrop, Lee & Shepard company. Boston.
THE House With No Address" by f.. Nesblt;
Doubleday. Page & Co.. New York
Letters Of Japanese SchOOlbOy," by Wal
lace Irwin; Doubleday Page & Co, New York
The Glory OF the Conquest" by Susan Glas-
pell; Frederick A. Stokes company. New York
The Ring and the Man." by Cyrus Town
send Brady Monatt. Yard & Co, New York
Natures Help 10 Happiness" by John A.
Achorn M0datt. Yard & Co.. New York.
Nervousness. a Brief and Popular Review
OF the Moral Treatment OF Disordered Nerves. -
By A. 7. Seo6eld; Mofatt. Yard 4 Co., New
York.
'Iufatuatioa." by Lloyd Osbourne: the Bobbs-
Merrill company. indianapolis
The Perfume Of the Lady IN Black" By
Castor Leaoux; Brentano's. New York
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
"Why We Love Lincoln"
By James Creeiman. Published by tn
ing company. New York. Price Sl.25

Nv lanes Creeiman Published by the Out
ing company. New York. Price SIPS.
one of the most interesting of the
books which this year of Lincoln's
centennial anniversary has called forth
Is "Why We Love Lincoln" by James
Creelman. 1t is a short and very much
condensed history and contains all the
most interesting facts of Lincoln's life.
together with some very high tributes
TO his nobility and honesty. In the
first chapter the author says:
I'VE think of Washington with
pride. of Jefferson and Madison with
Intellectual reverence. and of Jackson
and Grant with grateful consciousness
of their strength. But the memory of
Lincoln. even now, so many years after
his piteous death. stirs the tenderest
love of the nation thrills it with a
sense Of intimate relationship to his
greatness and awakens a personal af-
lection in the average American breast
mot a mere political enthusiasm but
a peculiarly heartfelt sentiment that
has no parallel in human history"
Most people who have noticed the
tremendous amount of Lincoln litera-
ture which has appeared during the
past few months naturally associate
it with the centenary celebration, but
three years ago a Lincoln photography
was compiled by Daniel Fish of the
Minnesota bar, and it contained 1100
titles then. so one sees that the life
and death of Abraham Lincoln have
always been favorite topics with
American writer's
This book contains II illustrations
several of which have never been re-
produced before. One is an unpublished
photograph OF Lincoln in 1860, framed
in walnut rails split by him in his
wood choppfnR days The original fs
owned by Charles w. Mcclellan OF
New York.
There are some new anecdotes Of
Lincoln, some of which show his keer
sense OF humor; there are quotations
from speeches and other interesting
bits. It is a valuable addition tc
Lincolniana.
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
"Biu TrueteIl"

By George 81. Brennan; illustrated By James
Montgomery Flagg Published by A. G.
McClurg & Co.. Chicago. Price Sl.6o.
ager of the Southern amusement COM
pany, which Is bringing out "The Clans
man and other plays by Thomas Dixon
Jr., offers his first novel to the public
this week. He has had much news
paper experience and has written the
atrIcal sketches for the magazines. but
this is his first long piece OF work.
The book tells the story of Bill True
tell, big hearted generous and cour-
ageous; a theatrical manager OF what
we now call the "old time" meaning
time before the theatrical trust man
aged things and when independent
managers took companies out on the
road and left them to walk the ties
home again.
The tale opens with the genial man
ager negotiating a loan to start his
company on the road, and from that
time on he encounters every sort OF
trouble that can possibly come to
theatrical manager. His unfailing good
nature and wonderful optimism finally
win their due reward. Elsie Van
Balkan drifts into the company and
proves the good angel of the enterprise
and makes a success for Bill Truetell,
both before and behind the curtain.
The character study is excellent and
if the incidents appear to be extrava-
CANT they are at least amusing enough
to hold the interest of any reader. The
illustrations I'm the book really illus
trate, and one knows the artist read
the text. not always evident in these
davs of hurried makeup. They add
much to the pleasure of a very amusing
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04

The time is March TO April, 1865,
and the place is e village in Vermont.
The characters are Granther, a war
veterans Hannah, his daughter; Benny.
her son; Agatha. her niece; q parson,
q school master and a miller The
poem is divided into five parts, the
first showing the peaceful home and
telling Of the childhood days of Benny.
Then comes letter from him from the
seat Of war, and the anxiety of the
home is plainly shown. How they all
suffered in different ways over the
absence and danger OF Benny. Then
comes a telegram, saying that young
Benny. hardly more than a boy, is
condemned TO be shot because he was
found asleep on sentry duty. The fran
tic relatives appeal personally to Lin
coin, who pardons Benny, who lives
only to be pierced by seven bullets In
a succeeding desperate battle with the
enemy.
The story is dramatic and finely told
but does not rise to any awe inspiring
heights. 1t is founded on historical
facts and Is dedicated to the people
Of Illinois and Kentucky. in memory
Of Abraham Lincoln
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
"SOme New Literary yaIua-
lions y

Bv william Cleaver Wilkinson Published
by Funk & Wsgnalls, New York. Price
The author Of these valuations" is
2 professor Of poetry and criticism in
the University Of Chicago and his
work IN this book IS done in q serious.
scholarly manner, as BELTS the serious
criticisms he has 10 offer. The author
frankly acknowledges his tremendous
admiration for William Dean Howells.
and he makes him the subject OF his
opening paper. The paper is critical,
but one can not but see that he finds
& difficult TO discover faults in Howells.
Professor Wilkinson gives Howells q
very high place in literature; his style
IS particularly commended and we are
told that as enormous as is HoWells
work IA quantity IL never fails to reach
the standard IN quality. There viii be
found many who viii disagree with the
following statement made by the au-
thor:
',He has been a diligent, q seIf-task-
ing, a successful student and practi-
toner Of literary art. The result is
the achievement OF a style which, for
purposes such as his, 7 am ready, with
all delfberateness. 10 declare TO be. IN
my opinion, unsurpassed in English
literature"
The author realizes that such IN
qualified praise needs some defense and
be says that whatever fault there may
be IN Howells style they do not impair
its general merit His vocabulary is
most extensive, but always OF a re-
markable lucidity.
p. The other articles IN the book are
Matthew Arnold as Critic; Matthew
Arnold as Poet; '9Tennyson as Artist
IN Lyric Verse; Edmund Clarence
Steoman as Man Of Letters; John
Morley as Critic OF Voltaire and Dide-
rot" and "TOlstoy.
Tennyson is described by the author
as the. greatest artist in lyric verse
that has ever appeared in the world.
There are a few flaws To be found IN
his work, but very few. Professor
Wilkinson says: "Tennyson's fame is as
secure as Millions, and this. in spite
of his sons biography Of him.
The author has had. with many other
great critics. many opinions of Toll
-stcy but now he has finally made up
--hfs mind. He saws that for him "Tol-
stoy has one Of the very greatest minds
70 be encountered in literature. Shall
r seem Immediately 10 recall this SEN
stence If add that the one thing lack
tYg to complete greatness in Tolstoy
IS final soundness and business OF
Judgments You feel that
whatever may be the artistic merit. OF
T. whatever the value OF truth and wis
'sdom belonging TO these writings this
writings at any ratio reflect the real
sentiments and convictions Of the
writer he may be singular, erratic
:eccentric. but his departures from tho
Customary and conventional are not az
fectatiohs
The author has made very interest
ing book out OF these seven or eight
= pa I9ers. All are written with sympathy
and appreciation and i is refreshing
70 find many Of the judgments IN oppo-
fsilon 10 present day standards
Alexander Smiths Life Drama is
handled in an appendix and makes 3
most interesting supplemental article
to an interesting book
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
Improper Prue'
By Gloria Manning.

By Gloria Manning. Puoiisneo oy p w.
Dodge & Co.. New York. Price Sl.oo-
This story is a sort of cross between
the latest vulgar smart set novel ana
an old fashioned moral tale. Improper
Prue is not really improper, and when
the test comes all sorts of fireworks
and mock heroics are set off and virtue
is of course triumphant. Prue's char
acter is not consistently drawn. The
author tries to make her fearfully and
wonderfully clever and only succeeds
in making her stupidity audacious and
cynically affected. She Is too wise py
far for her years and her sex, and.
after all, her story is not in the least
novel.
She is an orphan with small in
come and decides she must marry a
rich duke. She gains the entree to the
home of one of the ultra fast set and
her most insults her. She has led him on
and the reader is not in the least sur
prised, but Prue is. Whether because he
is married or she thinks that her own
innocence is plainly evident is not
clear. but she is placed in a most COM
promising light. One lover speaks his
mind plainly to her--another offers TO
marry her on the spot, no matter how
black things look.
OF course the lover who repudiates
her is the one she loves, and IL lis
difficult to see how the author is go
ing to make Prue overlook his speech,
but She makes the Ineligible and faith
full lover kill off the wicked baronet
and the wicked baronet confesses his
guilt and Prues innocence while he is
dying and everything looks smooth
But lots of things have to happen be-
fore Prue can marry and settle down.
and the author uses world old devices
to make things come Prue's way. The
book is affected in style and amateur
ish in plot.
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04

Merrill company. indianapolis. Price sI.5o.
But-Sempft was too large and pink
and German, and Phyllis couldn't
nestle against his waistcoat" and
pant with Joy" so she just said: I've
made a mistake, and here's your ring.
and here's the cablegram from the
kaiser. and here's the photograph OF
your dead mother-and would you mind
getting out OF my life, please?-and
friends are requested to accept this. the
oAiy intimation."
The next affair iB not a surprise. She
falls in love at first sight with Cyril
Adair, an actor at 10-20-S0-cent thea
ter, and having seen the light and tickle
side OF her character we expect this at
tair to go UP in smoke, too. But,
against her own better judgment.
against her fathers wishes, contrary to
every reason. she runs away with the
acter and marries him, though the actor
had no intention Of allowing the affair
to develop along those lines.
All that has gone before has simply
been leading up to this, the real story.
il tells how this girl, who had been
brought up in a home surrounded by
every love and luxury, who had never
known anything OF hardship, became
so devoted TO Adair that she, through
her love. made man of him. She was
q monument of tact, though Mr.. Os-
bourne says more about her love than
her tact. In regard TO that one more
quotation is not amiss.
"Of all human gifts, surely that OF
loving has received the least general
recognition. A genius for music,
genius for mathematics or natural his
tory or sculpture or mechanics, is at
once admitted and acclaimed. But what
OF a genius for loving. which, of all, is
infinitely the rarest? The trouble is
that every one is conceited enough TO
think that he Cor she) is a wonder at
it. But, frankly. do we really. indeed.
see so many love geniuses about us?
Are we not rather struck instead by an
almost universal love poverty? If the
husband stays drearily at home every
night Of his life. and If the wife is en-
tirely absorbed in the baby, are we not
asked enthusiastically to applaud a
happy homer This is the national ideal.
and tens OF thousands are yawning
heroically through 1T. But where's love
in any but half pint sizes7 Everybody
insists it is there in barrelfuls, much as
they insisted in the fairy tale in the
case OF the man with the invisible
Clothes
So much of Mr.. Osbourne's work is in
that style-humorous. cynical and with
a serious underlying motive. Perhaps
one finds more in the book than the
author intended, but it is not often that
a love story so ideal as this, so con-
sistent and so beautifully worked out,
finds its way to the reviewing desk
Mr.. Osbourne has written all sorts of
things. long and short stories, curtain
raisers and real plays, has collaborated
with his stepfather, Robert Louis Ste
venson, but he has never done anything
more worthy of himself than this book.
It is deserving Of all praise.
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
'"The Glory of the Conquered"

~ Susan Glaspslf. Published by Frederick
A. Stokes company. New York. Price sl5o.
A book by new author is always
filled with latent possibilities and al
ways the book reviewer hopes he may
discover genius. The great American
novel 30 long talked about has yet TO
be written. but Susan Glaspell will have
at least q niche assigned to her In
the hall OF fame IL this first Offering
of hers is an earnest OF what Is to
follow. The paper wrapper Of the book
announces 1t as The story OF great
love--tha kind that changes the face
Of the world, oyerrides the impossible
and Lifts defeat into wonderful victory
The lovers are a prominent
scientist and his artist wife, and yet
their noble passion is comparable only
with the undying romances OF history"
OF course, IL is only human to quarrel
with the writer OF the puff notices, and
one picks up the book more critical
after that notice than one would be
without It. The book Is truly described.
It is the story Of great love and,
though one may not like to admit II.
a great and unselhsh love so rare that
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
l'0ur Benny"

BY Mary T. Waller, author OF The Wood
Carver OF 'Lympus." etc. Published 10y
Little Brown & Co. Boston Price 81
Miss Waller has written several
Esels and received much praise, but
MOI until the appearance OF The
Wood Carver Of 'Lympus" was she
hailed as great. Now she offers. as a
contribution 10 Lincclniana 10 com
rnemorate his centennial anniversary.
= dramatic narrative poem Our Ben
ny" II is the old Lincoln story Of the
sleeping sentinel. which has been
written IN so many different ways, but
- always pathetic and interesting
The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04
BOOKS REVIEWED

"Infatuation," by Lloyd 0sbourne
"Some New Literary Valuations" by William
Cleaver Wilkinson
"Our Benny" by Mary e. Waller
"a Prince of Dreamers," by Flora Annie Steel
''The Climbing courvates," by Edward w.
Townsend
"Why We Love Lincoln" by James CreeIman
"BiIl TrueteII" by George III. Brennan
Improper Prue." by Gloria Manning
'sThe Passing of the Tariff" by Raymond L.
Bridgman
"The Glory of the Conquered" by Susan Glas-
peIi