The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-07
BOOK NEWS.

delphia Public Ledger has declared
that the book marks a turning point In
American literature. The annals OF
all nations" it says, established the
fact that out of the maelstrom of some
epoCh-making cOnVulsiOn there emerge
the great national literary spokesman.
We have been waiting for our great
American novel for over a century. Our
civilization was too Uniformed during
the crises of the Revolution, the Wa"
of 1872 or the Mexican war, to produce
this inspiration, and the passions,
furies. political errors and final recon-
structive period following our great
civil war deferred the national express
sion, which even then would have bNSn
somewhat immature"
Since that time. however. many
things have combined to establish the
distinctive American type, and an
economic revolution has Transformed
the country.
Hence the hour had come for the
great American novel, for clear, un-
mistakable utterance which would eS-
tablish definitely a typical American
expression and erect a standard of the
genius of our race, the spirit OF our
people the thinning in definite strokes
of our national characteristics, morals
and habits as distinguished from those
of any other peoples upon the earth.
The man who has met this occasion
and brilliantly contributed to current
literature this great epic Of America, Is
William Allen White. A Certain Rich
Man bids fair to exceed the popular
vogue of David Harum and marks
turning point in American literature"
After outlinging the story. the develop
ment physical financial and spiritual
of John Barclay, the reviewer describes
the effect of the cOuntry's moral aWak-
ening upon the hardened Hndncldl
pirate and his coming. through d1sap-
pointment and humiliation. to some
realization of the elements Of right
eousness. THAT he kneW"-tO quote
from the nOVel-"that bribery and. cor
ruption and VicariOuS stealing which Il .
had learned to know as business-that
was a reproach to any people.
This thought" concludes the Public
Ledger. lis the dominant note, the les
son that It so efficiently and cOnvinc-
ingly teaches-but do not conclude that
the book is a dry. economical DISGUST
ton with undertaking characteristics
Far from it Throughout it pulsates
with humor interest. passionate love
adventure pathOs-eVery page is woven
with threads of human nature. life as
We know it. life as it is. and above II
all a spirit of righteousness, true plety
ana heroic patriotism. These inspire
the authors genius and fine literary
quality. thrilling the reader with ten
derest emotion. and holding to the end
his unhagging and absorbing interest
G. Polk Cline. lawyer and humorist,
of Iarred. is the latest kanSan to
invade the literary field The title has
rot vet been selected but the manu-
script of I 150-page book has
been given to the printers, Crane q
Co Of Topeka Mr.. Cline is widely
ana fav7rabIv known in the state and
fspecialIy In the former short grass
country OF the western half of Kansas,
where he has circulated as a lawyer
politician and entertaining humorist Tor
D wears. His book deals with the trib-
ulations ard adventures of western
lawyer and judge. in the style OF BllI
Nye of tn, last generation MI cine
Il1llv edlaIs Bill Nye" in local color, |
and OJ1aITtnPSS of nuInOT,
ard expresses the subtle hUmor OF
Opie Reed Not only his legal friends
lLt the public at large in the west
v5U enjoy and appreciate the entertain
ing hu1-.o- of @. Polk Chimes book soon
to be issued and which will be reviewed
here later
1t is IN interesting coincidence that
Paris. which Justus Miles Forman chose
for the setting of Jason his novel |
Just published by the Harpers, is also
the place where the author wrote his
first story Ten years ago Mr.. F'Orman. |
inst out of Yale went over TO Paris |
fc live and. as he thought, to paint
rcrtraits. But one day the fancy seized
him to tell his story on paper instead
OF on canvas That was the beginning !
for fiction claimed him after that day. |
There is a passage IN Jason which |
reflects the yourg authors feeling for
the city that claimed him at the close
of college days. In passage deScrlp- |
tive OF the fragrance of raln-WeC chest |
nut trees at evening, and the savory |
Whiffs of wood smoke along the streets: |
1T was the breath of Paris he writes, |
land it shall be in your nOStrils and
zine a keen agOIy of sweetness so long
as we may live and so wide as we may |
vs nder-because we have known it and
loved it-and in the end we shall go
back to breathe it when we die
The August issue of the Outing Mega
zire is a big refreshing vacation and
r easure with its entertaining articles
and stories. and its practical infOrma-
ton. The leading feature is entitled
1.-THE Ship DWellers,N by Albert Bige-
low Paine The subtitle is IN the !
Track Of the Innocents Abroad and
e altogether it is a wonderfully amusing
travel story To those who hope to go
to Europe. to those who have seen Eur
going to Europe. this article will appeal
both for its charming humOr and its
vivid descriptions of actual scenes.
Homestead. Pa. once made itself IA
N Gus as the center of great strike.
Now it appears that Homestead, being
not far from Pittsburg on the map and
in sympathies. - the center of a fine
young system of political graft. In
fact. the .ketch of political conditions
which George Randolph Chester gives
in his story. The Making of Bobby Eur
1it and which has teen ridicued in
purely ir aginary." 50 closely fits the
actual state of affairs in Homestead
that the editor of one of the local pa
pers proposes to print quotations from
BOBBY as first page news of the
hour.
At the unwilling of the monument
erected by the people of Monroe,
to General Custer. the equestrian hero
whose renOwn is second only to