New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-20
OUR HUMORISTS

FlBBlL. ID d. b} iiilh p. '"up. i",. 80 AZ
Tony SaE i-no. pY 2l' The george H.
DOran COMPANY
TIE MYSTERY or THE HATED MAY AID
THEN SOAlE Ef James honi1omcn lssg
illustrated by tAc Author l-mo. pp. 200. me
George li nofan COMPANY.
skNNEKs DRESS SUIT By ilsnD ,l ll.ias
The Hoaslton Snfa.u Compan5.
In reviewing the two books OF Mr..
Cobb here grouped together the re-
Fiction jumps TO the mind that has
reputation as a humorist threatens to
ovcrshadow his sterling merits az a
writer Of short stories. His work IN
this field is constantly found in the
magazines; it is invariably Of the quail
ity that deserves and commands pres
ervation In book form. Local Color
contains some excellent work, a war
story. for instance, which differs from
all others we have seen. and which ~
likely. among the mass Of them. to
stick in the memory. It's local color
is Of worldwide significance; the ac-
tion is shifted only for moment
from this city 90 tho battlefield, but
that moment suficcs 20 bring home 20
us how a shot fired somewhere in
France may wreck a life IN New York
and turn East Thirteenth Street, as
ket Court observes. into field Of
honor. And what o rare power this
humorist has Of driving home pathos,
of tightening even "A hardened re
viewers throat with the pity OF IT all.
Local color is always found IN his
stories. and it is never Of the faclle.
conventional sort, the tradition Dor
rowed and elaborated by one from the
q LII rv. ha
Southern local color is his own. 1t
has nothing in common with the
cEch6s of professional Southern au-
thorship. And if in New York he
often tells the city what it does not
know and what il misses of life, he
never steps out of the frame of his
narrative 20 teach the lesson. His is a
human register of many stops, from
scorn 20 pity. but with the symps-
thetic note prcdominating and his
characters always sound true. And,
incidentally ucgligontly dropped in the
right place. there is the touch of hu-
NOR. the twinkle Of the philosopher
who can laugh as we'll as grow finely
indignant. II is in this incidental use
of il. indeed. that Dir. Cobb's humor
is most telling
Fibble. d. D.. is a curate of the type
more familiar in English comedy and
farce than i'm American huAorous tic-
ton. Innocent and helpless as lamb,
with it's bleat: deeply sincere, utterly
impervious. somewhat Of a snob, he
tells his adventures with boys camp
ing club. I'm France in war time. ana
with the lady Of his choice, teacher
Of gymnastics in seminary. Inc
merit Of the book lies in the consis-
tency OF the character and in the no
less remarkable consistency OF Flbble's
stilted mode Of expression. The man
is a tyOc. somewhat exaggerated, but
nearer the truth than most readers OF
humorous stories are likely 10 under
stand, owing to their probable lack OF
familiarity with the Fibbles Of this
world.
Mr. Flagg INDUCES in burlesque, as
i'm his parody Of Edna Fcrbcr's Mrs. Nc
Chosrcv stories and Of "Mrs. Prune-
pincher's Page in Every Lady's Mag
azine." Not but that he touches the
root Of the matter in Miss Fcrber )
case. and who can help enjoying ms
clever cxaggeration OF Be9unash $
sartorial and social cXclusiveness IN
our theatre programmes, which, some
hou. or other. always reads so exceed
inglv ready-madc? Mr.. Flagg makes
ms believe. though he does not say So
that the first name OF this arbiter ele-
rantiarum must be Jeames. What the
illustrator sometimes suffers at the
hands of the author he illustrates ne
makes clear i'm the story OF Miss
SticLv-Noutie-Kiss and he touches
unon the suferings and the pretences
and nrctensions Of weekend visits IN
Tho country with the intensity OF per-
sonal martyrdom. His suggestions OF
illustrations most welcome 10 the edl-
tors of certain OF our magazines are
most entertaining; and, though IT mas
beeu done before, his review OF the
subsequent woes of the husband VINO
reioices when his wife goes on vaca-
ton is capital realism. cheerful
hook. full Of shrewd observatory or
life and character, with tang all It's
own.
Mr.. Dodge's thoroughly entertain
ing story has moral; Appear
ances count. skinner had been the
cashier of the house for which he
worked for many years. lie had De
come a modest fixture. lie and ms VIE
had scrimned and saved. Then Mrs.
skinner suddenly decided that the time
had come for him to ask for an IN
crease Of salary. Skinner hunked. but
pretended that he had obtained it.
whereupon his deceived wife made him
buv his first dress-suit. He could af-
ford il now. she argued. skinner began
to draw secretly upon his bank ac.
count. But behold! The drcss-suit led
To social expansion. the social eXpan-
sion led to good business clothes; these,
i'm turn. led TO a seat i'm the suburban
club-car. and. as his bank account di-
minisheG. skinner rose in appearances
until the firm began to see him in a
new lilht. 1t is all very amusing, ard
IL is all true for many Skinner m