The Washington times., 1923-02-04
Seek. HAWKINS"
HAS PRIDE OF
AUTHORSHIP
Gives Two Boosts to Himself
to One for Others In. Latest
and Probably Best Book Of
Boys Fiction.

II IQaG strange SPECIES
:" Of author known com.
monty as the Juvenile
writer attempts a new characteri-
zation, the public discovers, for
the 'steenth time, that the
Hero" is the usual adults idea
of a boy, and thus adds to the
possible number of boys books
which have become lasting mon
urnent to the feebleness Of the
human memory.
Perhaps this il too severe a cas-
tigation of such writer's. 1t must
indeed be admitted that the un-
usual type Of mind IL necessary
for the faithful, consistent presen-
tation Of q good kid yarn, with
the true Psychology Of a boy run
ming In snrerpenned undertone
throughout the work.
Perhaps "Seclxatary Hawkins
is a boy, or q very young man..
His latest chronicle Of Kentucky
boy life, 1.-THE Red Runners"
published by Stewart Kidd Com
pany, indicates that he has mot
forgotten how boy thinks or.
how = boy would write.
The custom insists that boys
never spell correctly. and that
their rules Of composition are In
variably In dissent from the ac-
cepted restrictions OF rhetoric.
Whatever a fairly intelligent boy
has learned regarding the Eng
lish language Is wholly erased
from his mind-so runs the un-
written law-when he sticks his
tongue in his cheek and prepares
to write.
''SeckatAry Hawkins" whoever
he may be. IL somewhat Of rad
ical in the ranks Of juvenile au-
thors. He holds the exalted posi-
ton, suggested by his title. in
q Bluegrass boys club. and he
writes In the first person. He
rejects alike the conscious arti-
fees OF the adult writer and the
equally conscious, but more eye
twisting style of the comic kid
"orther." He takes pride In his
writing. as Gny self-respecting
''seckatary" Of a boys club will
do, and he gives himself two
boosts to every one he gives other
members Of the club,
Above all. "Seckatary Hawkins"
knows perfectly well that his pals
don't converse as he would have
his readers believe they did. Be-
sides, he il writing for a young
audience, and Is aware that he
need not be wholly truthful in his
transcription Of what they said
and what they did.
1.-THE Red Runners" is one Of
a series, and has the same fault
as most similarly related books.
Anyone opening 1.-THE Red Run,
ners" finds young Hawkins re-
turning from an exciting adven-
ture in Cuba, with typically boy
ish references to persons and
places which mean less than moth
ing to the new reader. The ef-
feet IL that one who takes UP
this book without previous &C
quaintance feels as IL he had
boisterously burst into the wrong
house, surprised q family Of en-
tire strangers at supper and needs
must exit sheepishly, with a
stammered beg y'r pardon"
But when the reader enters
into the spirit Of the club and
narrow escapes begin to tread on
each others heels, there's nothing
to do but read the whole fat
volume. AS was said before, the
action is marred by neither of
two silly melodramatic styles, but
is a simple. well-worded report
OF facts, setting an example for
innumerable more serious "secka-
taries."
y The stories comprising 1.-THE
Red Runners" were originally
published in a Cincinnati news
paper, another guarantee that
the writer knew his boys and his
locale. The tales do not obviously
overlap, the chapters are brief
and the book carries numerous
pen-andink illustrations of not
i too complicated character. as a
welcome compromise to the young
reader.
The jacket proudly proclaims
that the narrative is the best
boys story since "Huckleberry
Finn" This is, of course, a good
selling point, but is largely a
matter of opinion. 1.-THE Red
Runners" IL considerably more
in character than Edgar Lee