Life — May 8, 1884 — page 4: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

LIFE: A RAIN FANTASY. GAINST the pane the dripping rain A quick tatoo is keeping, Awakening an endless train Of thoughts, which in my idle brain Have long been softly sleeping. The gaslight’s flare, the fire’s bright glare Where wood-coals snap and scatter, Like golden nuggets, here and there, Transport me to a realm that’s fair, Far from this dreary patter. A girlish face whose modest grace Makes me supremely happy ; Another fire whose slim flames chase The slow smoke up the chimney place, And light the velvet ‘apis. ek kk Dear heart, do you remember, too, This nook where we together Exchanged a sentimental view That bound our hearts forever truae— In just such rainy weather? The dreary drips, the star’s eclipse, All these remind me of you: And now and then in drowsy dips My eyes are watching two red lips That quaver back “I love you.” ¥F. D. S. Wy isan empty whiskey barrel like Hades? Because it is the place of departed spirits. A WISE PRECAUTION. T is rumored in literary circles that proofs of the Imperial Dictionary are submitted for inspection to that large family of boys on the corner of Fifth Ave- nue and Thirty-second Street before any decided steps are taken. Tue oldest inhabitant.—The spring chicken. T. (ee ALFRED TOWNSEND has hereto- fore published 2 great deal of fiction in the guise of newspaper correspondence and _ interviews. Even his enemies have recognized in these the fruits of a prolific imagination. Occasionally he has refrained from making his fantasies masquerade as facts, and his wide circle of readers have been allowed to judge of “Tales of the Chesapeake ” and “ Bohemian Days” as works of theimagination. Now “ Gath” continues this highly moral and reformatory scheme by publishing an avowed romance, called “ The Entailed Hat.” There is none of the affectation and pretty writing of the modern 4dric-a-brac school about this book. Originality sparkles on every page—in character, dia- logue, episode and scene. This is an unfarmed territory | in fiction—the quaint old “Eastern Shore,” between | the Chesapeake and Delaware. “Gath” has been | over every foot of it; he was reared there, and the | readers of his letters know that he has been a frequent | visitor there of late years. The time of his tale is about 1825 ; the incidents cluster around a band of kidnappers of free negroes which the notorious Patty Cannon made famous for its wickedness and daring. Altogether, the material for the romance is excellent. The author is prodigal in creating characters. They troop across the pages with a well defined individual- ity, but their number is almost bewildering. From among the crowd, Milburn, the eccentric owner of the Entailed Hat, and Vesta, his wife, stand forth as re- markable creations. The shadow of the Hat falls across the book with something of the same fanciful effect which attends the Scarlet Letter in a much | greater romance. There is ah equal prodigality of incidents. Murders | are as plentiful as in the current melodrama. But, withal, they are introduced skillfully and with dra- | matic effect. The flight and death of the quadroon | girl, Virgie, is a thrilling narrative. With all these things in its favor, it must still- be re- | corded that the story lacks coherence. It is over- loaded with events, which do not all logically lead up to the culmination. So many of these incidents are brutal that even the art with which they are handled scarcely saves them from being repulsive. Occasion- ally, also, there is a bit of realism which is a little too sensual for wholesome literary art. Let it be spoken in praise of this romance that its author has found in the history and tradition of his own country fruitful suggestions for his fancy. There is no trans-Atlantic gilding about it. Drocu. A WORD OF JUSTICE. Wane others are working like beavers and struggling like acrobats to attain more or less prominence in the Demo- cratic National Convention, General Hancock keeps the even tenor of his way, taking no part in any intrigues, asking nothing of the people or the party, but performing his whole duty with wisdom and dignity. A tribute of hearty admiration is due to this eminent and patriotic public servant. We congratulate him on his absence from the crowd of toilsome and anxious aspirants. In war no American has gained a more solid or more lasting distinction than General Hancock ; in peace he will ever occupy a place of high honor in the affectionate appreciation of his fellow citizens.— The Sun. Yes, he was a very good man, but he weighed ‘wo hundred and fifty pounds. EXPENSIVE profanity —The big dam is to cost $10,000,000. AprIL showers bring May scours, comicbooks.com