Life — August 5, 1886 — page 5: what you’re looking at

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

“LDR E « THE WEATHER REPORT AS AN ELEMENT OF FICTION. HE mannerisms of Charles Egbert Craddock are be- coming alarmingly prominent in her A//antzc story, “In the Clouds.” The time has come when even her de- voted admirers are beginning to “skip the descriptions.” There is no doubt that they are well done, but they are also too much done. Miss Murfree has become such a pre- Raphaelite in her landscape painting that she is not willing to leave any of the minutiz to the imagination. Instead of really fine effects we are given a catalogue of atmospheric changes. One begins to expect a Weather Report at the beginning of every chapter, with “ Indications” for the next chapter. * * * O give variety to her Signal Service reports, Miss Mur- free has introduced some very cyclonic language. It must have been a great day for Piomingo Cove when “a rayonnant heralding halo, of a pallid and lustrous green, appeared above the deeply purple summits,” or when “ every gauzy effect of vapor had its fascination in the embellishing beam and shone vaguely iridescent.” One can well imagine that when fire struck such wonderful mountains, some terrible natural phenomena would result. It is gratifying, therefore, to read of the “ Protean shapes of smoke—monstrous forms, full of motion and strange consist- ency and slowly realized symmetry, as if some gigantic pre- historic beasts were trembling upon the verge of material- ization and visibility.” An editorial blue pencil might be effectively used in settling the atmospheric disturbances on the Tennessee mountains. * * * HESE eccentricities of style cannot destroy the effect of fine character drawing. A/e¢hea is a splendid creature, full of that rude, unconscious heroism which a narrow, intense life develops. She seems to have inhaled the spirit of fidelity and truth in the pure air of the mountain summits. And through Mznk Lorey we get very near to the rugged force and passion of an uneducated man. We had almost forgot- ten how much of the animal is in every strong man. Through our modern fiction we have been giving our fullest admira- tion to good manners, and our deepest contempt to vulgarity. The Puritan conscience, having deprived itself of the field of morals in which to exercise its censoriousness, has devoted its energies to a critical survey of the artificial circumstances of life and conduct. Miss Murfree’s rude heroes rebuke our un-Americanism. Droch. EGALOMANIA is what ails Mr. Godkin when he thinks of himself, but when he figures on Mr. Dana’s circulation micromania is no doubt the turn his aberration takes. 75 OFF FORT HAMILTON IN SUMMER. MBRASURED guns, like wearied hounds, all sleeping, Their muzzles resting on the cool, green turf ; Along the Fort their peaceful watch now keeping Above the mimic battle of the surf. And you, dear one, now that my suit is ended, Let passion slumber in your cool, dark eyes ; ‘The wiles by which your heart was well defended Embrasured there look love on summer skies. Robert Bridges. INTERCEPTED LETTER. To Miss MILLIE O. NatReE, BANKVILLE, CasH County. Deare$t MILLIE: HOUGH it may $eem $trange to your father, it will not appear $ingular to you that I $hould love you for your$elf alone. Yet it would pain me to have any one think that my motive could be double rather than $ingle. What am I to do? You are an heire$$. I am not. I cannot even claim to be an heir, much less a million heir. Let u$ be frank. I love you. You love me, do you not, for myself alone ? Then we are equal$.* Leave your father and trugt to me. I will cheri$h you to the la$t. With me your heart and your dollar$ will be $ecure. Bring all the money you can with you, but never mind the odd change. Relentle$$ly, for $weetne$$, or $orrow, your$, Augu$tu$ Penny, Coachman, *? [Editor of LIFE.) ““ HAT a bad complexion Miss Sloaper has.” “Well, she ought to have. She ’s all the time doctoring it. Actually she puts sulphur on her face !” “Sulphur! What's sulphur good for?” “Matches.” Baseball Captain: YOu SAY THAT YOU CAN CATCH ? Tramp: Yis, SORR. B. B. Capt.: You DON'T LOOK LIKE IT. CATCHER ARE YOU? Tramp: RAT-CATCHER, YER HONNER. WHAT KIND OF A comicbooks.com