Life — September 16, 1886 — page 6: what you’re looking at

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

eB THE OLD STORY. YES! I am a married man, I have a wife, and when I sought her Some years ago for mine, and brought her Home as a bride, life first began To be worth living. I just thought her An Angel, and thanked Heaven I'd caught her : And do so still—and yet, and yet, There is another —one who's wrought her Shy witchcraft o’er me till there’s naught her Fair face may not make me forget : And to this day I've never fought her Soft sway, although you say I-‘ oughter.” I know you think it’s not quite right, But she loves me, too. O, I’ve taught her The old, sweet lesson! and I bought her My first love-gift but yesternight : ’Twas but a trifle—cost a quarter — It was a dolly—she’s my daughter. A NEW STORY OF OLD VIRGINIA. R ECENTLY we had occasion to praise Miss M: G. , McClelland’s first novel, “Oblivion,” for being free | from, the faults of the coldly analytical school. The same | merit exists in her second story, “ Princess,” (Henry Holt & | Co). One admires a writer who believes in the characters of | his book, as he admires a man who has faith in his friends. | The “attitude of social contempt” makes literature artificial as well as life. The fine old Virginia qualities of sincerity and conservatism give grace and dignity to the characters of the novel. We are brought to feel that the family and not the individual is the true social unit. It warms the heart to come in communion with this old-fashioned home feeling. Here in the North, especially in this homeless city, we have a pitiless way of judging men and women as detached units, with no past and no future. The inexorable present measures the man. His misfortunes may have resulted from a great self-denial, or an inherited tendency for which he is not responsible. We care not. The weak man goes to the wall, and has our contempt. But in the South the virtues of a man’s family count for something ; all is not lost by a single misfortune. The noble chivalry of relationship beautities the Southern home. * * * HESE qualities are very truthfully depicted in the Mason and Byrd families of the story. But the Northern fam- ily of General Percival Smith is an artistic failure. Miss McClelland means to be fair to her Northern characters, but she writes from the outside. There are a great many blood- less people in New York, but they are not made of putty. In’portraying Vesb¢t Thorne, the author's sympathies have | women, and had looked more than he made.” | kind of feeling this is a most serious defect. | By the Comte de Paris. played her false ;—or, perhaps we should say that a pecu- | liarly feminine characteristic has asserted itself. He is the sort of aman whom other men of genuine feeling despise. “Women amused him, as a rule, more than they interested him.” “He made a great deal of love to a great many “His taste ruled him in most things, unless, indeed, his pas- sions were aroused,” and so on, through all that category of masculine weaknesses to which so many women sacrifice themselves. - For this sentimental caricature of a man, Miss McClelland makes her ideal Virginia girl sacrifice her old-fashioned scruples in regard to divorce! In abook filled with the right One believes until almost the last chapter that Przcess will respond to the homely fidelity of the lover of her childhood. But she fails of her own ideal and ours by marrying Thorne. And why? Because of the sublimity of love—as though love for such a man could be sublime ! It must be admitted, however, that the majority of South- ern girls would approve of Préncess’ choice. Droch. + NEW BOOKS - THE LIFE OF ROBERT FULTON, and a History of Steam Ni By Thomas W. Knox. New York and London: G. P. Putnam’ The Battle of Gettysburg; {rom the History of the Civil War in America, Philadelphia: Porter & Coates. A Secret of the Sea. By Brander Matthews. New York: Charles Scrib- ner's Sons. Stockton's Stories. By Frank R. Stockton, Two volumes, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. A REASONABLE SUPPOSITION. “ R. FEATHERLY,” inquired Bobby, while the des- sert was being discussed, “is your dog’s name Rome?” 4 “No,” replied Featherly, in some astonishment, “his name is Major. Why, Bobby ?” “Because, Pa told Ma last night that you were down at the Eagle Hotel, making Rome howl, and I s’posed he was talking about your dog.” ERR MOHKR, the Royal Musical Director of Berlin, who recently left this country, is quite bald. By trans- posing his name we have a punning commentary upon his aspirations, viz., Mohr Herr! A FRUITFUL source of debate—A dispute over a basket of peaches. HIS OLD SELF AGAIN. UMLEY: Why, Robinson, I’m glad to see you out again. You don’t look the same man you did two months ago. RoBINSON: Oh, I’m all right again.. By the way, Dumley, have you got a couple of dollars about you ? DUMLEY (handing him the money): As I said, Robinson, you don’t look the same man, but, by peanut, you are the same man. comicbooks.com