Life, 1896-07-23 · page 7 of 18
Life — July 23, 1896 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis of Life Magazine Page 587 This page contains literary criticism and reviews, primarily discussing Colonel John T. Wheelwright's reappearance as a writer. The main illustration shows two figures—a man standing and a woman seated—in what appears to be a domestic scene, captioned with dialogue about a "stepladder" and pantry, suggesting domestic comedy. The small cartoon at bottom left, titled "The Scorcher's Ghost," depicts a face-like figure on a wheeled stand, though its satirical meaning is unclear from the visible text. The page reviews several books including "A Bad Penny" and "Mr. Stimson's 'Private Gold,'" offering literary commentary rather than political satire. The content focuses on character development and narrative quality in contemporary fiction rather than topical social commentary.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
of course, leads to some remarkable complica- tions of the Two Dromios order. Mr. Barnes is at his best in hair-breath es- capes--especially if there is a boat concerned. His account of the night voyage in a small boat down the New York bay, among the British war vessels, and the hero's long swim to Staten Island, is the best part of the story. The fighting in the book is not too bloody for agreeable reading. The whole story is a manly, straightaway narrative with the adventures of a reasonable, practicable kind. * * * FTER a long silence John T. Wheel- wright (whose " Rollo's Journey to Cambridge” is vividly remembered after twenty years), reappears as a writer with “A Bad Penny" (Lamson, Wolffe & Co.). The author's arduous labors as a colonel on Gov. Russell's staff have not destroyed the cunning of his hand as a writer of tales. Naturally one expects that there should be war and bloodshed in a story by a colonel, and in this Col. Wheel- wright fulfills expectations. But why a colonel should choose to describe a naval battle is beyond the comprehension of a plain civilian. But in depicting the glorious battle of the Chesapeake and Shannon, Col. Wheelwright shows himself as muchat home on the quarter-deck as he is on the ficld of battle. In other words he is an amphibious col- onel, and when Gov. Russell becomes President we hope that he will remember this and make the amphibious colonel Secre- tary of War and Navy. In the meantime he can have the satisfaction of knowing Stimson: | WONDER WHERE THF STEPLADDER IS? Mrs. WILLIE HAD IT Last. “THEN IT MUST BE IN THE PANTRY.” that ‘A Bad Penny” is a good tale, with a a fine air of old Boston before the war in the young hero in it who is the right kind of _ story, and glimpses of the anti-slavery riots. stuff for war or peace. The feeling of conservative Boston against * * * Wendell Phillips is hinted at, but there is R. F. J. STIMSON’S “Pirate Gold" Teom yet for a great novel on that whole Hh (Houghton) is the study of a remark- gitation in and around Boston. Mr. Stim- able character, a faithful old bank clerk who $08 Would be an excellent man to write it. sacrifices his highest principles of honesty Droch. to save the rascally husband of his ward 7 whom he deeply loves. The character is © [DEOPLE who make a specialty of being drawn with rare subtilty and tenderness, and useful in the world do about as much commands the reader's sympathies. Thereis as anything to clog the wheels of progress. comicbooks.com