A Knight of the Cumberland. By John Fox, Jr. New York: Chas. Scribner’s Sons. Price, $1.25.
Mr. John Fox, Jr., the author of the popular “Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come,” was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, the very heart of the bluegrass region. At fifteen he entered Kentucky University and from there went to Harvard, where he graduated the youngest of his class. He first thought of studying law, but became attached to the staff of the New York Times and has had a passion for the pen ever since. His interest in the life of the Kentucky mountaineers led to his first book, “A Modern Europa,” and the success of this first effort led to the writing of others. At the outbreak of the Spanish War, Mr. Fox joined the Rough Riders, but left the service to act as special correspondent for Harper’s Weekly. His experience there furnished the material for his next novel, “Crittenden.” After the war he returned to his home and has been engaged in writing steadily since, having a half dozen or more stories to his credit. The study of the mountain dialect is particularly interesting to Mr. Fox. He has found, he says, over two hundred words used in his section that were in use in Chaucer’s time. His latest book is a realistic description of the life and old-world ideals still to be found in the remote mountain districts, and is written in his usual sympathetic vein.
By the Eternal. By Opie Read. Chicago: Laird & Lee. Price, $1.50.
This silhouette of the illustrious and ever fascinating Old Hickory far exceeds anything that has previously appeared from the pen of the Arkansas author. It deals with the life and adventures of Jackson up to and through the battle of New Orleans, showing clearly the integrity, the invincible determination, and the kindliness, withal, of the hero. Two duels are described and through the story runs a pretty romance, which meets and overcomes obstacles, aided by the future president. It goes without saying that Mr. Read has introduced, or rather brought out, a strong element of humor throughout the book.
