7–27615.
The scene of Mr. Hough’s story is once again laid in the west, chiefly during the time of the westward movement previous to the civil war. It concerns a young Virginian who, tho bound to an eastern girl, finds that he loves his companion of many adventures on the great plains. Their love-making, interrupted for a time by a villainous emissary from the cotton interests in England, and by the war itself, finally terminates happily. It has been the wish of the author to show the effect of a broad strong environment on human beings.
“The style of the hero’s narrative in the opening pages, is too archaic for the period treated, but becomes more appropriate as the story goes forward.”
| + − | Lit. D. 35: 695. N. 9, ’07. 340w. |
“Is chiefly of interest in the illustration it affords of several tendencies in contemporary fiction, as deplorable as they are conspicuous: the glorification of the violent, the primitive, and the crude; a sophomorical searching after effects of style; and a habit of cheap philosophizing.”
| − | Nation. 85: 377. O. 24, ’07. 610w. | |
| N. Y. Times. 12: 656. O. 19, ’07. 60w. |
“Mr. Hough writes a dignified and forthright sort of tale, which, although it has a good plot and plenty of incident, yet moves along quietly and without the clatter-and-bang effect which characterizes so many novels of action. But this mood seems all the time a little overstrained, as if he wrote at high pitch and found it rather painful.”
| + − | N. Y. Times. 12: 769. N. 30, ’07. 590w. |
“There is plenty of thrill and suspense—possibly a trifle too much.”