Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/244

214 laws—poor lawyers and worse judges—taxes, and no money, with the combined evils they saddle on us, without this last visitation of Providence—an “Authoress”. In the words of Homer (or his translator) we say, “and may this first invasion be the last.”

Of the style we say nothing—that is as usual apologized for in the preface, and moreover the writer is a “school marm.” We have read the book entire—one cover and ninety-six pages, double columns. In the second chapter Ruth has three lovers—now, this is unfair, and contrary to rule: modern romances usually devote 2 vols. octavo to one lover. “Young America” is fast; however, we quote from the chapter mentioned of the last of the three:

“I can think of him only as a grave with a poison flag growing above it and contaminating the air with its poisonous breath”.

We hope she had not the Standard in her “mind's eye” when she wrote of the “Poison Flag”.

There is considerable piety throughout the book, which is well enough in its way; also any quantity of epistles, several scraps from journals about camp meetings, the vanity of the wicked world, &c., &c., &c. They are generally of the Brother Knapp and Burchard order and like those gentlemen she appears to have been on exceedingly familiar terms with the Lord.

Our space being limited, we can give no more quotations from the book, so must leave the reader to peruse it for himself. To call it trash, would be impolite, for the writer is an “authoress”. Pages 86 and 87 contain some pretty morceaux from Ruth’s diary. We think, however, that private biographies are an affliction barely tolerable—when a Napoleon, a Byron, or any other lion makes his exit, it is well enough to know “How that animal eats, how he snores, and how he drinks”. But who the dickens cares about the existence of a fly, or in whose pan of molasses the insect disappeared?

“Squills” was savage and ungallant, but he had one excellent quality not always possessed by reviewers—he could give a pretty clear idea of what a book was like. On this account good has come out of evil, even to Mrs. Bailey. In the unhappy sequel of events, his unfavorable description is practically all that has preserved it to recollection as a book over which a sensitive pioneer woman struggled in disappointed hope.

Writing in 1905 in the introduction of another book, From