The Black Diamond Men. By William Futhey Gibbons. (Fleming H.
Revell. 69.)—This is a "Tale of the Anthracite Valley," the place which has been so r. ,utely disturbing the economical politics of the world during the past few weeks. A tale it scarcely is. There is, indeed, a slender thread of story. Henry Martyn Warne, rector of Coalton, appears in the second chapter and he appears in the last, after passing through certain vicissi- tudes of employment and feeling. But Mr. Gibbons is very digressive, and this of set purpose. He desires not so much to tell a story as to picture a life, and this he does with considerable effect. Nevertheless, he would have done well to control his pen a little snore. The vigorous sketch of the "Old Mogul," the great power in Carbonville and Coalton, is spoilt by the joke of the capra (an Italian woman claims compensation for the loss of her capra, and the " Old Mogul" cannot think of the capra being anything but cow, and pays fifty dollars for it). But there are some admirable things in the book. The writer has looked deep into the subject of which he writes, and has the art of making his readers enter into his experiences and realise his characters.
Previous page
