A delightful story of the trip of a New York correspondent and a college professor into Canada at the time of the Fenian invasion. They are captured and have numerous amusing adventures, both finally falling victims to Cupid.
From several hundred press notices, here and in England, where this book has met with great success, the following are taken:
"The author is a born story-teller, and his thorough-going Americanism is engaging to the last degree."—Portland Oregonian.
"A rattling comedy."—Boston Home Journal.
"We cannot be too grateful to Mr. Barr, in these days of decadence, of word twisting, and of microscopic raking in the mind, for a straightforward narrative, fresh in its locality and incident, quaint in its humor, and dealing with real men and women, who express themselves in speech and action with unmistakable individuality."—London Athenænum.
"There is not a dull page in the whole volume."—Utica Press.
"It is a gem of the story-teller's art."—Davenport Democrat.
"The spirit and sparkling wit that pervades this tale makes it deservedly popular. The character-sketching is delightful."—Hartford Post.
"Out of the avalanche of trash cast on the reviewer's table during the present period of the super-emotional would-be-advanced, and 'new woman' novel, it is a pleasure to pick up a book like 'In the Midst of Alarms, by Robert Barr. One quality gives Mr. Barr's stories a prime flavor—his observation of the minute details, and the environments of the life and the people he depicts, as where the frolicsome reporter helps the pretty Canadian countrygirl make soft soap."—Chicago Evening Post.
"A very readable and clever story."—New York Sun.
"Everyone must read 'In the Midst of Alarms,' by Robert Barr. It is a pity that more of such books do not exist. It is but just to say that this little novel is one of the choicest of the season."—Chicago Herald.
For Sale by All Booksellers, or Sent Postpaid
FREDERICK A. STOKES COMPANY, Publishers,
27 and 29, West 23d Street, New York.
ONE ESTIMATE OF MR BARR.
Mr. Julian Ralph, the well-known magazine writer and newspaper correspondent, writes of Mr. Barr as follows:
"You have read his short stories, of course, now gathered together in a book called 'The Face and the Mask.' If so, you remember 'The Bruiser's Courtship,' and 'The Typewritten Letter.' Everybody talks of them, and they are good, but the story that made me stand right up and bow to the man is that one in which he depicts the conditions on board a transatlantic liner that has a hold full of burning cotton. It is so clever that you scarcely believe it can be done, even after you have read it. You are made to share the interest of the passengers in a silly case of petty rivalry between two women, while, at the same time, you obtain a secret and startling knowledge that all the passengers are being carried along on top of a volcano that may belch at any instant. You draw an easy breath when a sister ship is hailed and stops her engines, as you think, to rescue your ship full of acquaintances.
"But, Heavens! She is in even a worse plight, and Death is astride her prow, also! Nobody knows all this but you and the officers of the two ships, and when both are rescued it all comes out—as nobody else ever would have thought of bringing it out—in the 'Ah, really; do tell!' sort of chatter of two frivolous persons who meet on the shore. Did you read the story? 1 really think there is more skill, more imagination, and more genius in that little trifle than in many a fat novel that has made a sensation in the last two years. * * *
"'the Midst of Alarms' is nothing but the story of a story-teller, a born story-teller, who comes swinging into your library with a head full of fun and lively spirits and good nature, blended with a very cunning knack at repartee and bright dialogue. You are never for an instant bored or sorry or ashamed that he came. You can introduce him to anyone, and he will roll up the curtain before his stage and set his characters moving through his charming comedy before the children are sent to bed, quite as fittingly as when the old man is alone in the library, cigar in hand, and feet upon a second chair."