Surly Tim (and other stories)

Book excerpt: While the eight short stories which are bound together under the title of "Surly Tim' and Other Stories," take in a wide range of subjects, while the characters are distinct and the individuals unlike, there is still a singular oneness in the artistic motive of them all, which gives to them a strong but subtle resemblance, and stamps them as the product of the same mind. "Surly Tim" is one of the most touching and powerful short stories ever to be read, but other stories like "Esmeralda," "Lodusky," " Le Monsieur de la Petite Dame," etc., show a literary power as varied in scene as it is remarkable in quality.