The Real Issue: A Book of Kansas Stories

by William Allen White

This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1897

About the author

William Allen White was a renowned American newspaper editor, politician, author, and leader of the Progressive movement. Between 1896 and his death, White became the iconic spokesman for middle America.

Reviews

[Perry Whitford]

In the title story a veteran congressman considers renomination after coming to the realisation that "it's all a hollow show."

'The Story of Aqua Pura' is the name given to the founders to a new town in Western Kansas. Initially there was 'an epidemic of hope in the air. Everyone breathed the contagion.' Then the drought comes all the mayor can breathe is the dust. 'A Story of the Highlands' is a similar take of dreams turned to ashes, this time for a cultured young housewife.

Two stories of young love. Piggy Pennington is 'The King of Boyville' whose childish outlook becomes disturbed when he meets 'his Heart's Desire.' In 'The Reading of the Riddle's Flora McCray is the shy and retiring girl who gets her first awakening of romance on a ride home 'while the Wizard of the dark worked his grotesque enchantment.'

Three pairs of stories. Tragedy involving a father and daughter; two melancholy episodes in the life of a emotionally cold clerk; and a brace of tales about an Ohioan couple who settle n Kansas and grow old together which have a sentimental slant to them.

Also of note is the penultimate story, a brief but effecting scene of a widower returning home with his second wife and reading the letters she had wrote for both him and his future wife for the occasion.

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