BRET HARTE'S STORIES OF THE OLD WEST

I was a bit sceptical when I picked up this collection of Bret Harte, feeling that he was sure to ""date"" and wondering how much interest there would be for young people today. At the end, I reversed my verdict; Bret Harte has a lasting quality, he is a first rate story teller, he has a warm emotional quality, and his stories are still basically our conception of the old west, in the days of rough mining camps, stage coaches, hold ups, gamblers, and adventure. The best known stories are there (The Luck of Roaring Camp, The Outcasts of Poker Flat, M'Liss, etc.) Fortunately, the editors have made no attempt tp ""pretty up"" the stories for refined consumption.