The artistic descriptions of characters, places, and incidents; the fine observation, which detects what ordinary spectators either see inadequately or miss altogether; the delightful humor which pervades the whole; and the simple beauty of styleall these combine to render this story by Mr. Howells one of time most attractive ever published in America. This first attempt at fiction greatly increased his public of readers. There is really very little to the book ; two characters, Basil and Isabel, occupy the foreground, and are carefully and faithfully drawn ; they are relieved by a background of pleasing bits of American and Canadian scenery. Such a commonplace subject had never been treated in such an original manner before, and probably a similar attempt by any other author would result in a failure. Howell's first attempt at portraying the commonplaces in American life was eminently successful.