‘Smiles’, A Rose of the Cumberlands
By Eliot H. Robinson
The man came to a stop, a look of humiliation and deep self-disgust on his bronzed face. With methodical care he leaned his rifle against the seamed trunk of a forest patriarch and drew the sleeve of his hunting shirt across his forehead, now glistening with beads of sweat; then, and not until then, did he relieve his injured feelings by giving voice to a short but soul-satisfying expletive.
At the sound of his deep voice the dog, which had, panting, dropped at his feet after a wild, purposeless dash through the underbrush, looked up with bright eyes whose expression conveyed both worship and a question, and, as the man bent and stroked his wiry coat, rustled the pine needles with his stubby tail.
The picture held no other animate creatures, and no other sound disturbed the silence of the woods.
By the hunter’s serviceable nickeled timepiece the afternoon was not spent, but the sun was already swinging low over the western mountaintop, and its slanting rays, as they filtered through the leafy network overhead, had begun to take on the richer gold of early evening, and the thick forest foliage of oddly intermingled oak and pine, beech and poplar, was assuming deeper, more velvety tones. There was solemn beauty in the scene; but, for the moment, the man was out of tune with the vibrant color harmonies, and he frankly stated the reason in his next words, which were addressed to his unlovely canine companion, whose sagacity more than compensated for his appealing homeliness.
“Mike, we’re lost!”
Genre: Fiction And Literature | Romance Books
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Eliot H. Robinson
Eliot H. Robinson, an author with a profound connection to the American South, carved a niche for himself in the annals of literary history with his evocative portrayals of early 20th-century rural life.
Biography.
His seminal work, ‘Smiles’: A Rose of the Cumberlands (1919), stands as a testament to his ability to weave narrative and landscape into a compelling tapestry, one that offers readers an intimate glimpse into the Appalachian lifestyle. Robinson’s narrative style, characterized by its warmth and a keen eye for detail, has endeared him to a readership that appreciates authenticity and depth in regional storytelling. Within the pages of ‘Smiles,’ readers find a blend of romance, hardship, and the indefatigable human spirit, elements that define much of Robinson’s literary output. Although his bibliography may not be extensive, the cultural impact of his work persists, offering insights into a bygone era through eloquent prose that captures the intricacies of human relationships set against the backdrop of the rugged Cumberland landscape.
His contribution to American literature continues to be recognized for its cultural significance and its heartfelt exploration of commonplace themes in extraordinary settings.
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Eliot H. Robinson
