▁" the ▁pers istence ▁of ▁memory ... the ▁sounds ▁and ▁od ors ▁of ▁the ▁country ... and ▁Th ore au ' s ▁observation ▁that ▁the ▁' mass ▁of ▁men ▁lead ▁lives ▁of ▁quiet ▁des per ation .' " ▁ ▁A ▁bl end ▁of ▁nature ▁writing , ▁philosoph ic ▁mus ings , ▁and ▁careful ▁observation ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁and ▁place ▁of ▁" S ac ▁Pra irie ." ▁Of ▁this ▁work , ▁George ▁V uk el ich , ▁author ▁of ▁" N orth ▁Country ▁Not ebook ", ▁writes : ▁" Der le th ' s ▁Wal den ▁West ▁is ... the ▁equal ▁of ▁Sher wood ▁Anderson ' s ▁W ines burg , Oh io , ▁Thor nt on ▁W ilder ' s ▁Our ▁Town , ▁and ▁Ed gar ▁Lee ▁Masters ' ▁Spo on ▁River ▁Anth ology ." ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁eight ▁years ▁later ▁by ▁Return ▁to ▁Wal den ▁West , ▁a ▁work ▁of ▁similar ▁quality , ▁but ▁with ▁a ▁more ▁notice able ▁environmental ist ▁edge ▁to ▁the ▁writing , ▁notes ▁critic ▁Nor bert ▁B lei . ▁ ▁A ▁close ▁literary ▁relative ▁of ▁the ▁Sac ▁Pra irie ▁S aga ▁was ▁Der le th ' s ▁Wisconsin ▁S aga , ▁which ▁compr ises ▁several ▁historical ▁nov els . ▁ ▁Det ect ive ▁and ▁mystery ▁fiction ▁Det ect ive ▁fiction ▁represented ▁another ▁substantial ▁body ▁of ▁Der le th ' s ▁work . ▁Most ▁notable ▁among ▁this ▁work ▁was ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁ 7 0 ▁stories ▁in ▁affection ate ▁past iche ▁of ▁Sher lock ▁Hol mes , ▁whose