The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10
ALL MEN ARE LIARS"

When we find man whose cynacisn
embraces depreciation of woman's con-
stancy may we not infer that that man S
life has been embittered by an earlier cross
in his love of some woman? Is not
fitness a natural result of blighted affec
tions? AT, any rate these are the infer
ences that may be drawn from Joseph
Hocking's "All Men Are Liars"
A youth whose early training has been
nodded by the piety and religious influence
of an English country clergyman is sud-
denly, at his fathers death, thrown upon a
rich bachelor uncle, who fortified himself
against possible intrusion by securing
a neighbours son as a companion for his
nephew. Slowly but surely the uncle's
creed is impressed upon him; but he is
still confident that there is good and pur-
ity and truthfulness in the world, even
after his tutorage at college under man
who proclaimed religion an illusion of
superstition, enthusiasm foolish, hope al
ways Disappointing, mans honor a mere
matter OF price, woman's virtue a myth,
morality on the de cline, and life generally
failure, with still some human attraction
about it.
Then as if the warnings of his uncle had
been the truest prophecy, disillusionment
comes to Stephen Edgcombe when his
young married life is blasted by the deser-
ton OF his wife, who fees to her aristo-
cratic father at the first announcement of
the financial failure of the rich Jam manu-
facturer, whose wealth had been greater
motlve thar love IN her marriage to the
nephew.
Crushed and almost despairing, the
young London lawyer seeks his boyhood
companion, who has become a physician
IN poorer part of the great metropolis.
In one Of their visits to the low districts,
among the depraved and poverty stricken,
they rescue a little orphan girl from the
base influences of a drunken woman. The
child is taken to clearinghouse and given
the anne OF Hope, q significant indication
OF the young husbands fond dreams of the
reconciliation and restoration of his wife.
But the wife does not return. On we'll
concocted claim of infidelity she institutes
divorce proceedings, knowing that she will
meet with no opposition. Soon after the
divorce she marries her former husbands
old rival, and her avaricious father is sat
isfied.
The publicity of Luke Edgcombe's fail
ure, followed by his own malignment in
the divorce trial. makes Stephen Edg-
combe's name term Of reproach, and its
possessor suddenly disappears.
After fluitless inquiry and search Cor
y
emlnence, acts upon an anonymous note
in woman's handwriting and visits one
of the noisome, degraded resorts of vilest
London. There, at last, among the wreck
age of degenerate humanity he finds in the
wild-eyed, dissipated and notorious gam
bier his once manly and moral friend. 1t
is long fight to win him back to sobriety,
and it is only accomplished by severe
fever brought on by an attempt at suicide,
from which he is saved by little woman
who has given her life to rescue work in
the slums. She is Hope Hillyer, the res
cued child and the author of the anonv-
nous letters that were inspired by her
early conceived idealization of the man
who had made her new life possible.
Of course they are married, but not until
after Stephen Edgcombe recklessly imperils
his own life in attempting to save his
former wife and her drunken husband
from terrible DEATH
The revolution is complete, and from a
cruelty impressed belief in the pessimistic
and hopeless doctrine of his early school
ing in cynicism the reformed man comes
to view life without yellow spectacles and
returns to the possibilities of happiness
she saw in his boyhood. Published by
Roberts Bros, Boston. For sale by the
Popular Bookstore, 10 Post street. Price,
81 SOL