The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-11

behttingly enigmatical title that Mrs.
Deland has chosen for her four puz-
z!lng problem stOries-problems both
ethical and social3 of; vital and endur-
ing Importance. but so much things Of
every day that, in the world around
monplace. Mrs. Deland has clothed
them with particular and personal in
terest, and from her pages they ap-
peal anew. Problems they are, how
ever, and problems they remain, in
adequately answered, so far as the
Wisdom of Fools" is concerned,
perhaps seternallY unanswerable before
any other court
The first sketchS has fors the main
characters a man Of unusual force,
integrity, intelligence and spiritual
ity, and woman Of apparent appre-
citation. When they are about to be.
come man and wife William West,
drawn on by a certain fascination.
though against his better reason and
his own philosophy of life, tells Amy
Townsend that over twenty years be-
fore. as a college boy, he had forged
his benefactors name. In answer TO
her: Il never knew you" he pleads.
but it was not mot I, the man you
know. 1t was a boy. twenty-thr
years ago" The result-with the wom-
ans inevitable, and the question at
or duty to be silent? Was West
fool or a saint?" I'll be hanged if
I know" is the only answer vouch-
safed by the witness of the mans
life.
The second story, "The House Of
RimmOn," is the trying problem of
personal completely in the ''blood Of
just man" in sharing, even Indirectly,
the gold ground from the poor. 1t is
a tale Of strikes and starvation, wealth
and eXpediency, and one little weary
and unlearned woman sets herself to
answer her share in the bitter ques-
ton. Counting the Cost is the story
of girl of the people," the daughter
Of a gasftter. His love and pride
send his student daughter to an East
ern college, where learning and culture
add to her true womanliness, dignity
and grace She is loved by a youth Of
wealth and family. who is not ade-
Quate to the solving Of this particular
social problem. So the experiment is
finally summed up rather brutally, in
way by no means new His kind
will not marry YOU" and 81 will not
marry my kind
The fourth sketch has the most in it
of squalor. 1t is story Of
the just person sacrificed to the sin
ner-in this case a worthless, weak
girl of inherited evil tendencies, whose
physical life is saved at the cost Of
many just persons. that her soul may
have a chance for future eXistence-a
soul whose present existence, even. in
the hands of the author, is extremely
doubtful.
The four sketches, called in hopeful
bitterness '"The Wisdom of Fools" are
startling and disquieting: of convin-
cling reality the premises certainly are,
but the answers are left for the future
to reacfl--if it can.
('"The Wisdom of Fools" by Margaret De-
land Houghton, Mifflin & Co. SIPS. For
sale by the st. Paul Book and Stationery
company.)
"Sons and Fathers" is a decided and
agreeable surprise. No book could run
under a much heavier handicap than
this novel of Mr.. Edwards, prefaced.
as it is, by the prejudicial statement
that it has the honor of being "the
! prize mystery story" which brought
| $4,000 from the Chicago Record; but
no book could carry off handicap and
| prejudice together with greater ease.
Sons and Fathers is a story of the
| South-the South of the reconstruction
| period-a place and time well calcu-
| lated for the background to a story
! of mystery and tragedy. "The peculiar
institutions Of the South, it's wealth.
| its princely planters, and through ali
| lue ldHSle VI iONe, IOIIidHCS, tragedy
and family secrets! The war, the
freed slaves, the old regime-courtly
unchanged, impractical and helpless
this is the material Of which Mr. Ed
| wards has made good use and bent t.
| his desire.
We have hitherto connected the
name of Harry stillwelI Ed
stories and sketches that have
appeared in the magazines for num-
Der of years past, some as far back as
the eighties. These stories, among them