The San Francisco call., 1898-07-24
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 rEU BOOKS ON 6HE TPBGE. &
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putting his judgment, no matter no" o m mature she may think 1t. Nothing Is uohe without his consent, and his oruel ,g Gl wishes as the case may be, are id ggI1etbbts tbay observed to the letter; ana should they happen to result disastrously no coli- plaint is made to him by those in ms charge. But what the relatives; I1ehos and neighbors say is quite another ma !- ter. They are not sparing. either III taeI praise or their condemnation Ana woe Detide the head of the family wh0 comes in for the latter, no matter no" illlle Ae may be to blame.
 The complications arising out of such a system with the great variety or J LenGh character and the most picturesque paSN 5- ground In the world have given Daudst all that he could ask. And he mas lhhuc the most Of it. He has give4 us gimpses into the grand salons of the great anu shown us the lowly homes or the pGoi. p,J And all without eXaggeratlon or siltvltiis for effect Taken on the whole, though, the book Is trfie sad. That IS, -heFS IS more shadow than sunshine. But LheH the sunshine is so bright 1t seems Ilke d gleam from Paradise and the shauoM , .ooiiT .ii not so awful dark. Daudet haS reailE h held up for US the mirror on "hlcn ie saw the reflection of life
 All through the book Daudet has define ated the most perfect pictures III all tlltil true colors Ii has even put the Sehti- ment into them. In the beginning ne tel!s how Victor Eudeline. manufactuIeI' totternG on the verge Of ruin, comes to the directors of a certain scnooi lo no, a9n for a continuation of his credit m oIueI th&t his two sons may continue tHtlL stu&ies. He reaches the lower ofncer put the directors are busy and he must wat. With q few touches Daudet describes lhlS most forclbly Without saying 50 Ill so many words he tells all there IS 10 tell even to the hour of the day. How pi5Iln p!t5d.. it all Is before us when we read oI over an hour he had been sltuhg on comfortless box seat in the long, narrow ante-chamber of the Lycee Charlema8ne; with it's floors of dull, worn brlcKS, i ailG walls almost hidden by great ge0loglcaI charts The late spring day was drawing to close, and out through the Wlndo"s he could see the long lines of gas4gntS on the different floors rising round the gloomy courtyard, which had Tor HiIl more than one splendid memory
 AS it turns out in the story, even after Victor Eudeline did see the directors they did not grant his wish. His nnanclai con Q.tion was beginning to be understood; No more credit was the verdict Ihe old man then turned home almost broken hearted. and on his arrival there recelVed a summons to appear before certaih court to give an accounting for certain transaction. This lie knew meant ruin for himself and disgrace for his sons ana daughter. As heau of the family thls Wds & more than he could bear, so after WIlling letters to certain old friends tellIh~ them of his intention he calmly walked out ana committed suicide in canal. ills WlLe had accompanied h!N when he frst left lG. ing to do and ordered her to go back to the children. She obeyed. He drowned himself. And 1 went home just because he told me to-" she afterward said in eX- planatIon to friends who had asked her why she allowed him to comma the terri ble deed
 This tragic death of his parent, makes the oldest son, Raymond, the head ot the l, family The poor boy is only, b, and al though he fully appreciates his, position 6I,l he takes up his duties cheerfu!ly% me fathers death, by queer combination or circumstances. puts the family in bet ter position financially than they, were before, and also gains the friendship of certain influential people
 Raymond goes back to school, but his responsibilities press upon him He IS looked upon as a man and pointed to en- viously as the "head of a family" He wishes to study, but cannot Formerly he was the head of the class; now he can not keep up with his studies. He drops behind. Problems of all kinds confront him. and he is expected to have the judg- ment of man of mature years. He loses sleep. he breaks down in health and worry and care weaken his nature. Be ing the head of the family is too much for him. but he does his best, and before he has reached his eighteenth year has passed through more trying ordeals than