The San Francisco call., 1898-04-03

:: N.: HRS PEARL CRAIGIE, she of E. M jI the ugly pen name John Oli- ! .IAII= yer Hobbes," has turned over I " a new leaf. Her latest book.
 = ':The School for Saints," bears
 .. :..:* the marks of being the one of her works published thus far that will
 be. worthy of preservation and of re-
 reading. It is really an important vol tune. and tends to controvert the opin- " ion of those who hold that the lady's ability lies in one direction only-that
 of producing airy skits hitting off with
 more or less accuracy the foibles and
 fancies of modern society. "The School
 for Saints" comes within an ace of being a really great book, and this
 despite certain defects. It lacks coher-
 ence and plot. Indeed, one may say it
 possesses none of this latter in the sense of the French motif. There is sDL mitch introduced of that which is
 extraneous to the story that the reader
 finds himself turning back again and again to pick up the ends of the slim
 thread of narrative running through the book. It is but fair to say, how
 eyef; that retrospection often adds to
 his pleasure, compelling his attention to standardization of brilliant dialogue
 and. clever writing. Another fault to be..foHnd with Mrs. Craigie's work
 l1hough this may be a temporary one) |: IS that 1t reads too much like tract. : Mrs. Craigie is too recent a convert to Areng!on to force her views on all and
 sundry: As has been said before in these columns, the day of the story
 with a purpose is fast passing, and if our. nQvelists must write these, they Ehouid:see to 1t that their ideas do not
 stick out too obtrusively in their writ :ings::. Mrs. Craigie, it is pleasing to note, has travelled far since "The Gods, 'Sonia Mortals and Lord Wickenham,"
 and. 1t Is sincerely to be hoped that she
 will: give us more brilliant character drawing of the kind to be found in
 1.-The School for Saints"
 =. The. English papers are indulging In
 unearthly chortles of joy at the death
 struggles manifested by the Kailyard
 fictiQIists. MT. Barrie's mantle should indeed be a voluminous one, judging
 ty the. number of Scots writer bodies
 whose deficiencies it must needs cover. Tn ." Sentimental Tommy" for the greater piquancy of the thing, MT. Bar .rie brought his Scots to London. Now comes an individual with David Ly- "ala,s. Love Story" and does the self .saflla,. thing. One would think that the
 I6ndon Scots had their own quarter of
 tile city. like the Jews of old their l. Cihetto: for whenever a new character
 iS. kntrQduced Cat least once per chap :t57r| stfaightway a "Hoots! mon" or '.H Heclir Iaddie" betrays his nationality. SD. if you like undiluted Scots, you .:u:ilI find David LyalPs Love Story a
 readable thing; if you dislike the dia- feet; leave it alone. Which is what I 'pIlInose to do when it shall be re- >pglnted here.
 . It is. announced that Mark Twain is at Hast out of debt. This should be a ilaiter for congratulation to the person Ifiast concerned. It should, besides, taxry a lesson to those sneering cynics :NHe.have taken delight in growing over tbe financial downfall of one who has Contributed so much to the gayety of nations. To my mind there was some .thipg extremely pathetic in the spec .L&Gie or lnlS Olu LlaH, "loSe uSeIulHeSS
 as a writer may almost be said to be passed, striving in his declining years to compensate for eXtravagances com nlftted while yet youth, and correct eirig In his declining years errors arising largely from those characteristics which make men lovable. MT. Clemens has
 discharged the load of debt which the unfortunate collapse of the firm of
 NIessrs.. Charles L. Webster & Co. placed upon his shoulders or rather which he voluntarily took upon himself to. liQuidate. In the records of litera-
 tllre-I know of no parallel case, with : the. exception of the historical one of Sir. Walter Scott, nor do know of any thing quite equal to Mark Twain's