The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-07-14
About days ~ "
~ ~ Like These. =

/
| Just why Mr.. Edward w. Townsend
should have called his new novel Dave
Like These" Is not quite plain, even aftei
one mas read the quotation from Locksely
nan. which he puts on the title page
however. the name Is odd and attractive
ana Is probably as nearly germane 10 the
story as are those Of 50 per cent of the
DOCKS published in this strenuous age.
SO, on the whole, we should not com.
plain on account Of the title. especially as
the story itself makes M for all discrep.
oncies II Ia delightful tale, this one
by the author Of "Chlmmie Faddenr and
others Of that kind The name is the only
subtle thing about It. II is strong and
simple throughout stronger perhans he.
cause II Ia simple-and II takes an great
aaaed charm because II Is so thoroughly
American. Mr.. Townsend should he com.
"senaed for this feature, even though he
49, w mediocre story, which he does
not The book fairly scIntiuates with
Ame''cahism II Is not intolerant by any
uleshs' snd more than one Of the several
l@e'sners tod about are quite delightful
pV"p'e' rms however, Is only a detail The
piir~lpsi characters are Americans and
e'efFth'ng about them Is American. The
au'nor even goes SO far as To devote an en-
t.'e enapter to making one Of his people
my "eaihy sister Of his hero--promise
,hat her vast riches and her Influence and
hef energies shan all be directed toward
tne tpii and complete development Of Amer
"an aft ahQ literature and all that goes
Win them. The American atmosphere. this
'oi'E ana apparently genuine faith I'm every
'nlhg and everybody American. IL partic-
ularly refreshing after the food of stun
through which even many Of the writer's Of
our own beloved land crook the pregnant
hinges of the knee" either to the end that
foreign dollars max follow tawnlng." or
simply in order to be fashionable.
~
pays Like These" has for its prlncipal
female character a fine young woman
named Rose Cayendlsh. she is born and
reared in poverty, and when MFR. Townsend
discovers her 70 us she Is employed as a
cloak model in a big department store In
New York City She lives with her mother
at the home--if two on three tiny rooms
in seedy tenement may be called a home
Of an honest Irish family named Cassidy
tly Is Mrs. Cassidy, the widow with pen
chant for nights and dear dead poets.
whose delightful misquotine Of well-known
authors has already been told about IN The
foSt The family consists OF three boys
Michael the elder and the hyphenated
twins, Tim. Huehey
To Rose Caveudish and to this home
then, comes Horace Maxwell. n young New
Va Ia ftb
Of Mrs cavendsh from whom she has be
come estranged as result of her girlhopd
marriage, has died, leaving fortune TO
his sister. Were II not for the manner In
which Mr.. Townsend handles the matter
the making and the leaving Of this for
tunp--an immense one which pnys some
thing over s50o,oOo year might appear
a trlAe unreal. Under the authors skillrnl
touch, however, there is not even a sug
gestien Of anything that is not wholly nat
ural and consistent.
Gradually and in such manner as 10
keep the minds Of his clients In the mos,
tranquil condition possible, Maxwell moves
Mrs Cavendish and her daughter from
their Hickory street lodgings 10 quietly
elegant hotel on Fifth avenue There for
the first time they begin to get an adequate
idea Of their wealth With INFINITE tact
and good judgment Maxwell helps them
to become accustomed 10 the new order Of
things. He is much gratihed and relieved.
incidentally, to find that they accept his
suggestions readily and that both Of them,
especially the daughter, make wonderful
progress
The reader must have guessed long ere
this that Rose Cavcndisn Is beautiful. she
could hardly have been such a heroine as
she proves herself 10 he were she not nos
sessed Of great beauty. One Of the most
prominent of her physical charms Is "a
bushel Of black hnir" which Maxwell re-
marks upon, 10 himself, on the occasion
Of his drst visit, and which is referred 10
more than once during the progress of the
story. She continues TO improve in every
way under the decately Implied sugges-
tions Of Maxwell and under the careful
and tsctful tutelage Of Mrs. Polly Foster.
o thoroughly delicious blonde parsonage
who, In their days of childhood was Max
wells little sweetheart and who is now,
With her husband, Peter Foster, and her
grown son, Peter Foster, Jr otherwise
known as Petite" his most devoted friend
The Fosters are not rich and when Max
wei! points out the needs Of the Caven-
dish women and starts to convince Mrs
Tester that she viii be doing herself no
harm and them a great deal OF good by
devoting her time TO them for a considera
tion of 5000 per year, she accepts the
trust She takes them 70 Europe and by |
her indnIte tsot and her unbounded clever
ness and common sense, soon succeeds In !
thoroughly fitting them for the new world |
they are 10 occupy.
In the meantime, Of course all sorts NJ
men nave all sorts Of designs on Roses |
fortune. There is one Arthur Lansing, a
broken down society man, who makes q
convenient 10 travel as nearly with thd
Cavendish party as possibis there is an
Eaglish duke, Of whom II may be said, lest
the reader become prejudleed against him,
that ne hnaiy proves himself thoroughly |
pyst rate chap; there Is MIR, Hermann Van |
Ness. a brother Il Mrs Foster, who is liv'
,ug IN Germany; and there are two Ger
man mobiles. college mates Of his, who, with |
him. Law desperate selge 20 The heart and |
hand Of Miss Cavendlsh and become In
VOWED In inpumersbie duels with each |
o,her in the doing Of t. OF course none
Of these are successful. Mrs. Foster takes
good care Of her charge and her charge |
A.. faA