Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-07-26
BOOKS AND AUTHORS.
Continued from page 49,
Mt artifice. but it remained always the

cent artifice, but it remained always the
darkest secret between the sisters.
Then there is Old Lady Gordon, the
richest member of the community whose
house, a low. rambling structure of logs.
distinguished by its whitewash on the
outside well as inside. was the largest
and best kept in the village, who never
considered anything but her own wishes
DR.. Alexander, the kindest Of bluff spoken
men; his wife, one of the rare people who
are always ready to sleep when other peo-
pie are sleepy and to breakfast when
other people are hungry: Kitty Mills, who
when she found it impossible To please
her unreasonable and domineering father
in-law. who had been fosted on ~ nv
his heartless and unnatural children,
merely laughed and tried again wan un-
fiagging good nature; Tom Watson.
great, strong, passionate. undisciphned.
good-hearted giant, who had been
brought home after an accident; crushed
into a helpless hopeless paralytic; MS
wife Anne the "still-tongued' religious
enthusiast who, while regarding his aI-
Fiction as dispensation of providence
risked her soul by playing poker with him
because il was the only thing that inter
ested the stricken man. Miss Peftus, wFo
never tired of discoursing on the indivld-
uality of hens, the ject with which she
was best acquainted; Colonel Fielding.
the jaiior. tall, stately, clear-eyed, clean
and upright in heart, mind ana BODY,
who never thought of taking so much
trouble or of being SO mean and selfish as
to make any difference in the food sent
to the Jail and that which was served Oh
his own table. AlvaradO. The Terrible,
sometimes dashing into the village on his
fiery ysteed-'.unexpected, dazzling, fasci-
mating. bewildering-and out again like a
lightning fash" Lynn Gordon, the grand
son of the '.Old Lady, most simple
hearted as well as simpleminded with
| little vanity in his personal advantages,
and little pride in his inherited posses
sions, but with high aspirations, and ID
| love with. Doris Wendell, who had
"blossomed into early womanhood. beau
| tiful and sweet as a tall white flower.
But the character that stands out prom
inent and distinct among all the rest be-
cause of it's remarkable originality is the
mother of Doris Sidney Wendell was q
| familiar figure in the streets of the VII
! lage, with her long. free fearless step, hel
sunbonnet on the back of her head, a bal
of yarn under her arm. and her knitting
| needles flying as she walked. when shs
was, as she described il. 'out on the
,;ad' But she was no idle gossip. Shs
! provided for her husbands brother ane
| her three children by her wits. In othel
| words, she went from house to house re
/ failing bits of gossip, telling stories. Otter
of her own invention. and in otherwise
| amusing the simple country folks. an.
receiving in return the bountiful gifts o
| her hosts. There was not a grain o
malice in her frank shrewdness, and ad
versity'S sweet milk had been her drini
ever since she could remember. No on
ever asked Sidney questions about ne
own private affairs freely as everybod
questioned her about private matters
She was a peacemaker as well as fun
maker. and she was welcomed whereve
she went as one welcomes 3 strong. fres
breeze on a heavy day.
/ The book abouads in wild tales OF tn
terrific passion storms that swept Ken
tuczy during the early years OF its set