The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-03

Mrs. Reynolds Produces a Ro-
nance That Is Worth the
Readinq-Jack London's In
depreciation of "The Call of
the Wild" a New Beast Story.

The Man with the Wooden Face - By
Mrs. Fred Reynolds. Fox Dumeld q
Co., publishers, New York For SAFE
by ST Paul Book and Stationery 20.
1t is very refreshing once in while
to read love story such as this.
There are fads for problem stories and
animal stories and Western stories, BIZ
the old-fashioned love story never goes
out of style and nothing can supersede
it for very long in the affection of the
reader The writer has never written
ANYTHING before that we know of, but
she has achieved instant success with
her first book, as this undoubtedly is.
The tale concerns a humble little music
teacher in London who, when she was
seventeen years old, was suddenly or
phaned and thrown upon her own re-
sources. She was pretty and tmld,
afraid of the world and afraid OF life
alone, but she took up her burden
bravely and music being her only ac-
complishment, she taught little chill
dren and lived in one room by herSelf
and made but few friends. For twenty
years she lived thus, until she grew old
at her work, but no less tim1d and
afraid. One of her hobbies was send
ing answers to the puzzles in the Lon
don papers and all those twenty years
she sent her answers regularly, but
never took prize until just before the
story opens, when she received what,
to her, was goodly sum Of money for
the solving of riddle. So, acting on
the advice of an old friend, she deter
mined to spend the money upon holi-
day-the first in twenty years She
searched the summer advertisement
columns of the papers and found one
from a spot in the Welsh mountains
which seemed within her means, and
a very beautiful place as well. So she
went. Here her love story with the
Man with the Wooden Face begins. He
happened to be going to the same place
at the same time and he and the little
teacher arrive in the coach together.
He is evidently a gentleman, but has
an eXpreSsionleSS countenance and the
little teacher names him to herself the
Man with the Wooden-F Face. She is
to stay three weeks and her joy in the
scenery, the rejuyenating influence of
the kind persons she meets and, above
all, of the love that grows in her heart
for the Man with the-Wooden-Face,
are very we'll told. There is pleasant
little company of very human people at
the inn, a jealous girl, meddling old
woman and the usual kind of humanity
gathered at most any summer place.
For the first time in all her life the lit
tie teacher is happy and in love. The
Man whit the Wooden Face is at
tracted by her simplicity and when he
rpallU 60Qc tell hpr q 1nUnc hnr hQ o1cn
tells her he cannot marry her, and begs
her to come to him anyway. 1t seems
that he has received title and estates
from an uncle on the condition that he
will never marry. The little teacher is
sorely tempted, for she loves him very
much, but she is wise too, and one
morning she is missing, leaving a note
for mine host, saying she has been
called home suddenly and asking that
her things be sent to her London adj
dress. Then the Man with the Wood
en-Face repents and realizes the part
he has played and starts for London.
The end is all that it should be, an heir
to the uncle who extracted the oath
from the Man-with- the Wooden Face
is dying and tells him that his uncle
left a paper releasing him from his
bond So he goes to the little teacher
and she forgives him and marries him.
1t is a most pathetic and beautiful little
story.
The Call of the WILDLY Jack London.
The Macmillan Company. publishers
New York. For sale by St Paul Book
and Stationery Co.
Jack London, whose rise has been
swift and sure, is already being called
Kipling Junior, by many of his adj
mlrers. With the background of the
snow and ice of the Klondike he has
written powerful story of a dog,
Buck, who is starting from his pleas
ant and civilized home in Southern
california, is kidnapped by bold, bad
man and sold for gold to prospectors
who want dogs in plenty for hauling
their sleds. Bucks retrogression is
powerfully told and has it's analogy
in humanity, and it is this thought
more between the lines than in them.
that makes the reader SILVER with
horror as he follows Buck back to his
savage state. An icy breeze bio .;
through these pages and the fierce
lie of the Klondike is well pictured.
Here are men and animals as nature
made them and without the trappings
of civilization. Though a strong book
and one that will establish more firm
ly yet Mr.. Londons reputation as a
Vlrlle writer, there is a heartaching
pathos in this book which makes the
reader glad to put it down and
thankful that his lot is not cast in
frozen lands where men and animals
forget everything in the struggle for
mere existence.