The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-08-02
BOOK RETZENnS IND NOTES OF RECENT PUBLICATZONS
PEOPLE OF. TIE W7IRLPOOL"
By the Aukhoy Of n Commuters WIte."

choice, do her own homework. The au-
thor of the present book does not preach
just this doctrine, or. in facr,~any doc
trine at all except the right of each
family TO live as comfortably as possible
on its means. and the duty of each in
dividual to live according to his means
and not those of somebody else. When
she makes Horace Bradford the young
college professor. meet the offer of his
prospective father-in-law with the man
ly refusal of aid for himself, she preach
ed a whole sermon in a few sentences.
This is the way in which warm hearted
neighbOr told the story:
sylvester thought he could handle
Bradford TO suit himself. move him to
New York, jam him into business, cut
up the farm in house lots, reorgan;ze his
affairs. and declare a dividend out of
him for his own benefit, as he does with
lame railroads.&c. not a bit of it,
With what you may choose TO do for
Sylvia personally, it would be selfish for
me to interfere; but our way of living
can only be planned upon the basis Of
what I earn said Horace, looking Mr..
A-oLnali4 Al NAiN AGNtg anu lAN > d DAS man
too-Sylvia gets her height from him.
II more young husbands and wives
would make UP their minds at the be-
ginning that their way of living can only
be planned on the basis of their honest
ly earned income, there would be fewer
harassed fathers-in-law about.
But though the teaching of the book
- II 20
end, it is anything but a dose of moral
health food. and its main interest is i'll
the charming and amusing types of ha-
mainly with which it is filled First and
foremost, eclipsing even Barbara in
their delightsomeness, are the twin
boys, Richard and Ian, the fve-year-
loves OF her heart. There is a picture
of the twain, evidently from a photo
graph. which will induce any lover of
children 10 read the book without more
ado, for two sweeter. more lovable lit
tie people have never been put into fic-
ton. This is a bit of the picture drawn
of them By their mother:
Richard has a clinging way even in
sleep, and his speech, though very di-
rect for his age. is soft and cooling; he
says mother in a lingering tone that
might belong to a girl. and there are
what are called feminine traits in him.
lam Ito save confusion we called hin.
from the first BY the pretty Scotch
equivalent OF Evans first name) is Of a
wholly masculine mold and like hi ;
father in light hair, gray eyes, and de-
termination. His very speech is quick
and staccato. his tendency is to over
come. 10 fight rather than assuage.
though he is the champion of every
thing he loves. From the time he could
form distinct sounds he has called me
Barbara. and no amount Of reasoning
will make him do otherwise. while his
imitation Of his fathers pronunciation
Of the word goes TO my heart
Recently, now that he is fully able
to comprehend. Evan took him quietly
on his knee and told him that he must
say mother and that he was not re-
spectful 10 me. He thought a few min
utes, as if reasoning with himself, ami
then the big gray eyes filled with tears.
a very rare occurrence, as he seemed to
feel that he could not yield. and he said.
trying very hard 10 steady his voice:
'Favver, truly cant, think it muvyer
inside, but you and I, we must say il
Barbara and I confess that my heart
leaped with JOY. and I begged Evan, to
let the matter end there. To be called. if
it so may be, by one name from the be-
ginning TO the end OF life by the only
true lovers that can never be rivals. IS
bliss enough for any woman"
This is only one OF many charming
little interludes in which the babies
figure. Then there is Lavinia Dorman.
the little old spinster. with her bird
like brightness and lutter: there is Mar
tin COrtTight. the staid bachelor predes-
tined from the beginning for Miss La
vinia. and reaching her by the devious
way OF many chapters and much bios
soming garden and orchard pathway,
there is the doctor, Barbara's father,
much vexed by the ways Of the whirl-
pool; and there are. last but not least,
Horace Bradford and Sylvia. the two
young folk who supply the love interest.
Bradford's mother is one OF the quaint
old ladies of our fiction. SyIvia's is one
Of the old ladies who are not quaint, and
would not be old il the secret OF Ponce
de Icons spring were anything but Il
myth. In this character the author has
suggested in a telling way the crime
which IS committed when fashion robs
motherhood OF one OF its old-time
boauties-the privilege OF forming a
background for radiant girlhood II is
an idea which needs attention. New
York: The Macmillan Company