The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-13
THE SUN. WEDNESDAY. MAY 10. 1908.
NEW hooks.
Something worth the Readers while.

Excellent is tho opening part OF Mr.
Quiller-Couch's story "The Adventures OF
Harry Revel" Charles Scribner's Sons)
Here is not only careful, but, furthermore
an effective and delightful literary per-
Torrance. II reminds us Of the best things
that have been. We shall remember wildly
the Genevan Hospital by Plymouth Dock
at the time when Bonaparte was an enemy
Of the English and when Wellington and
Napier were In the Peninsula We shall
remember the press gangs and the preda.
tory work Of the soldiers. We shall re.
member particularly Miss Plnlimmon
gentle soul, who was good friend to ouI
founding hero, Harry Revel. an my
native Wales" said Miss Plinimmon to
Harry. "the wild sheep leap from rock to
rock 40 much as matter Of course that you
would. in time. be surprised il they didn't
And this" she added, with that desire ia
inculcate lesson which marks the serious
from the frivolous. naturally gives me a
sympathy with all that is sublime on the
one hand or piteous on the other"
II is not concealed from us that Miss
Pinlimmon was poignantly hurt when
Mr.. Scougall. "a lean, strident man." and
founder and head Of the Genevan Hospital.
married the well-to-do widow ofa Plymouth
publican. The bride on her wedding morn
ing provided for the foundlings an unusual
and astonishing breakfast. including ham
and eggs, cold veal pies, gooseoerry pre-
serves and Strawberries with clotted cream.
1nasmuch az the foundlings had never in
their lives tasted Strawberries and cream,
it may he judged, the author re-
marks, whether they ate with prudence.
The effect upon our hero was that he fell
asleep at the ceremony and climbed, in a
somnambulistic state. to tho apex of the
church steeple, whereupon he was appren-
ticed as a chimney sweep, it being Judged
from this performance that his talents
peculiarly fitted him for such business.
The specious pleasures of this memorable
breakfast were quite lost however, upon
Miss Pinlimmon. She affected, indeed,
cheerful appearance az she marshaled and
led forth the foundlings. gorged and tor
pid from the wedding feast to the still
more solemn observances n the sanctuary
The author overlooks neither the actual
state Of her feelings nor the semblance
that she considered it her duty to take on
He records:
"Her eyes were rcd-rimmed as she cast
them toward the window behind which Mr..
Scougall, no doubt. was at that moment
arraying himself. but she commanded
firm step, and even a firm voice to remark
outside the wicket, as she looked up at the
chimney pots, that Nature had put on her
fairest garb."
There is another matter in this charming
part of the story which we must not over
look. Miss Plinlimnon kept an album
in which il was her habit to treat metrically
such themes as particularly interested her.
On one occasion baited bull broke from
his fas,enings and chased and slightly
gored Sergt I4etcher of the North Willis
Regiment Miss Plinlimmon copied from
her album and sent to the young hero, at
that time chimney sweep in the employ
OF Mr.. Trapp. poem which this exciting
incident inspired Here it is, and We are
mistaken in the reader if it does not afford
him joy;
10, a. he strides his native scene,
The bull how dGnhed his mien!
When tethercd. otherSlse'
Yet one his tether broke and ran
Aftor a military man
before these very eyes.
The story takes on a very powerful dra-
matte interest az we come to the murder
of the Jew. Rodriguez, discovered by our
hero as he dropped out of chimney in the
gray OF summer morning, and later to
the ingenious punishment visited upon the
murderer. in part in Cornwall where he
posed as a minister of the Church. and fin
ally in Spain, where the British army was
at that time fighting.
We cannot account for certain lapses In
the conduct and interest and good taste of
the story. After the murder Of the jew
the account of the funeral Of Bill, a character
at once dead and quite incidental, seems
to us unduly prolonged, and the humor Of
it is considerably too gross and too clumsy
for our liking. Goodness knows, again.
why the very charming heroine should have
been taken off and that, too. in mere line,
by proclamation and behind the scenes,
in the formal and absurd manner Of an old
tragedy
Upon these matters, however, we cannot
find it in tbs to insist. 1t is the best story
OF Mr.. CUTLER COUGHS that we have seen,
and that is saying good deal. 1t is al
together one Of the most interesting and
vigorous stories that We have read in a
long time.