The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-10

- seemed to touch almost every
n fantastic and highly magma
had the tale Of adventure on
land and sea- and problem
that the ingenuity of the American
mind can conceive. After all this in
tense struggle for that which is start
ling and unnatural it is pleasure to
find so pure and so pleasing a story
of simple, healthy, normal life as is set
forth in Marion Foster Washburnes
"A Little Fountain of Life" recently
published by Rand, McNally & Co.
The plot is new and immensely inter
esting- Marie Osgood, a beautiful
young girl, has the misfortune to be the
daughter of parents Whos in the phe-
nomenal growth of Chicago, became
wealthy and able to live much more
pretentiously than their culture war
lions are checked. plan after plan,
cOncocted in long night watches and
laid before her father with trembling
diplomacy, met with the same OPPOSE
ton. He saw plainly his own unfit
ness for the social world. and even to
please his daughter, of whom he was
undeniably fond, he could not be pre-
vailed upon to parade his deficiencies.
To him her social opportunity was a
matter of no Importance and he refus-
ed her requests as, in her younger days,
he would have refused an extra supply
OF candy. ,a.,,.,o.
the girl was at first something of
success. She was too pretty, TOO lhoI-
fensive, and too rich to fail utterly.
Many a youth meeting her at SOue
gathering where she was almost al
ways in the charge of a friends moth
er instead of her own-for upon Mrs
Osgood's evening compromising M[.
OsgOod laid heavy claims-many a
youth dreamt afterward of her fair
and delicate face, and longed to see II
again. A few even progressed so rar as
to win from her, with unexpected ease
an invitation to call
Two years after Marie left boarding
school found her languishing. DOCTORS
were consulted to no avail she seeIned
destined to pass into that chronic state
of nothing is the matter, yet 1 am not
strong" when Doctor Avery was called
A glance at the girl, a moment spent IN
surveying the books on the table, the
decorations on the wall, and the pillows
against which Marie repoSed, ana the
doctor had diagnosed the case Harm
less powders and plenty or exercise
failed. The father was called TO tne
doctors office The treatment from that
time on was changed. Il am proposing
q course of treatment" said he, that
shall be as much educatiye as neolSI-
nal I am proposing to dip her, by de-
grees and yet as fast as she is able TO
bear it, into the strong currents OF lie
and emotion-yeS, and of Work-Wnlch
keep US all alive and active sent Tor
you because, if do this, it will re-
require a great deal of time, and good
many procedures not usual with physl-
clans I wanted to talk the whole mat
ter over with you candidly, and enlist
your cooperation. For you understand
that in a matter like this 1 must have
a free hand, and the entire confidence
of my patients family"
Mrs. Wasnburne has shown that she
can portray life. Her characters are
bold and clean cut. Late fiction contains
no more delightful heroine than Marie |
Osgood, and the optimistically ph1los- |
phicaI Miss 'UmphrieS can not fail to !
remind one of Mrs. Wigs. The dfa- /
ioEue in which the book abOundS IS |
cheerful vivacious, and witty, at the !
same time always natural, and Miss |
'Umphries' philosophy is particularly |
fresh and inspiring. What is dirt, any
way" says she but things in the
wrong place? Earth, for instance, that
ought to be wove full of roots and fas-
tened down solid, not tending to buSl-
ness but floating around promlscuous,
and then, when it IS tired OF doing moth |
ing, just dropping down anywhere, not
minding what it spells. And TO nave
country feelings and longings when |
work is dirt-because they're good feel !
ton in which the book aboundS, the
witty dialogue which sprinkles almost
every page, the character which devel- |
OPS in the heroine. the work she did in |
helping the unfortunate in a great city, 1
her own romance, and the finding of 4
her place in the world combine to form
a story that is as pleasing as it is un-
usual.