The San Francisco call., 1904-03-20

demands action, action and more ac-
ticn. Mrs Cotes' delicate steel etching
of quiet provincial life will have little
appeal The reader who subsists upon
Zenda stories. Graustark and Haddon
Hall romances Will not abide The In4-
perialist."
Mrs. Cotes latest work OF fiction
aims to do for a raw little town III
Ontario what Margaret Deland has
wrought for that rare old Chester-to
project upon the screen of a simple
plot delicately lined picture of the
plain folk who find their lives encom-
passed by the narrow limits of pro-
vnciaI community and who are
brought thereby into the primitive as
sociation Of neighoors and townspeople.
Each Of the town WORTHLESS. the editor,
the dominic or the church, the pros
porous and hard-headed merchant, are
made to express their views upon the
world in general With the quaint pro-
Nincialism that is theirs. The world
through their spectacles is very
amusing world. but comfortable one
withal
At the outset OF the story the reader
IL introduced into the home of the
Murchisons. canny, Cod fearing people,
liberal in everything but their faith,
and meeting life with a smile and "a
wise saw. Mother Murchison, who IS
at one minute worried over her tomat
chOw-chOw and at another wondering
how Dr. Drummond gets the material
for his sermons. is by far the most
lvv2bie mother that has come to US
out of the pages of book for many
day. John Murchison. the father. is
not yet long enough out of Scotland t.
make any leading statements withou.
their saving qualification
OF this family is LorEe Murchison.
After graduating with his B. L., Lorne
becomes q lawyer and politician with
the inperialistie propaganda OF the
English statesman Wallingham as his
hobby. A trip to England only con
firms his belief in the absolute neces-
sity for pan British Zollverein and
he returns to throw himself impetu-
ously into the contest for q seat in tn
Canadian House of Parliament Witl-
equal imDetuosity he throws himse
into the vain pursuit OF the terder pas
sion. But by both the politicians AMI
the object Of his affections he is coz
ened into defeat and the story ends
with Lorae Murchison a sadder ard
Il wiser man. both in love and politics.
The plot is not much. Though Mrs.
Cotes must have made an exhaustive
excursion into government reports and
editorial files to build UP the arguments
of~her imperialist il must be confessed
that the reader is not to be blamed for
slipping over the lengthy passages
about tariffs and fiscal policies-AIr.
Chamberlain Of England might see his
likeness in Wallingham-and getting
down to the real meat in the story
That lies solely in the very GeIiShtfui
portraits Mrs. Cotes draws. Hugh Fin
lay, the strong Willed almost fanaticaI
preacher who sWerVes not a lot from
his old Covenanter's sense OF absolute
duty. is new and powerful character
in fiction. DR.. Drummond the DuIpit
orator whose code may permit of a
little liberal Interpretation between
Sundays; Advena, the mystic and the
dreamer, and again motherly. quaint
Mrs Murchison-these types, delicateIy
drawn. shaded artistically with a deft
sympathetic touch, make The Inpe-
rialist" what it is: a quiet. quaint story
in gray tones.
Cd. Appleton & Co. New York: illus
trated; price 81 SOD