The San Francisco call., 1906-10-07

2L-1LNHAOA " - CAJ-h Gulll-
~ Yates a nimble wit of the touch
and 60 sort His Midsummer
LAY Dream is slight in con-
st-uction, but brilliantly sustained II
is, In fact an airy nothing" carried on
the wings OF witty dialogue.
The story is concerned with the llu-
mOrs of private taeatricals-the out
door sOrt-complicated by the eccen-
tricities OF a wilderness in which the
oramatis personae get lost and have
pretty adventures without blight OF
chaperon-nO scandal, mind you, OF
only the faintest breath.
TO be sure, the thing is mostly non
sense. but il is well done, as for in
stance:
Lady Cynthia, do remember me- he
pleaded Cant you recall an objec-
Jionabie person with swelled head
who stayed with you ten years ago-is
81 ten years. Lady Fallowfield 2-and
who was Of opinion that the world was
made for him. and that his opinions
were made for the world2 Oh, 1 can
see myself so well then, Lady Fallow-
heldi ] was 25, and folly. And there
was certain little girl who escorted
teOusiy IN the OLD square pew"
Lady CEnthia's face Lighted up. oh.
yes. J do remember you quite we'll.
And you fell asleep. and L was afraid
you-you would disturb the
1t was very hot" said Bannatyne
reproachfuIly You might have made
allowances for that And when you
say YOU We're afraid I'd disturb-of
course you mean Wake-the other Wor-
shippers, you are insinuating that I
Lady Cynthia blushed. NO wasn't.
Mr.. Bannatyne. really. ] remember only
being afraid you would snore."
You might have trusted to my dis
cretiOn, he said. and regarded her
with the eTer interest his usual eN-
preston.
The book is froth OF highly SO.
pbisticated society doing time in an
English country house In one way it
calls to mind the story of the Irish
car driver who was asked by some
tourists the question:
What is the staple occupation Of the
people OF these parts, my good man"
The jarvey scratched his head for a
minute and then VentUred:
"Humbuggin. yer honor"
No. no. my good man, that's not
what I mean. What is the serious 0c-
cupstion Of their lives2"
Fox huntin'. yer homer.
So il seems with afr. Watson's gilt
terinE folk. They spend their lives in
humbugging and sport
Mr Watson writes well. The dedica-
tion that he has written TO his wife is a
very notable purple patch, and perhaps
gives as good an idea OF the scope Of
the story as may be needful. This il is:
You and I. my dear have often wan
oered in Already and have lost our way
in forests mysterious. We have both
had midsummer madness under the
Dlenilune. and have smiled and 5ested
and shed tears over the march OF hu-
NAN Gnciuding our own fortunes. The
aonllraBle gift OF laughter ObViates so
many tragedies, and 10 live in fairy
tale ls the best that poor human nature
NAV ask think and re4eice that
we arc both incurabiy romantic. and
even at the end OF a long day (should
hat Doe granted u.s. shall still have
faith and see beauty in the disposition
oi the world. For 10 be q hereto of
romance rs 10 be old indeed nay. to
laVe outiiNed ones proper term Of life
This is such stuff as dreams are made
-, yet ] hope 81 faithfully ma terializes
life. as mirrored in a dream lightly
ane ordered by happy accidents. In
those bays Of the Wilderness have we
NOT often walked. and shall we not walk
gain Ia sunlight and in shadow? SO
that this stands in your name who have