The San Francisco call., 1906-10-21
Novel of Nowadays Has
Compelling Force.
By Edward F. cahIII.

= GORGE CARY EGGLESTON con-
tinues 70 interest. the reason
why 1 cannot tell. Blind Al
Ieys," described by himself as "a
novel OF nowadays" is on reflection
hotchpotch Of bald. disjointed chat
strung together on a bead roll of
rather commonplace happenings. Yet
you read and read. These common
things interest and sustain the reader.
Il Is bread and butter and not break
fast food or other outlandish variety
OF nourishment- In a word it is good.
merchantable stun in the class Of
STAPLES.
The author gives q curious and pre-
tentious preface, which 1 venture to
quote:
I do not hold myself responsible for
any Of the opinions put forward in this
~They are the opinions, not of the
author but Of the personages Of the
II the author has correctly reported
them. his responsibility is at an end"
This amuses. Why should the gen
tleman so Iaboriously shuck himself OF
responsibility for nothing in particu-
lar? These opinions which he re-
pudistes as no legitimate offspring OF
L -
Possibly the preface is attributable TO
Mr. Eggleston's imperfect sense of
humOr and in reply TO his disclaimer
# might be said that nobody cares a
continental imprecation about the
fatherhood Of these literary foundlings.
Wherever the responsibility may rest
g is cheering to notice that Mr.. Eggles-
ton writes like book and his people
= matter whose the responsibility
X like a book, as for. instance.
Stsnhe1d gave the desired assurance,
whereupon the young woman said:
Very well That's all. except that
Miss Inboden hopes your hard days
work has not overfatigued you"
Thank her for her kind soIicitude. /"
the young man answered. and please
say TO her that the work has interested
me more than anything else ever die.
I am full OF enthusiasm and eagerness
70 90 something for these people.
Good by"
aIr. EggIeston's stills do not impede
the interest Of his story. II is not
very clear how this interest is main
tanned. but II may be because our au-
thor IS so liberai-even extrava CANT
OF heroes. He has more heroes to the
square foot OF novel than anybody in
the game. One OF his heroes is an I'M
possible newspaper man-delightful be-
cause marvelous-Tho gives away ad-
fising might be easily worth $4,000 and
belonged to another man, we can set
an easy Measure for the finish OF Mr.
Exeleston's heroic journalist. This par
ticular hero IS q good deal OF a priE
end IS guilty OF the further offense
Of avowing with obvious gastronornic
pride his attachment to the button
mushroom. those goapy embalm4d vege-
tables that have made a sea voyage in
q bottle. The decent American turnip
would be ashamed 70 be found dead in
such company. Such fodder accom-
panied By ortolans is the stuff fo- heroes.
Obviously Mr.. Eggleston believes that
heroes should eat nothing but i'm
ported food. Yet am willing to wager
q small bet he never saw an ortolan
tn his life. Possibly he means reed
birds, which are a different thing, but
90 not sound so exotic as the foreign
ortolan. But what's the cdcs2 No
man pays the bill for a Barmecide
feast and Mr.. Eggleston is entitled TO
his well stuffed journalist.
Blind Alleys. Lothrop, Lee & Shep-
ard Company. Boston; price $l-50.)