New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-10-14

in color Emo PIP viii, 557 Dodd Mead & Co
kENEI-M In DESIRE. BY Hughes Cornell l2mo,
pp- vii, SsS Little Brown q Co.
nan nlbIy ,I5lo By Alice Prescott Smith With
As is his custom. Nj whiteng mingIes a deal
o. social philosophy with his story in Ring in
The New Those who prefer their fiction
plain" will probably neither enjoy the tale nor
appreciate its message. Those. on the other
hand, who are interested in the working ont
o. such present and pressing problems as the
i2bor question, for example viii derive both in
sfGction and entertainment from the book II
'e-Is Lhe experiences of a middle class English
KIN ID her efforts 10 earn a living in London,
WIN no qualifications other than restless am
hlllen and q high school education. She comes
~ contact with many interesting individuals
both men and women, represen tative of the diff
ierent strata OF society through which she sinks
ana rises Some OF them help her others re- !
l@f- her' and some, as her views of life enlarge
sac Is able 10 help il turn The element Of
romance, although not strongly emphasized is
contributed by the attachment that springs I'D
oetWeen her and young journalist who seeks |
10 arouse the British public TO a sense Of its
shortcomings by the accurate reporting of the !
daily life Of one corner Of the London sIums
With subtle skill the author leads his heroine to
one after another Of The Wanted panaceas for
social ills, only TO find each one wanting in
some essential particular. Yet the tone of the
volume IS optimistic, even if MI Whiteing is /
aale 70 propose no better remedy than the ele-
walton Of democracy from a doctrine to a re-
Agion-a long look ahead Whether we are
ready 10 accept has new gospel or not there is
intellectual enjoyment to be had from his set
ting forth Of il.
Apostles Of modern progress viii find little
10 comfort them in Mrs. FeIkins latest novel.
Her story OF the married life Of Isabel Carnaby
breaches the good. old-fashioned doctrine that
wives should be subject TO their husbands under
any and all circumstances The moral Is point
&C primarily in the case Of the heroine. who
seeks 70 guide her husbands political career,
and is fortified by the experiences OF two other
pairs OF lovers, whose affairs assume almost
equal importance il the narrative Incidentally,
The author engages in q defence of ritualistic
practices IL The Church Of England. The ma
ohinery Of the plot is familiar and as OBJ
v.ous the tricks Of Clown and Pantaloon
in the pautor-ne and is quite as ridiculous
IN her effort 10 give q spice of character TO \
estinable Christian ladies, Mrs. FeIkin de-
sends frankly TO burIesque, and, with lamenta-
ble poverty Of invention, makes the same brand
Of conversation 90 for both. Nevertheless, the
story Is written II so viyacious a strain, and
is punctuated by so many clever turns of speech
and ingenious. II superficial, twists Of thought
that II is successful IN its aim TO amuse. if not
in its mission 70 convert Its gay and sprightly
tone may make the book welcomed in quarters
where Il viii prove corrective Of the poisonous
philosophy perYading a large section OF the
popular fiction and drama Of the day
''Keuelrn's Desire Is the punning title of a
Pacific Coast romance, written by a California
woman. Desire is, IN fact, the name Of an
American girl, who is wanted and wooed by z
fuu-blooded Alaska Indian, the son Of a chief.
but adopted and brought up in a family Of re-
spectacle whites and half-breeds in q British
Columbia seaport IN his endeavor to overcome
racial prejudice and family opposition, Kenelm
proves his superiority, not only over his own
people, but over his white neghbors as well, by
becoming the leading lawyer OF his district and
securing an election TO the Provincial Pariia-
rnent WIthal certain persisting inherited traits
OF reserve, dignity, pride and strict Observance
Of his given word tend TO make his cOurtship a
long one The author Is evidently writing Of
familiar types and territory, and so is able TO
make them interesting TO others, in spite Of her
c-udities Of style and construction. She is best
IN the sidelig4lts that she throws the very
much mixed social conditions in the Northwest
town where most Of the action takes place, and
IN her descriptions Of canoeing and other out