The San Francisco call., 1906-07-01
READING
FOR SUMNER DAYS

+. " in some summer mood OF desire
I for a bit of nice. cool, leisurely restfui
reading that viii, just for the changes
own sweet sake, pleasantly release you
from the usual run OF stories that are
throbbingly warm with love passion,
-strenuously stirring up with bloody ad
venture. robbfng you OF summer rest
by the problem subjects that the pages
make stare at you like big impertinent-
iy -insistent interro CATION points, and
so. literary. that they bore you with
their very brilliance and make YOU
long 20 get clear away into the woods
and hay fields and pastures and listen
/ 10 simply but kindly told news about
simple and kindly people then get you
the new novel. "Restdale." by Julia.
Eliza Shetland
II is difficult TO describe to you the
p peculiar charm OF the book. IL is like
getting long letters from your aunt
out in the country, the charming g
/ seclusion OF whose home has helped
70 mold her personality into harmony
with its quietude, a woman who, while
educated. intelligent and intensely in.
terested in the things of mind and
heart, ma kes no literary pretense
whatsoever while she is writing ever
so wisely about life and love. So
simple is the story IN this way. so abb
s1t4LAF = A44E cDStiACC VI ADc 4SdEl
stra!ning 70 get literary effects that
10 say, Why, this woman has no busi-
ness trying 70 write a book at all.
She's evidently q nice, sweet lady and
educated and all that, but she isn't
literary q little bit II she wants to
write about love and life. why. just
let her amuse. herself writing letters
10 her intimate friends who will be
pleased 10 read them just because they
know she's nice. but as for venturing
to make a book, Oh my, IL takes real
. authors and real editors TO do that:
and this lady, why. she's just like my
aunt who lives out on the little coun-
try farm and tends TO the chickens
and ffie garden. and her book isn't a
bit better than the letters she writes
70 me personally and which I read
with absorbing interest Just because
! happen TO like my aunt and to like
and love the people. young and old,
that she likes and writes TO me about,
but for books! Gee. That's another
question"
Neverthless. provided. as said
above. you wish a restful change from
the; literary way and manner Of what
fs quite. e&tollable reading at all times
when you are not deliberately desirous
Of a change OF to something that
while excellently literary in its own
peculiar way, is yet composed with all
the charming simplicity Of the letters
of some intelligent. warrn-hearted
country cousin who never dreamed of
writing a book, then let Julia Eliza
Shetland carry you there in fmaRina-
tion as you leisurely read about the
farm and farm life at "RestdaIe." For
all 1 know the author of this simply
told story may be some elaborately
trained literary person who could
write the other way-w1th most bril-
liant literary scintillation and erudite
unsimplicity II she so chose. and who
does this Restdale story different Just
for. a rest and change and TO. perfect
herself in versatility. II this is So
all we can say is that IL then displays
that perfection of art. which is to con-
ceai art.
When you open up the hook and be-
gin to read II seems to exhaIe at once
around YOU a something. remlndful of
sweetest and purest country air. It's
almost like going out there for a visit
yourself Suddenly you are aware the
cows are coming home and you know
the milk and butter you are going TO
get for supper are the real thing
And then. OH you hear that sister
Cecilia is soon to be home to. live on
the farm again. and she viii soon be
just eighteen. and a birthday party is
being planned for her, and her cousins
are coming. and so are the three girls
she loves best in the city and who are
crazy for a taste Of country life. A
little later yon learn that Cecilia likes
young foreign artist a good deal.
and. she is beginning to be aware that
ne likes her, and she can't help blush
ing when told. that he. is eoming-ana
It's all just like your favorite aunt
who. has always lived in the country
and was telling you about IL with
such simplicity of minutest detail that
you saw and felt it all yourself.
: (Burre Publishing Company, New
York. s150)9