New-York tribune., 1908-05-02
Stories of Mystery, Idealism and
Romance.
Romance.

AFFAIRS TO MAMMON. BY Elizabeth NeT Illus
F A Stokes Company ~ A"e
N MARY'S REIGN By Baroness orezy. Illus
UNDER THE CRUST. BY Thomas Nelson Page
sons
The author Of The Bishops Scapegoat" starts
with one Of the best resources a novelist can
possess q situation that is new and arresting
Murder mysteries in fiction are of course as old
ss the hills. but Mr.. Clegg arranges the one in
his story after a fashion that is unexpected to
say the least. In this instance the reader has
he whole secret spread before him in the odd
es- manner early in the book. At this time the
Bishop is a vicar in the country His sister
who lives near at hand, is supposed to be un-
married but a matter Of fact she has a
blackgus-d Of a husband in France This pre-
ciols individual on the plea that he is dying
lures his wife and her brother to his bedside
There his behavior is so wicked that the vicar
takes him bv the throat, and. before he knows
f. has strangIod the man into insensibility In
fact ne believes that he has unintentionallv
killed the 5ackmailer. Horror struck the
brother and sister steal from the house
Ht,la later the room is entered by a doctor who
has reason for hating the creature he finds IN
conscious the he'd, He detects some sign
Of life in the body and in the same instant is
puzzled as 10 what he should do. Shall he bring
happiness Of his own home? Shall he with
hold the helping hand which a physician of all
men could give. and preserve his domestic peace
r. the cost of making himself murderer? He
chooses the latter course. He chooses il in
vain. for his movements in the room are OBJ
served and IN the long run he is transported
No-uea. The reader may wonder why our
athletic vicar allows an innocent man TO suffer
n his place This is simple enough The
different visitors at his lodging on that fatal day.
and. in consequence. neither Of the two cuIprits
Is IN position TO drag the other his defence
Neither of them knows anything about what the
other has been doing
This posture Of affairs obviously makes good
foundation for a novel. and Mr.. Clegg builds
upon Il with much Cleverness Leaving IN
vicar 10 life Of mental misery but OF great
outward prosperity he devotes himself 10 the
tragic fortunes Of the man sent both Justly and
Un5ustly into penal servitude This man has
n course. 4 lovely daughter. and she follows
him 10 the scene Of his terrible expiation one
would think that with the seas between them
rhe TWO families would never meet again. but
while Dr Bertrand and his Cecile are suffering
in Noumea and the vicar is rising 10 a bishopric
fate i slowly working out the destiny which IS
n bring the men together. This demands deal
n ingenuity the part Of the author and he
Is not fully equal 10 the task. -Credultty baIks
a. some Of his arrangements. But there is no
putting the book down until the end has been
reached That first grim situation gives the
reader an impetus which carries him in fully
interested mood down 10 the climax
There Is clergyman in The Clutch OF Cir
cunstance' one who bellies his cloth To all
appearances he ought 10 be when the book
opens happy man Wife and children are all
that they ought to be and his work goes on
along fairly satisfactory lines. Yet when an
old chu-1 Of his appears upon the scene clever
doctor. the latter feels vaguely that things are
not right. The Reverend Franklin Beuwood is
I'll At ease. and DR.. Kellogg cannot at once dag
nose the trouble Little by little II Is revealed
- him Both men had been In love with the !
same woman. The clergyman had won her
bow did be do i-o ON that question hang some |
NJ the salient developments OF the plot II is !
TOY. however. simple love story that Mr.
Barnes tells in this book \ murder Is com
--i--eL and. as usual the law is hard put 10 il |
=. E2 the crime uaon the right man. As usual |
t"a eg-picio1 fs.s upon the hero whose limo |
.-nee .s The harder 10 prove because. as cir |
,--as-aaae~ aye. tae murder Is not III calculated
20 give him hls hearts desire. The author |
shows -gal craftsmanship In the fabrication Of |
his drama The figures IN IL are SO disposed /
rs 10 .37tr.bU-c in q natural and yet mysrifyng |
manner - tha march Of events lie is less sue |
'-s-t-. .- c-er-zatisn. and IN the adjust |
mert ~ his dialogue 10 the movement Of his |
narrative The portraits of the various persoD-
ages involved arc rhinly drawn. Neither the |
clergyman nor the doctor Is clearly realized the
formers wife exoir4s little sympathy. and IN
f-leaT0riug % give viyidness 10 the siren in the
sarT. Ir Barnes has laid on his colors with 4 |
e-F---H rrIlltE. The conversations throughout |
and there are many Of then-are apt TO be |
700 long and 70 lack fexibility. Nevertheless, |
ne author is aD- in his Illustration Of the idea
indicated IN his title. The force Of crcum-
stance is effectively shown.
SIN another clergyman makes his bow TO US
IN Miss Netfs novel, Affairs to Mammon" He
Is 2 young man. taking over his first charge
when Hr make his acquaintance. He comes to
Nosa1gaLa with his mind set upon the highest
Ideals and even before he begins his work he is
made sTa-e Of the difficulties lying in his path
Ine great man of TIE region is one Tom" Nor (
gar. millionaire of the most INSCRIPTIONS
methods and the most uncomDronising piety
Sooner or later these Two are bound 20 come into
cortic-- and just as inevitably the devoted
Northmore is bound 10 fall in love with the
mi1onaire's daughter. This is one way OF say.
Ing that Miss Nef duly makes her sacrifice TO
convention, and. indeed so far as the plot goes
Arars 10 MammoH' is on a level with scores
O. novels Of The day. It's special virtue consists
II the simple sincerity with which the author
cel-neates the figures OF homespun she assemblies
around her hero. Dealing with the plain issues
Of everyday life, she writes about everyday peo-
Ile, and somehow cOntriyes 70 make them in
teresting. Though her book has absolutely no
distinguished qualities there is a OF human
genuineness about #. The difference between