New-York tribune., 1908-07-12
rCKT HEROINES.
of Life's Discipline and Its
Resrards.

Rv Edward c. Booth Illus
H. POS GsT1o pV 46s The century company
,7.-s EMERALD, BY Helen en-, Hester ii.sT
A.. Iii - I2mo. pp- Va o. ----
cSaPany- p,
/ or ApFbN = u ITSl1I,ses Illustrated by PenrbFn
81 Harrls'-- emo. pp. vii. @SS- Boston; Little
S.1arn S51an & Go,
PRoDIGAs1s, :, By G57SrgT GeGTge
= &c Lorrner IluS{Ta5eG s3ea = Page 3 90,
ter cbapte-s Of The Post-Giri'' put
The nl71 rather doubtful mood He is
Te4 -, auite. irritated by the authors
r's- poo,h We suspect. has been reading
ye end while h does not. after The usual
ls7s'--, .--,.a-e that novelist's manneris1ns. he
-shlo-' ,-,c-e-istics of strain and wordiness
s. ihe .be Meredithian neophyte. His
'i.cA u--ftten: when he takes up an in
4 slA ,.,,-s a. II as though he hated to let
dFl' = - Is not a page on which be does
g. - ,o, feel that he is using ten words
5i l'D1-- ,r,,,l5 have been more effective All
per- Aowpver. he has something up his
r. --sa-ou-fth to beguile the reader and
re't .--;,.bflitv to sympathy. he has good
III = .ou about an interesting heroine once
I r-o-- gets really under way IL taxes h"io
us 80 h.-oornes Increasingly attractive down
The end ,--,--,.,-, ~ +,o c..
=. humble farm folk and the IKE IN the
:, che uostmaster lives Pam, a girl whose
mysterious sCjourner II the place,
-. a. her Geath nc clew 10 the chiids
d She grows ~ amongst the villagers,
--,s-ic innocence, touched with a Qual-
~P - breeding only could have bestowed
~. comes Young composer the last
=. ,ro-1d between whom and herself
-r,s cou.d expect any romantic passages
| - course the rNo fau in love with
r is in The delicate exploitation
- f7rl hat NJ Booth finds his account
...-es very 6ettly and persuasively the
:. ,o,-a II these Young hearts, one sufh-
-57lr-7riSe. rhe other eHQulsitely naive,
-, entirely natural Their story. as
- M very complicated Il is only tow
- dose that il becomes seriously tangled
= ,-oz-s traci1a- into the bargain, re
- rbe authors great credit, as lnelike
=, raoirrirz i is true that the gaunt
-,.s-e- Who Is brought II 70 accelerate
s.-,s is not in himself altogether convinc-
.Fs-e * even something little facti-
/ - ,4or- his share n the climax Still. that
r--,- bas enough ot the air Of truth about il,
- ,r5ee5 is 50 poignant that We easily over
| 80 --eaking joint here and there Moreover,
.--~ E alv-svs a charming girl Whenever she
Il, -se seene ire tale moves smoothly II Mr..
10Th learns restraint ~ ought 70 DO some
-..,lsn+ work The parish priest II the novel,
-s-ber Nos1yn, is not the original that he
meant 70 be but he is amusing 50 far as ne
r.as and with greater eZperlence- the author
- Doubtless paint another similar portrait
ne DAY and make j, twice as pleasing. Mean
-e he has written pretty bit Of sentiment,
4 10 = tie most engaging Of the novels q the
-san-
TIE heroine Of The Pas--Cii-l' has q hard
-u 10 hoe before she finds happiness So il is
.- ne heroine Of LAD J--Ia's Emerald" This
:. jig person Lesey Duncan. begins life. like
Ism. without either father or mother 70 shape
~ destiny Then her father does appear il
{ Is Only 70 lead her ir-o paths both modifying
a-5 painful IL is gambler and thorough
.aed scamp. His Only purpose IL annexing
Is daughter is Z trade upon her beauty This
. ?. 5ouut sounds rather grim. bu- Srimness Is
--lly Mss CotviT's motive. She writes. rather,
q rs-u q quiet Eumo-. The Lady Julia % the
K LADY Julia Feu-uGGpcke- Is 2 riCh and
a- 51-r individual Win al ambition 10 shine
a- n amateur sorce-ess. Her son. Victor. the
---9 ot the story, has no taste for her fads,
-- be IS c good ua-u-el. cynical young man,
--- heir taLk is always along light and amusing
lies Lady Julia-s emerald Is an amulet sup
r7sd % possess eLcraor55na-y mystic powers.
Sc loses i, and Leziey Duncan. then Z child,
.nes iutO possession = the strange stone
Ia--aIly, as she grows older, It plays an i'm