The sun., 1909-02-27
some New Fiction

Ten we'll written and interesting tale,
are included in Miss Clare Benedict :,
a Resemblance and Other Stories
&c. r. Putnam's Sousp. The author
shows the power Cf analysis ard tho
lightness OF touch that seem to be coinmoI
70 many modern women writer's. with a
better grasp II refined English than
nest Of them have. but she hunts rather
far afield for her psychological problems
The desire 70 escape the commonplace
emotions which affect the ordinary man
"a comprehensive. but the effort often
leads to art ificial situations. which inspire
little sympathy, so that while the reader
may admire the authors skill he is left
unmoved by the story. That fault, we
fear, will be found with nearly all the SO
'als.
1t is a pretty Philistne young Brit ish
Tannhauser that Mr.. H. ". Bashford de
scribes in The Pilgrims March" Henry
Holt and Company and the reader will
commiserate the charming Venus who
helrs to make a man Of him. The con-
dtiors under which man attains art
IN britain are astonishing as here depicted.
There is much crude contrast between
evangelical piety and the views of cultured
society. but somehow the author makes
All mis- people nice. even his cub artist. Of
delightful old bachelor, a dear COUNTRY
girl and the Puritan maiden the hero
cuIelly jilts the reader will want more.
It is strange how much attention is given
n recent English fiction o the realist ic
depletion Of the awakening of the seDse
m immature young men. II is no,
pleasant reading. for il the clean, whole
abandoned we might he spared at least
he unsavory accounts of how the change
is brought about.
No preteuce at litercry style will be
found in George II. Brennans Bill
IrIetell" a. c. McClurg and Company.
Chicago There is some horseplay and
some cell on elderly stage anecdotes in
the story Of the missdventures OF two
barn storming companies. but the narra-
tive is straightforward and simple the
stage jargon is used only where il is
needed and the reader will probably
lie the hero and be interested in what
"opens TO him, even through the exces-
I've sentimentality OF the end. Mr..
are amusing; they help out the sprightly
he oine whose legs are more comely in
the illustration than on the wrapper OF
the book.
The beginning OF Between Two Re-
Uelons," by Asenath Carver Coolidge
,HYngerford- -Holbrook Company, Water
'oSu, y. ". gives promise OF an enter
tanning if unskiiied story. The author
unfortunately has more serious matters
Oh her mind than her story: she expresses
a. great length her detestation Of war and
Also her views about Riei's outbreak in
Manltobs. However important these
matters may be. they ruin the story as
work OF fiction.
4 very clear presentation Of the Catho-
L. View OF divorce is given in The Coin OF
sacrifice" by Christian Reid THE Ave
Maria Press, Sotre Dame. Indiana.
he two women in the story are very AZ
usctive but perhaps greater force would
hi,e been gained If the end had not been
made happy" for one of them.
The pastel in prose form OF fiction has
passed away fortunately, but that is
the OiIv term that can describe the short
sketches or fancies in The Two Travel
ers.' by Carlota Montenegro CThe Poet
Lore Company. Boston,. They are written
g-acefully in uniformly morbid strain
oi sentiment and would undoubtedly
he much more effective IL not collected
together.
When such pains have been taken TO
stialshten out the so-called mysteries
IN Poe's life and it might be hoped that |
sane. common sense view OF the poets
career had been established for the gen.
oral acceptance. il is discouraging 10 have
the story writers take up the subject.
- George Hazelton has done in THE
Raven Appletons). and mix up fact
and fiction to suit themselves, Poe is
happy not to have lived to see what