The San Francisco call., 1909-12-26
"Rhoda of the Underground"
BY Florence Finch Kelly. PublIshed hy

BY Florence Finch Kelly. Published By Stur-
gis & Walton company, New York. Price
So many novels of the days just be-
fore and during the civil war have
appeared during the last year that 1t
seems some sort of conclusion should
be drawn from II. What 1t is, however
is not quite clear. This latest book is
from the pen of Florence Finch Kelly,
author of with Hoops of Steel" and
The Delafield Affair. For an expert
enced writer the work in this book is
singularly uneven. being almost, if not
quite, amateurish in places.
The scene OF the story is laid in Ohio
In 18a6-61. The hero is Jefferson
Delaven. a young plantation owner and
slave holder OF Kentucky, while the
heroine is Rhoda Ware, the daughter
of a northern father and southern
mother. Her father is an abolitionist
and has talked of his beliefs and rea
sons to Rhoda and she has become as
ardent sympathizer as he. Now she
comes to be his assistant in the work
of running the station" of the under
ground railroad" that strange associa
tion with no president or officers of
any kind, composed of men and women
who aided and abetted runaway slaves
to get to Canada and freedom.
Rhoda and JEFF fall in love and 1t Is
a true and lasting love. too. Here the
author is at her best, making us see
the love they feel. and at the same
time their decided stand in regard to
slavery. They are kept apart through
out the book, but a hint at the last
lets us hope that they may be united
when the war is over.
The work Rhoda lays out for herself
sin the underground railroad affairs is
strenuous, and many dramatic situa-
~ he 1oac of xxybfo tc
her arrest and trial. Little need be said
of the other characters in the story.
They are all hopelessly ordinary. The
sister Charlotte, is vicious, selfish
little beast and 1t is an evidence of
Rhoda's weakness, not to be expected
that she should always love her.
And yet the story itself interests one.
The difference in the point of view be-
tween the north and south is shown
plainly, and even with all the years be-
tween one finds ones self heartily
sympathizing with the honorable young
hero.
In "The Helter Shelters" George
Daulton offers a capital story of the
adventures of a group of thoroughly
likable children whose imaginations
lead them into wonderful fun and oc-
casional mischief. In the pleasant fields
ABOUT tnelr MONIES some very dStOnlSn-
ing things happen. A search for hidden
treasure and mystery of lost grand
son among other unusual occurrences
furnish a great deal of excitement. A
real sailorman invents unrivaled amuse-
ments for these children and the book
is filled with humor and pathos. Eight
full page Illustrations by Miss Maria
Kirk are we'll reproduced and express
finely the imaginative duality of the
book (Frederick A. Stokes company,
New York; s1.25.)
THE Education OF the WILL" by Jules
Payot, has run through 80 editions and
has been translated into many foreign
languages, but this translation, by
Smith Ely Juliffe. NJ. D.. is the first one
in English. 1t Is scientific yet popular
work, giving valuable suggestions and
exercises for judicious training of the
will. THE Education of the Will" is
both theoretical and practical, and
promises to have a wide number of
readers in the medical profession and
to prove of vital interest to every one
interested in psychology and mental
therapeutics. (Funk & Wagnalls COM
pany, New York. s1.50.>