New-York tribune., 1909-03-13
"4R4MTNT4." "
-4n I'm mpossible Heroine Who Is
Quite Irresistible.

ARAMINTA. BY J. c. Snaith. l2mo PIP. 42S-
Moffat Yard & Co
This is the kind of novel that It is a pleasure
to read and to recommend. The heroine is fatty
impossible. Obviously there is nothing to be
made Of a featherbrained young Juno from the
country, who comes up to London at the in
stance of her Aunt Caroline. the formidable
Countess of Crewkerne, and. on being asked her
name by that parsonage, replies in this wise;
My name is Araminta but they call me Goose
because I am rather q Sil-lay." What IS the
reader TO do with his dignity if he is TO be in
troduced to such company? The thing for him
to do is to pocket his dignity and faII in love
with Araminta. In fact. it is difficult to how
he could help himself Everything about this
book is so winning, perfectly calculated to
brush away the blue devils and fill one with
sense Of innocent fun II is not by any means
with his heroine alone that Mr.. Snaith is exllil-
aratingIy successful He has the gift for making
you like all sorts of people, conventional and
eccentric. His shrewish old Countess is almost
grotesque her cruelty abused companion, Miss
Burden, on the other hand, is the kind of woman
painted over and again by unnumbered
novelists-yet in both cases you are made aware
of genuine human traits the portraits are alb
solutely natural and just.
The story. too, considered as a story ought to
ed by any of the proud laws" by which the
making of serious fiction is supposed TO be gov
erned; but Mr.. Snaith is not in the least en-
barrassed he goes gayly ahead and before the
reader has turned dozen pages he knows
THAT he will follow the development of the
stereotyped plot To the end with eager curiosity
TO the denouement other great ladies in fc-
tion have summoned the daughter of some poor
relation 10 scene Of luxury and social i'm
portauce- Other herOines thus TRANSPORTED have
been forthwith pursued by titled lovers-and by
one handsome swain possessed Of all the talents
and no cash. But then other heroines have not
been anything like Araminta She is as orig
nal as she is beautiful. When she first appears
in her noble Aunt Caroline's stately drawing
room she casually brings with her = basket con-
tanning pet ferret and just as casually drops
the thing on the floor with results positively
thrilling TO the Countess's fat pug Ponto. When
she is asked TO have some tea she elects for
bread and jam, and, on being presented with
five lady-liIle waters. she makes one mouthful
OF the lot The Countess goes TO the verge Of
suffocation. You expect her 20 order her niece
out of the house. But Aramnta stays. to stir
romantic emotqRs in the oldest Of hearts. One
OF these susceptible organs belongs to Lord
Cheriton. elderly man of the world who can
quarrel in terms of appalling cynicism with the
Countess, but has way with him that leaves
him, when all is said curiously lovable char
acter. His rival for the hand OF Araminta is a
disreputable old Duke. and there are some won
derful passages between these two. Mr.. Snaith
is an unlnching realist, for all that he can keep
up such blithe iutter Of comedy He misses
none OF the weaknesses of his types But Ara
mintas spirit somehow fills the book The
worldly wise figures in the latter may cackle or
growl never so rsordidy-you always com
ing back TO the youth and sweetness and charm
in this delightful story.
Mr. Snaith has the secret of character He
does not simply tell you that the Countess Of
Crewkerne is harsh and domineefing and wick
edly sharp-tongued: he makes her live upon the
printed page and exhibit her character in action
She actually says the fierce things she is cred
tied with the habit of saying. There is nothing
fancifil about Cheritons combination Of the
traits OF hardened old fop with those OF a true
hearted gentleman and even those of a poetic
! rolnancer. he speaks and acts with az artlea,