The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-05-21
\ VILLAGE OF VAGABONDS. BY
+. Berkeley Smith. Illustrated
by F. Hopkinson Smith and the

author Houbleday. gage & Co,
publishers. Fixed price. $3.50.
Postage, 12c. 364 pages.
Entirely unknown to the average
American is the charm of q little
forgotten village such as the author
portrays In Pout du Sable, Norman
village by the sea, rich in legends and
flower gardens, but in nothing else.
Inhabited by fishermen and their wives
for the most part. there is breath
of the sea in the story that is allur-
ing and refreshing. while the sordid-
ness of the lives Of these dwellers In
the Village OF Nagabonds is softened
by the character of Monsieur lie Cure
and that of Marianne, who Is con-
tradiction of virtue and vice.
The narrator of the story. an
American imbued with the sole aim
of finding good hunting, and acknoWl-
edging that the charm of that wild
bay and it's lost village had gotten
under my skin" arrives In Pout du
Sable on lie petit deraillard''-"The
little get-on- the-track." He forth
with reveals to the delighted reader
cottrie Of friends that are az rare
as they are delightful. and at the con-
clusion of but mite of the book we
excla!nl with our com patriot, iliage
Of Nagabonds, In which the hours are
| never dull! Lost village by the Nor
mand sea, In which lies a paradise
of good-fello"ship. romance, love and
| sound red wine"
| Tanrade. the famous composer
| Madame de Briville, Monsieur ie Cure
| and the American, with an occasional
| outsider, are as congenial friends as
inert men can be. and the details of
| their life by the sea, with the JOY
| and abandon Of child. are Inter-
| esting to the fullest, and never grow
| fiat OF WeArying. The story is not
| confined to these, however, but wan
| ders into uncommon by paths that
| yield ailurinG treats to those who tire
| Of the modern novel with its ceaseless
| adventures. The smugglers is the
| story of the real sea. while the baron's
/ Perfectos has just enough OF Paris
! about II to make one breathlessIy in
tent There are others just as good
revealing the struggles of these SIM
| pie Norman folk and their ofttime
| amusing customs.
| To write a descriptive and narrative
work at the same time Is indeed
| difficult task, but one 10 which Mr.
/ Smith has pro Swilimself fully equal
/ Altogether nov Is the way in which
| he weaves kether the tangled
| threads of the lives of these fisher
| foik ana MS Few 1FllStlC lIieIlus' u USt
! when the stories seem abruptly end
| ed. imperceptibly to the reader, the
/ browning events of the whole little
legends steal to view amidst q pic
I turesque and harmonious background.
/ Grasping your Interest In sympathy.
the author succeeds In making you
| live, for a short time at least. In
the Village of Nagabonds, and when
your flight from New America to the
old lichen- walled rose-covered Pout
| du Sable is ended. the charm re-
mains. dwelling in your dreams and
! fancies.
The stories stem to haze struggled
into their inches just as the lanes
and bypaths OF the lost village finally
wend into tho one street. for there
| liz a charming love story. in fact, two,
that runs through the book. culmi-
| mating In the glad wedding day which.
| besides uniting two Of the Americana
| friends loses to him his faithful peas
| ant maid of all work, Suzette.
| The backs and fore pages OF the
! book are beautiful views from the
village and the sea. and, with the
| frontispiece add much to Its charm
The pen and Ink sketches by the
author are pertinent and suggestive,
revealing odd little bits of the coun-
try and it's interesting people, both
wrapped In the customs and shadows
of centuries ago.
Gertrude Hall OF the first act OF Ed
In all his splendor and majesty, and
appearing capable OF announcing his
own debut, Hampton's Magazine FOR
! June contains the English version by
Gertrude Hall OF the fret act OF Ed
mond Rostand's drama, "Chantecler,"
! AS,.h i. "a a.
eph Clement Coll. The question CT
REVEALS is a much agitated one ut
present, and DIR Thomas f. Green
has a strong article subject in the
magazine
In an interesting article Mrs. Rheta
Childe Durr tells of the efforts whfch
are being made to redeem the back
ward and the deficient child In scnoo'.
To all lovers OF fiction, the name
Of Grace S. Richmond on the title
page of n book insures an interesting
and wholesome work, and her novel,
Brothers Four. begun In the Woman's
Home Companion for June, promises
TO sustain her past high standard
good ficticn. both in serials and snort
stories, among which are Beiterla'
by Fannie Heaslip Lea. and the
Gift," by Annie Hamilton Donneh.
Margaret SangGter contributes time
ly article on THE Young Wife,
whose ranks wifi be greatly sweiied
by the June brides.
A revolutionary change is seen In
the Delineator for June in the make
pp. of the magazine. The literary
features are placed first. followed by
the fashion cuts and talks. Rudyard
K.plinK has d delightful stcry, Sim