The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-07-02

John verney" by Horace Annesley
 yachell. George H. Doran Co.. New
 York, s1.2o
 l It is the English writer alone who to- day evidences remembrance that men of this time possess immortal souls well as high power automobiles. The American makers of best sellers have forgotten. if they ever heard. that such | d possession was ever accorded human l ty. Many millions, much luxury and 1 good grooming is all that is needed to l turn out a hero of romance on this side. 1 In John Nerney there is hero of quite a different make. John Verney is already 1 known to those who are fortunate enough to have read "The Hnl." to which this book Is sequel. srhe Hill' is story of Harrow and is the one book 1 of the life at the great English schools l that takes rank with Tom Brown at 1 Rugby" In the present story the most l important characters of "The Hil' re- 1 appear: and now men doing England's work. in the house, in the newspaper world, in the battle fields of South l Africa There is sustained interest of men and matters; there is much of love; and enough of adventure in finance. in canvass. in stirring scenes of elections as conducted in England. Over all, how ever, the interest of soul growth of soul development dominates. Also the story
  | cess is put forth in the character of Charles Desmond in Downing street; he | holds the esteem of all England, he has | high health. a wide popularity, fame,
 and a moderate fortune-the supreme l thing was withheld" he had mar ried without love. Howbeit but few have | guessed the soul softening that has set l into his character, induced by his grace l ful tacking with the wind, his hardly noticeable disposition 10 sit smiling upon fences" his admissions of the ire quent necessity of compromise all or which was to lead in the end to low political bargaining.
 In the progress of Scaife, the Demon" of Harrow days. there is the story of a soul self-eonfessedly dark (save where lit with the lurid lights of genius and energy) striving only for entrance and regnancy in those high places denied | him by low birth. The son of the mil lionaire contractor has become the owner l of many newspapers, all of which cry 1 aloud for the rights of the people. as l friend of the people. brother of the work ing man. Scaife makes his campaigns, 1 and by tricks and lies wins hotIY con 1 tested elections, his rival being his old l time school enemy at Harrow John
 verney Yet so wisely does he practice his viles and subterfuges that he makes | John himself the means of approach to the most exclusive houses of England
 and almost wins from John the love ot
 the pearl of the United Kingdom, sheia Desmond, But in the end failing | to conquer his own soul he loses all.
 Bsme Kinloch, Fluff of Harrow. in- | heritor and supporter of the highest
 code of honor as well as heir to duke | dom. learns to love and lose: yet wins | what he has since the old days al Ihe HiIl" most desired. John Verneys full | friendship, an unreserved knitting of soul l ha
 The authors best work is given to
 denictine of John Vernew himself, the
 knight of unexpected moves-with
 ollxotic instinct which constrained him
 to consider the welfare of others be-
 fore his own As training keeps an | athlete ready for the conflict so John
 yerney's high thought and high living
 heln him to meet the crises of his love | and life He has won from Sheia the | promise of marriage when her 1ather' | Desmond having himself suffered rom that most hampering malady or clrcuin-
 stances. a loveless marriage tells nm that Sheila Is unhappy in her engage ment that he fears her whole heart has not gone with her promise and throws unon John the hard duty of freelng
 Sheila and destroying his own happlness'
 In the throes of his struggle with the
 temptation to hold his happiness at all
 odds; further tempted to hold Sheila that
  lunworthiness he knows; just as his soul
 is about to yield John cries: My God, lhaye mercy on me, Take this burden
 of doubt from mel Take this burden
 prayer was answered. He discerned mist iiv at first and then with increasing
 clearness the right path, and felt some : power stronger even than love for Shella
 drawing him upward and onward to the
 peace that endures. His will, strength
 ened in the past by many unremembered
 acts of self-denial, became once more l dominant He could think with the lucid
 ity that precedes right action. In stlli
 greater crisis when Sheila must make
 choice between Verney and Scaife, when
 yerney fears that the baleful influence
 of the Demon may yet remain ascend
 ant with Sheila, he forgets his own shat tered hopes to pray for the girl. Silent
 lv he prayed that Sheila might see Sca1fe plainly Prayer to him was no conven- tional importantly. no repetition or ster- eotyped phrases. He believed profound ly that the only prayers which were an swered adequately must be compounded of intense resolution and aspiration, a draft, so to speak, upon Divine energy which permeates the universe" Para graphs like these in a stirring romance of today read like Collects offered at a cotillion. Yet if a whole picture or lire is to be given can the more vital things of existence be ignored?
 Interesting just now is the wholesome and true portrait of the Duke of Trent, "a man set far above the necessity of schemng," man who worked harder than any laborer in the kingdom and without any hope of reward or recogni- l tion." There was something of the ! mountain about this great feudal landlord and he was regarded as such by the rad icals, who had faith that they might re- move him. John knew that he was rooted like an oak in the soil which had belonged to his family since the days of the Tu- dors He owned vast estates. in three counties and some acres in the heart of London John knew also how faithfully this immense trust was administered, and he remembered Fluffs words, spoken at II Whiteladies: It's no joke to be born a duke
 This is a novel that stands apart from the flood of fiction It is of a quality that is fine and lasting It is serious it is of keen interest, 1t holds within itself beauty and strength
 .The Mounted Pajamas," by Francis
 Perry Elliott (Bobbs, Merrill, Indian
 apolis.
 | A capricious conceit.
 series of capital comicalities.
 II A deluge of delicious daredevil droller-