The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-07


regarded Christmas as a season which
has seemed to him little moro tire.
some than others in its thraldom tc
traditional ideas. But Claudia keith
! opens his eyes, and heart as wcll.
She does not hesitate TO count out
under his eyes her boarded pennies in
! the selection of little trifles for hci
home people at "Elmwood." for her old
( NANNY who lives At it's gates. for the
I humble circle of friends and neighbors
! VINO have intrusted her with the task
OF getting something wonderful In
| New York 10 vary the monotony OF
hard working lives; for Tom, Dick and
iiurry, TO say nothing of Susan and
f, Shliy, down on farms in the Kappa
hammock country. Claudia is in love
With her task. She does IL with such
thoroughness, such enthusiasm, i'll such
spirit of fricndlincss that winthrop
Lame begins to realize the meaning
that Christmas may have for a girl
who is 50 human and so beautiful as
Claudia.
He even progresses so far in his
suit as to be able to convey 10 her
during the afternoon of the Christmas
shopping his desire to como down TO
Elmwood for Christmas and share in
the festivity forecas ST by the buying
OF the Christmas gifts
The description of the visit witch
he really makes. of the delightful and
simple hospitality that greet him, of
the unpretcntious yet graceful mode
OF life obtaining at Elmwood, and of
the beauties OF the Rappahannock
countryside are among the things best
worth remembering In this last book
by the author Of Mary Cary" Win
throp tells the tale of his love TO
claudia Keith. but this Virginia girl is
700 tine a woman to yield at once to
the plea of a lover. possessed though
he may be by every manly trait, all
the allurcments of wealth and the
advantages that go with It, She says
to him that she has not finally made
up her mind to exchange her home and
give up her home life for that of any
other. But she bids him return in
June, :nd promises him her final an
swer then. In the meantime, a few
earnest words from her in q story told
TO The Man Who Does Not Know"
spur MN to more earnest effort in
his own profession, and u better un-
derstanding OF his relations toward hui
manity in general.
The June roses are rioting when he
feels at liberty to come again for this
hnal answer to Claudia Eeith's home
He woos Claudia ardently once more
woos ner not in vain
The book is sweet, humanity nat
ural love story. 1t teaches the lesson
oil how life with every other advan-
tagc thrown in and love left out may
Indeed create an atmosphere of loncii-
ness around any man or woman. 1t
teaches also the lesson thai not
wealth, not worldly position, not
gaiety or association with all a great
metropolis has to offer-not one nor
all of these tbings-is TO he compared
with real affection, the spirit of real
helpfulness, the neighborliness that
takes great and little into account,
which finds the value OF beauty III that
service forming the foundation and
the cornerstone of an lives developed
along the trucst and highest lines
diiiusinG' around them u fragrance
which Is as enduring as it is inspiring.
Mrs. B"shcr has chosen as the back
ground OF her previous stories the
early Colonial capital OF the Old DO
hinion. Williamsburg, called in the
days of Bacon's Rebellion "The Middle
Plantation" The Man in Lonely
Land" finds his sweetheart in a diff
fercnt part OF the State known by
courtesy as the Northern Neck Here
counties border on a great river and
arc reached from wharves, the in
vading turmoil of railroads having left
this fair land unspoilcd Here are tho
great estates once owned by the Car
tors, the Fails and other Virginians
who helped to create the atmosphere
which Mrs. Bosher has reproduced
The book and the atmosphere har-
monte. The one with the other. Both
stand for the best in life and State.
.Jnponeitc."