The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-03
"POLLYOOLY. :"

"POLLYOOLY,'
 By Edgar Jepson. Illustrated by Hanson
 Booth. The Bobbs Merrill Company, In-
 dianapolis.
 Just as she conquered London, with nothing to back her but 20 shillings and a heart full of determination, Polyooly is bound to conquer all those who read about her. This thoroughly lovable and unusual mite of humanity Is the heroine of as charming a story as has been published
 in many day, and 1t has rightly been called "a fairy story for grown ups. Had
 Dick Wilmington married Cinderella,
 Pollyooly would be the up to date reln- oarnation of their offspring. and she could
 claim Peter Pan for her first cousin She
 comes Into MT Jepson's world lowered
 with love of truth. skill for thrift and genius for grilling bacon. To these ac-
 oomplshments she added red hair, an angel face simple courage and her 20 shil- lings She goes out of MT. Jepsons world -or she could-with Monte Crlsto's cur tain speech on her lips. But she does not
 utter it, for she is too young and too wise to know that she has succeeded. Tho story Is strong in human interest and in l heart interest, although the sentimental l side is never unduly emphasized.
 1 When Pofiyooly finds herself deprived of all living kin, save her baby brother | she does not lose hope. She decides to re-
 tain the position held by her late aunt who had been housekeeper for two young 1 barrsters. It was rather a daring thing l for child to undertake, but Pollyoooly | was not as other children. She went about In business like way and the se- l riousness with which she grilled the | breakfast bacon for the Hon. John Ruffn was no less than the seriousness with which she guarded his door against the | bailiffs who were continually knocking | at it.
 | And this was only one of her many ad- ventures. Pollyooly had the faculty of | making herself liked, and one glance at l her angle face would convince the most slxeptical that she was a child to be de- pended upon. Theferoe she was called | into many emergencies and poured oil upon the troubled waters. She settled her own affairs, too, although in some cases | it required d determined little fistto do It.. The Hon. John Ruffin is as delightful | in his own fashion is his housekeeper. Pollyooly He is full of odd conceits, of | extraordinary forms of expression, of l cynicism and kindness, all tempered and lmellowed by sense of humor that never I fails He is a gentleman and so is in a fposition to do many good turns for people both high and low These he always does and proves himself friend in need whether 1t is In helping an olopement oi | securing a mother the possession of hel child, or getting damages for PollyoolN l when the irate father who is related tc
 the Honorable John, has kept her locked in his daughters room when PollyoolS is in1personating the daughter. Pollyooly and the Honorable John share honors pretty evenly and the reader likes and ad- | mres the Hon, John Ruffln as much as | he does the little girl Thus the book Is 1 provided with both 8 hero and heroine. l There are many amusing characters I sketehed each one being clear and alive | and interesting. They are all truly Brit I ish. also, which adds to the pleasure one takes in reading about them, as it gives one the sense of being let into British l life by one who knows it.