Evening star., 1912-11-16

even coerced into the conviction that the
bond between the two is that of father
and child. Incidents are furnished by
nurse and doctor. conclusions are debated
and there is chapter in which the girl
| tights a situation which demands relent-
: less surrender. Naturally, when the plot
I has worked up to its breathless climax.
| the reader finds that he has rash-judged
fine man and humanl.- delightful
woman. The hero is not the father of
the heroine. He is merely the man who
married her mother. Sex-love is admit
tedly the chiefest charm of romance. The
novelist may twist his morals auda-
ciously awry. buff his badness be bril-
liant-he may depend upon what Mrs.
MalaDrop might call his carna liNerous
readers. But no sanitary-hrained man or
woman relishes even a threatened trans
greSSion of that law to which Nature
has set her most unbreakable seal. This
story skirts the forbidden. 1t shows how
near plot can come to touching pitch
without being defiled. And it Is beauti-
fully written. But-merely to voice "A
in the author Of 1.-The Wood Carver of
'Lympus and of other works that
brought her deserved fame to succeed
them with book that, regardless of lit
erary merit, is bound to prove a disap-
pointment to those same sanitary-brained
men and women who have been her most
devoted readers?
Ut "A
TOWN. BY Stephen Leacock. With
frontispiece by Cyrus Cuneo. New
York: John Lane Company.
1t is rather matter Of regret that Mr..
Leacock deemed it necessary to present
himself in the course of a preface, al
though he has expressed his personal
introduction humorously. The printing of
even burlesque bit of puffery starts the
reader in questioning humor toward the
contents of any book. Mr.. Leacock is
achieving a wide reputation as the writer
of excellent fun. He has in his literary
lapses' and nonsense novels shown
the possession of pleasant taste in
selection and now he offers a series OF
comic scenes in a small Canadian town.
done broadly but graphically and with
unmistakable wit. 1t is interesting to
note that the writer of these jolly char
acter outlines and half told tales Is pro-
fessor of economics at McGill University
in Montreal.
DOCTORS TABLE TALK. BY James
Gregory Mumford, NJ. D., lecturer on
surgery in Harvard University. etc.
Boston: Houghton Miffiin Company.
While chiefly interesting to physicians
these essays on medical subjects-tech-
nical and social-are calculated to appeal
as well to all persons. The author is
himself physician Of large practice and
wide experience and extensive acQuaint-
ance. He has presented a number of
characters who are composites of real
persons and are employed as spokesmen
for various theories and anecdotes illus
trative of the phases of the physician s
career. The young practitioner can
prottably study these brightly written
chapters, which convey much excellent
advice on all matters bearing upon the
problem of healing. For questions OF
anatomy DR.. Mumford refers his readers
to the medical schools and text books,
confining himself to the equally i'm
portant items of tact, business manage
ment, discretion. physical surroundings.
in fact the psychological aspects of
a doctors work.
PAUL RUNDEL; a Novel. BY Will n.
Harben, author of "Abner Daniel,
ETC. New York: Harper & Bros.
Men Of rough ways and hot passions
| and uncompromisng prejudices figure in
this tale of the Georgia hills. Here is a
story of conflict between the forces of
evil and those of good. a trifie obvious
in presentation. but strongly written.
Most impressive is the figure of Jim
Hoag. the rich man of the community,
owner of mills and plantations, secretly
the leader of a band of regulators, -
mistakenly trying to keep the ne groes in
subjection by lawless, murderous means
Hoag's only redeeming quality is his
great affection for his little son. That
alone stamps him as endurable. Other
wise he richly merits the tragic fate
which overtakes him, a direct aetribution
for his crimes. Paul Rundel, fleeing from
the scene while a mere lad, after shoot
ing and as he thinks killing a man who
has been unduly attentive to his mother,
returns in after years transformed in
spirit, man of sound Judgment, calm
ed passions. extensive leading and deeply
religious comprehensions. He works as
the leaven in the lump of unrishteous-
ness in the hills and ultimately is sue
cessful in his quest for requited affection
ing Adventures In Tropical Wilds
BY Zane Grey, author of THE Young
Lion Hunter" etc Illustrated New
York: Harper & Bros.
Ken Ward, having completed his eN-
periences in the Arizona canyons, is sent
by his uncle, a scientist of high standing.
into the Mexican jungle to try his hand
at field work. He and his brother nal,
who has figured in. previous stories, make