The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-23
The Amateur Gentleman

TOT the lover OIL uCt1On.
1.-THE Amateur GcntIcman.-
I Fly Jcffcry Farnol. Little. Brown
I and Company. of Boston Mass SI40
not.
II is difficult to realize n change OF
fortune that makes Barnabas Rarty.
son OF John Barty, cx-champion OF
England aud landlord OF the "Cours-
ing Hound Inn" one day. and Barna-
his unc'c Thomas in The West Indies.
of n fortune OF seven hundred thousand
pounds. the next II has been the am
bition of John Barty who had with
him his friend and comradc. Natty
Bell. in his retirement from the pugi-
;iStic profession. that EarnabaS his
son should succeed him az England's
champion. bnt Earnahas. though u
4. we'll snt-up athletic lad aud credit
:" training given h. his father and
Na;ty Fell, chooses a different path in
life.
iIe lived in Kent bu, his desires
turned toward London. and when his
great inheritance enabled him to plan
his future. he announced to his father
that lie had decided for time to
! leave Tho Coursing Hound and set
And What should a slip of lad OF
iwcnty-two want in london
Learn 10 be a gentleman. sir. 7
am sure that Ecr;iiity rests not SO
/ much nj birth ms uron hereditary in
Stinct." answered his son.
'Instinct"' repeated the father. in
stinct does I'll right for 'osses. Earna-
has. dogs likewise. but what's nat'ral
to oSscs an dogs aren't rowisc uat'ral
To us. No You can't como instinct
over human beings. gentleman is
naturally born gentleman an his
! fcythcr aforc him an his grandfcy
! Their aforc him"
| So tho conclusion is reached that
Rarnahas can only hope to be "An
! Amateur Gentleman" Therefore he
names novel Of which he is tho hero
! His is the period when Reau Rrum-
moll set mons fashions in London. tho
/ day when maccarouiS sal late ut tho
gaming table. drank deeply. fought
ducls and, many of Thorn died early
/ II speaks VOL for the INFRINGING Of
! iarnabas that he preserves his bal
ance and his integrity in the midst OF
so much temptation. Possibly tho
| fact that he mcotS on his London ward
way IN" woman he loved 1T first sight
! and made up his mind TO win had
much 10 d" with the fact that he did
no, fling his money away To bad pur-
! pose. that he proved n devoted and
/ constant lover. sincere friend and a
good master TO those who served him
| Every page Of The Amateur Con
tlcman' is crowded with action. Tho
time in which adventures happen is
/ short and tho many events 10 be re
corded run swiftly. ono upon the heels
of til" other. Earnabas buys himself
= house on his arrival in London and
hires for himself an excellent valet
who understands tho fine art Of on
L f.,,.t.. int,
he is. hc speedily comes into notice
and wins friends who are attached to
him as man rather than as Il dandy
I But there are enemies also and voices
| continually busy in the effort to destroy
the popularity E;trnahas has justly
won. He Is known in London az Barn
abHs Beverley. having chosen the
name OF his mother who was Joan
I Beverley and tho wife OF John Bnrty
/ In spite OF the opposition Of her fam
! lily.
No English writer Of TO-DAY has a
more delicate and exquisite humorous
touch than Jcffcry Farnol and his
hunor has full play in The Amateur
Gentleman" Sentiment and pathos
alternate with humor for Mr.. Farnol
knows his London from every stand
point and pictures it accordingly
Barnabas is an ideal lover no less
than a winner of stecplc chase races
, on his black horse Terror His
LADY is well worth his alteration and
his driving all other rivals from the
field of her favor.
Among the numerous characters of
the book, one of the mos, fascinating
is the Duchess OF CastleInainc. who nj
seventy has not forgotten the allure
ment that made her famous as L belle
and q beauty in her youth.
The sentiment or The Amateur
( Gentleman" is delightful and Mr..
Farnol's moraliainG over the moon
quite in harmony. And the devotion
OF Barnahas 10 his father and Neitv
Ecll; his turning his back or London
and going 20 them won for him the
woman % his heart and the common
dalton OF the duchess who said
Riches rank fame--they are all
good things, but tho best the great