The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-21
"OIhervisc Ph.ilis."


isy Meredth Nicholson.
out of Indiana comes another fire
novcl-Mcredith N!cholsons new book,
"o;herwise Phyllis As it's author
,nhirnsicany hints. ii is not to be read
with one eye on TIE clock. but to those
who like to sit deep in n big chair and
read uuhurr:ediy II will prove thing
OF JOY
Mr.. Nicholson makes one OF his
characters say that the only American
literature that's worth anything or
is ever going 10 he worth anything
will be dug right out OF the SOIL and
he mos, evidently believes sincerely
what he breaches, for his story is laid
in a section that he knows as we'll as
a man can know his birthplace. And
he knows il with a deeper and broader
knowledge than the average man can
possibly attain: he has observed it
with a seeing eye; he has contem-
plated IL with Il brain in which realism
and idealism are happily blended. and.
for our benefit. he has drawn il with
his artists pen.
But. lest il he thought that the book
Is merely a social history" a study
OF locality and lis inhabitants. de-
=
portrayal of an uninterestiug phase
OF national life, il were we'll TO mem
ton at the outset that otherwise
Phyllis" may be read and enjoyed in
icnsely solely as pleasure book.
Again. il is not 4 story OF Indiana in
homespun OF farmer lads and lassies.
fine hign and all that but illiterate.
on the contrary. !; is tale of a col
lege town, in reality the home OF Cen
eral Lew Wallace, the home OF nunler-
Gus other writer's, and the birthplace
OF the author himself.
Quoting again one OF the characters
in the novel, il is community OF
which might be lightly said
Everybody in this town is writing
= novel Every time 20 into the
post-ofiice / see scared looking people
getting their manuscripts weighed
and nerrOus!y looking around for fear
OF being caught. Nan says it's kind
of literary measles people have in
Indiana"
writers could catch the same sort OF
literary measles that Mr.. Nicholson
hasl
Phynis Kirkwood is the heroine or
tic story, the bieeziest. Nholesomcst
out-o:-doora girl tina, has been pic
tured toi us H. many a day she can
throw run. 70 a-camrins, and play
Will bDNS NiNltS. SUCH ism ease
that she is co.nu:.isly called Phil but,
OH the otner hand, s;le can write with
such originality and humor that maya
zines welcome her stun She can
talk In raCy. clean slang, or converse
IN English OF the purcst and she mas :,
delicious pitt OF impromptu vcrsifca
lion. which. in itself. would be sur
hcient To make her worth knowing
Nol prig, not Z prude, not a hoydcn,
not blue stocking, she is just PM.
otherwise Phyllis ana, since she Is
altogether :.nG adorablY feminine, She
naturally has a lave affair which Mr..
Nicholson, Tor our further pleasure.
permits 10 tctmnate happily But
even ii no follow OF hction loved her
Nc should love her, If only- for The in
finite variety OF her charm.
Besides the vivid figure OF this eigh
feen-y ear-old girl there are other
carefully drawn characters L. add &c
the verismili,ude of this modern
chronicle Phls Uncle AMI. with ms
ASSUMED forocity and his big heart. he,
dreams scholarly father. the three
sunts. whose stern conventionality she
SO wlfully scandalizes; her glitter
friends the Bartlett girls, and. mex
10 phil herself, the most attractive o.
them all her mother. we realize tina
this last character ought not TO be 50
WHINING, because she deserted her nus
band when Phil was only baby. bu
We hnd il impossible TO resist IN.
magnetism With which Mr.. Nicholson
has endowed her. and we cnd by lovint
her just as PHYLLIS docs
But 1t is PHYLLIS VINO makes Other
wise PHYLLIS novel OF delicate ant
rare quality. ana causes US TO wonde
agar il IL woIld ne possible 10 obtain
culture" of that form Of measle
from which Mr Nicholson so tortu
nateIy suffers