The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-05
"thc Fortunate Youth"


BY William j. Locke. John Lane
Company.
Icaping with n certain joyous ire
sponsibility from the road OF whimsi-
cality and airy conccit upon which he
has heretofore Travelled. Mr. Locke has
SGT his feet upon a little frequented
bypath of fctlon--that which leads
TO Il fatryland for Brown-ups. For his
latest story. The Fortunate YOUTH"
Is fairy tale. pure and simple. in
spite of Its lack OF sprites, elfs and
crystal slippers.
1t relates the easy and wonderful
progress Of a modern Prince Fortuna
tus from childhood to triumphant
manhood. from the dirt Of Il slum to
the gIamor of bctrothal dinner
graccd by royalty
Paul Kegworthy Is n grimy child
or the Bludston sluns. utterly neglect
cd by an unnatural mother, save for
the savage beatings which she admin
. listers to him with and without 'occa-
sion, but his amazing and Grccian
beauty stands out. Hcrmcs-liko. amid
hte squalor Of his surroundings At
Sunday-school trcat,the ragged ur.
chin meets a kindly girl who has
spilled bottle OF scent over herself,
and who. to the sensitive olfactories
or the little boy. smells like All the
perfumes Of Arabv. She gives the lit =
tic chap IA cornclian heart. which re-
mains always TO him a talisman.
The memory Of the girl the pos
session of his talsman, much reading
or tattcrcd books ana hours Of day
dreaming combine to awake in him Il
ilrid imagination. Bearing always In
his heart the Vision Splendid. he sets
out TO find fortune, convinced that he
iS the son OF noble parents. whom he
must find II he search long and pa
iicntly enough
First he runs away from home in
barney Bills cart and. going to Lon
don. hnds occupation as an artists
model. for which his increasing beauty
admirably tits him. jan aw;tiScns in
MIN an ambition TO be something other
than perfect body, ANA hc becomes an
actor, though very bad one. Indeed.
In town ia the Provinces his com =
pany Jisbands. ana the youth starts
our TO walk to Londor. Weak from
hunger and exhaustion, he faints at
tho feet of - very great lady, who be
'o'nca his dca cN machina ana hi.
Dearest Lady.
Through her good Offices lie be-
comes secretary TO an NJ. H.. and For
tune opens her arms to- him and smiles.
He meets real princess and become
her knight: ne launches "a Young
England movement OF his own. which
IS warmly received and which brings
him into prominence no longer vica-
lious, and he is allowed to stand for
Parliament While the campaigning
cntarc, and there is E!.en To him tho
opportunity to show whether IA. is a
man orr merely a butterfly With the
opportunity comes trouble with his
princess and FOR time unhappincss
threatens. but--rcmcmbcr this is a
fairy story-Mr Locke stIaighteus
everything out for him. and 10 the
end OF the novel he continues The
Fortunate Youth"
This is not Beloved Vagabord. e
charming story, which holds the at
,ention from beginning 10 end
"Dodo's Daughter"
l3y T.. +. benson. The Century Com
pany.
some twenty years ago-in 1893. TO
ID cNact-Mr. Ecnson gave the fiction.
reading public something o; a SHOCK
with "Dodo' Now hc has evolved
and presented US with ''Dodo's Dnurh-
ter who. unconventional ana f:anl,
though she is, does not shock Us at ALI
In the first chapter OF th!s English
''Twcuty Years Aft,r' one nnds a stu
alton which, lie hopes or fears. gives
promise OF considerable daring. TO say
the least, iu tile sIory.
Those OF us ~ho remember Dodo
will welcome her glowing vitality ana
freshness OF vision As ncll-!o>c cd trait.
OF Il familiar friend. for they are often
in eNidcnc" in This novel, OF which sh.
Is The CohcroIne, ard We viii also be
able to understand ana sympathixe
with the temperament, If not the
methods Of its expression. OF Nadine.
daughter OF podo and that Prince
Waldenech for whom Dodo Tilted good
Jack Chestcrford years ago
For though Dodo's daughter is the
nomtuai heroine OF the story. her
mothers days OF romance arc by no
means over as she. her friends and the
reader lcarns. when Jack. now Lord
Chesterfield. finally surreuders 10 his,
unchanged love and comes 10 make his
peace with Dodo.
Nadine has two strings 10 her bow.
rulHariy speaking; one. Lord Seymour
HturGis. and the other. Hugh Graves.
Lord Seymour IL an exceedingly WELL
drawn character. rcpuisive in many re
'pects as lie is IN his cffeminacy.
while Hugh Is just an ordinary, big.
healthy man. Nadine fancics that she
cannot love Hugh. because his brain
is less acute and agile than hers, and
because he would let her have her way,
ana she, therefore, engages herself 10
Lord Seymour. But. at the nroD.r
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