The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-28

Even in a rude community like the
trading outpost Of the Hudson Bay
Company, to which " +. koe intro
duc.s us In The Primal Lure (DOdd.
Mead and Company, the roughness
and stupidity of the obstinate and mas
terful head man seem excessive.
The heroine, in spite OF all the maltreat-
ment to which she Is subjected. Ii
nevertheless a match for him and the
author is relentless in the humiliation OF
the man who is in the wrong by the
woman who Is always right. The story
u pitched In n high key OF sentiment,
which at times comes dangerously near
30 absurdity, but the separate inciuents
are related with vigor and dramatic
force, even II some scenes are too
theatrical. and the people in their trib-
ulations are likable. II 10 an ingenious
and readable tale. describing how peo-
pie should behave in emergencies, rather
than what they probably would do In
real life.
An amazing amount Of art and lit.
erary skill Is wasted on an unworthy
subject by Mrs. Lowndes- Belloc In THE
Ledger" (Charles Scribner's Sons). She
describes with great minutenees the
phases of mind in Q respectable
middle class Enslishwoman. who first
suspects and gradually becomes sure
that the man who lives In her house
10 q murderer. The particular crime
the author has in mind il a series OF
sensational murders that alarmed Lon
don a good many years ago. but she
avoids details, using the murders
merely for the impression they make
on the woman's mind. She rather likes
her ledger, and Is convinced that he has
. no evil intentions. but simply follows
insane impulses. nj the same time she
fears for those around her. A
whole volume Is devoted to this curl
esity In psychology. II holds the atten-
ton, but the reader may well feel that
he has been taken in.
Bees and honey and country pleasures
adorn rustic idyi In Tickner Ed
wardes's The Honey Star" (E. p. Dut-
ton and Company. which % long ~ 1t
continues rural. is entertaining. The
love making is satisfactory and the rus
tics are in keeping with their sur
roundings. The disturbing element is
an energetic hoyden. who makes trou-
BILE after the hero has treated
her rather shabbily and who finds pre-
posterously villainous agents to avenge
her wrongs. The author unfortunately
as to settle his hero and heroine COM
fortably: this brings in at the end an
excessive amount Of melodramatic ac-
ton that is rather absurd and is discor-
dant in an otherwise pleasant story.
II is not a story but a demonstration
of the actual working OF modern
methods in the household that Kathleen
Norris has written in THE Treasure
(MnrYpillanSl r,a Il.
can family enters a product Of training
in modern domestic science. combined
with business efficiency. The result Is
that the household goes like clockwork.
but the unfortunate mistress has to
readjust all her ideas Whether the
suthor intends to satirize her or the
domestic We cannot make out. perhaps
she means to leave the matter open.
At all events II she shows how thought
leesly inconsiderate OF servants rights
most women are she also shows how
annoying II must be for a woman to
lose control OF her own house. W.
could have wished that the author had
made the mother a shade less snobbish
and the daughter less calculating.
The spirit OF unrest and the desire
10 shock conventional propriety seems
TO be taking the form In British fiction
Of sarcasm that Is more violent than
humorous. Three stories OF that char
Acter come to US at once from the John
Lane Company. In THE Strong Heart
BY A. r. Goring Thomas. We have the
history of two distinct sets Of peopl.
having no apparent connection with
each other served alternately in small
doses, to the readers utter bewilder-
ment, till the two sets blend late in tn,
Aan Ia thot n.
tolerated in the case OF Mr.. DE Morgan
but which Is deplorable and disastrous
with most others We follow the story
OF q plucky young girl with q father
thrown out OF employment and a pre-.
posterously extravagant anl drearily
voluble mother, who earne a living al
first perilously as a stenog- 1pher and
then securely and virtuously as q bar.
maid. The other thread deals with y
dull society woman, the stupidity OF hei
philanthropic organizations and OF tn,
shams OF society, the eccentricities OF
the woman movement and other mat
ters that the author finds objec sional,le
The one really amusing episode In this
satiric part Is the account OF tue Ger.
man schoolmistres who shows tn
prudish mothers son the sights Of Paris
The young man marries the ba rmaiC
secretly ana a1ter tnat the story De
comes quite commonplace. as the author
DISCS his grip on his characters. He |,
mean enough to attribute the woma .
movements to thwarted desires for mat
rimOny
In simple Simon" John Lane Com
pany) A. Neil Lyons Is fantastic .,
well as sarcastic. The butt OF his satir,
is the administration Of the poor laws
favorte target for humorists sine.
the day Of Mr.. Bundle al least. tn,
reader might have more sympathy with
the eccentric hero II there were an,
method In tho gathering Of his follow
ing; when he once IN chosen q guardian
and exposes the hypocrisy Of his col
leagues. the hardships Of the poor laws
the shortcomings OF organized Chart,
he Is at least Ineligible. So he 10 /,
his filings at morality and the rels 'ior
OF the sexes. when he speaks with tn,
excessive frankness which 10 the hal
mark OF advanced sociological though
nowadays. There 10 much that 10 briEh
and amusing In this outburst, general!
In the form OF rude repartee, and mucl
that 10 sensible there 10 also Q grea