The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-15
SOME NEW FICTION

Besides high spirits blindness TO vul-
edrity and suggestiveness Is called for
to enjoy the hilarious fun OF II. NJ. Edg-
ingtons OH James" little. Brown
and Company. The author has really
conical idea, the annoyance of a sue
cesasful moneymaker at his wife's re-
Ja!nlng her early parsimon!ous habits
and declining to spend money properly.
lie decides that tho money must not
be wasted and sets up an attractive
young woman he chances 10 meet In
an establishment of her own. Her as
constituent that he asks nothing in re-
turn may be natural. but is unduly
emphasized. Then tho authors fire.
quenting musical comedy shows its ef.
feet; she ph!lanthropist repeats the
process six times and then finds SIX
young men to watch over the girls thus
providing the customary chorus. with
each repetition the joke becomes more
fiat, but thae are several persons who
doubt the innocence OF the hcro's mo-
tivcs and express their suspicion with
abundan mt frankness. Finally the news
reaches the ears OF his wife: she secs
what the trouble IL and starts in to
spend money on herself so lavishly that
the hero has to work hard TO earn
enough for her and is thus KEEP. out Of
further mischief He gets rid of his
proteges. male and female. by marrying
them off.
We are not familiar enough with the
writings OF Maud Diver TO be able to
Judge whether the new editions OF
Captain Desmond, v, c." and The
Great Amulet" &c. Il. Putnam's Sons)
revised and in part rewritten" are I'M
A.
piification of the ending Of the first
story, which the author seems TO take
pride in, is certainly much weaker than
the former ending. The same people
appear in large measure in both stories
and the theme In both is the same. the
struggle after marriage between a man
and woman with marked differences Of
temperament The men are British Of
fcers on the Indian frontier uniformly
fine fellows. We have found the de-
scrlptions OF camp and garrison life
with the comments on the Wa. things
are done in India the most interesting
portion of both books. The story itself
| is told with much dramatic feeling, but
the authors sympathy seems to be
always with the man. In Captain DeS-
mond" he Is married to a frivolous
/
ishingly base actions TIL she is put out
| OF the way by u native fanaLic. The
presence throughout of the capable ard
estlmable young woman who Is tn
proper companion for him does no,
make the story more pleasant. In "Th,
Great Amulet" the hero has TO nigh,
against the opium habit besides an
/ Incredibly morbid mind before lie car
become rcconcled to his wife's artistic
temperament. What attraction the tive
have for each other It Is difficult L
make out, but this time the author
wishes them to amalsamate. Mrs D!vel
seems to have a grudge against artists
for she gives her readers more thar
enough Of pretty desp!cab'e painter II
mis- tale.
The chief object OF Ransom Sutton's
The Passing of the Fourteen" (The
Devn-Adair Company, New York; IS
apparently the utilization OF the late
Benito Juarez 1t Is in substance the
story OF the fall OF Macmillan. for
which all the credit Is given to a con
federation OF outlaws. Not q scrap OF
character Is left TO poor Juarez; this
hopes OF Mexico rest In Porfrio Diaz
Incidentally Texan adventurer makes
love 20 a Mexican maiden, who pull;
political strings. The book will not
contribute to the understanding ol
Mexican .-oblems.
The re II description Of the horror.
of War. oy, w. Douglas Newton
Dodd, Mead and Company, to which
Mgr. Robert Hugh Benson contributes
a preface and 'Rudyard Kipling a shor
introduction. Is evidently part OF Tn,
lingo literature intended to spur Eng
land to action. The author appeals e
the passions rather than to reason anC
bcwails fully as much the state o.
4 unpreparedness as he does the deplor
able acts he invents. The appearance
of the book Is timely. for 1t will add
to the Mysteries that the present wal
has excited In some quarters.