The sun., 1914-09-12
NOVELS AND OTHER
BOOKS COVERING
VARIOUS THEMES
Mrs. Daskam Bacon on the Woman Question
actcriStic New McCutcheon Story Of Craustark
New Novels by Will N. Harden, Ian Hay. John Gals
worthy and Others-Gelett Burgess Unabridged
Historical Works on Germany, u. S. Party Govern
mcnt, Early Christianity and Art-Other Books

ging letters. These are addressed ex-
clusively to women. but the spoils the
mtsogynist draws from their indiscrim-
mate charity are devoted to helping
really worthy persons. An editor ex-
poses him In one column as q fraud and
In another thanks him for a generous
Christmas gift. II is good fun 30 far,
but a woman puts an end to the uncle's
misogyny and his ingenious scheme and
he practically disappears from the
story. The boy runs away and Is taken
up by an eccentric and amusing Literary
man. grows up and goes into the busi-
ness OF manufacturing automobiles.
The author meanwhile gets in n dig at
English public schools and the worship
OF cricket. The story. however. be-
comes moro and more commonplace: !:
the hero fails IN love with q nice SELF
sacrificing girl. but his happiness Is put
of unreasonably till the author IN ready
to end his book. There is danger that
tho reader may tire of him and tho girl
while they are spaIring for time.
Not 80 much story as a satire
against British conventions OF respec-
ability. which the author views with .
jaundiced eye. Is John Galsworthy's
The Country House tCharles Scrib-
ners Sons). He not only introduces US
to n dinner party but makes us ac-
quainted with the biography Of each OF
the guests. These are nearly all duh
and respectable. especially the squire.
who Is the host and whose political IDEAS
and methods OF dealing with his ten
ants Mr.. Galsworthy disapprovee Of.
There are two exceptions, both women: !:
one a beautiful creature separated from
her husband. whom tho rest regard
with an uncharitablenees which she and
the author hasten to Justify; the other
is the hostess, who has a weakness for
thoee who break the bounds that have
hemmed her IN. As q story 10 needed.
the son OF the house conducts a love
affair with tho beauty to tho point
where her husband. who has wronged
her. can ask for divorce. thereby al
lowing Mr.. Galsworthy to free his mind
OF what he thinks OF English divorce
laws. There is much disturbance in
consequence in the respectable house,
hold. but the kind hearted mother visits
each OF the parties to the suit In turn I;
the suit is dropped. as the woman has
tired OF her lover. The story would
not be complete without an unchari-
main a succession OF objections TO the
ideas OF humdrum, decent people. that
are neither convincing nor particularly
interesting; belated echo OF the mild
Victorian fiuttering against Philis-
tinism.
A rather saccharine young person.
with a laudable faith in the goodness
and kindness Of all people. converts a
gruff. III natured elderly relative in Wini-
fred Arnold's Little Merry Christmas'
| (Fleming II. Revell Company. The
author shows humor In this harmless
little tale, which has had many prede-
cessors in exactly the same tone. Lit
tie girls who are tempted to initiate
the enthusiastic young heroine are
| likely to come to grief.
The natural attractions Of the Cana
dian backwoods do not suffice Alice
Jones: in "Flame of Frost" apple
tons) she introduces into them q
Breton noble with an unhappy family
history. who rears young girl in the