The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-14


mans sons, will prove entertaining, for
the author writes charming English. so
far as there is any story 1t tells Of the
trials of a Young English squire who
rules his estates in the fine old feudal
fashion of tradition and fiction and IL
Obliged 10 take over the management of
% manufacturing town. His application
OF patcrual principles upsets all the
pluns of sociological reformers. He Is
opposed hy an III tempered and vicious
minded female novelist who seeks no.
roricty and Ivy an empty beaded and
pushing orgapiHer Of societies processing
to amcliurate all sorts Of things and her
adherents. Their schemes, however, are
fo.led by the tricks of mischerous
schoolbuy. The squire and the school,
boy are delightful fellows and many OF
the minor characters are natural and
amusing the bits Of country life are
pretty and the complications are funny
enough. They are long drawn out how
ever, and repeated over and over again
and the sarcasm l. too savage for the
objects against which IL is directed.
The unlucky women seem to have
stirred the authors bile he has written
this book apparently to relieve himself.
II the reader has the patience To read It
through he will get good deal of en-
Juyment out Of II all the same.
Though The Gay Adventure" lThe
Bobbs Merrill Company, Indianapolis)
on which Richard Bird embarks his
hero turns out to Ice a pretty dull one. 1t
is told brightly and the consequences to
persons Of less Importance are amusing.
An amiable. good looking and shiftless
young man about town IL captured by a
u h. l.4.4t,s M "a mr.
oner, first in her apartment and later
in her country house, while she puts
him to the test. This consists chiefly
in his obcying her blindly, no matter
now prepustcrous her actions are. but 1t
t. Just as well that he also abstains from
kissing other girls. Between them they
succeed in starting an elderly clerk on
the road of adventure in which he is
Joined by a bored p.utOCrat. These keep
funny Tor "a good while. SO does the
matter OF fact person III humber life on
whom the maid experiments with her
MISTRESS formula III implicit obedience.
The sentimental ending would be more
satisfactory If the author had given any
character to his hero or his heroine; as
1t is it looks painfully like a business
transaction. The story depends on
quick and unexpected action, Of which
there is plenty, for its interest and will
do to while away an idle hour.
II j. story of theatrical life that
Margarita Spalding. Gerry relates in
The Masks OF Love" (Harpers). A
society girl decides TO go on the stage
IN search OF adventure and a sight of
real life. \ theatrical manager gives
her a chance in spite Of hts better judy
ment. with the ultimate result that she
FOL IL f,, l..s Q IL, ,,l h.. 1, h.r
There is no harm in this except that
she would not have cared for him If he
had not embraced her violently early in
her career an incident which serves TO
illustrate how potent are the impulses
OF primitive man, a theme on which
much nonsense is written here and in
other books. Even this cannot rouse
the heroine 10 the deeper emotions
which must be depicted on the stage.
After that outbreak the hero excrts
much discreetness, more than the hero
me, who manages to i've a year in a
travelling company without further dis
agreeable experiences of life. The au
thor expresses admirably the frame Of
mind ~ young girls Of this type and
gives them sound advice; II IL a pity
that she protects her heroine by tricks
of fortune and by friendly oversight in
stead OF describing the experiences she
would have met II left TO her own re-
sources. That might have cllnched the
lesson. We could have gladly spared
too the sentimental harping over the
Burnc- Jones etching, which as depicted
on the cover hardly warrants the au-
thor's Interpretation ~ il.
II the reader can surmount the ford
rhetoric of the opening chapter Of Mar
lax, S,illi ~ 81
Dawn" 90. w. Dillingham; Company
he will come to some entertaining de-
scriptions OF life In girls colleges which
will lead him to expect character in the
heroine. lie will ba disappointed. for
she is IA passive victim In the accounts
Of social functions that follow and in
the later matrimonial M.sfortunes. The
determination OF her artist lover to win
her is noble but even the artistic tenn
permanent can hardly expect to have
much effect on girl VINO does not love
him through keeping out OF sight for
ten years; this man, however, expected
10 make a living by sculpture. The
ingredients for this sentimental tale are
thrown in haphazard; few OF them
are promising those, we fancy. that are
within the authors experience.
More record Of real life than fiction
IL 1.-THE Diary OF a Minister'S WIFE," by
Anna T.. s. Droke tEaton and Mains,
New York;. 1t Is faithful transcript
of events as they happen, which will re-
call familiar incidents In their own ex-
pericnce to most Americans. The chron-
icle would be more lively no doubt II the
writer showed up the failings Of the
people with whom she came In contact.
but she seems to have had an equable
temper and much charity; she even
leaves the reader to guess for the most
part the impositions that are put on a
minister's wife. The husband. SO far as
We are allowed to see him. is an UNI
usually sensible fellow as well as hard
working man, but singulary enough
thcr" Is little said in the book Of the re-
llS!uus life of either Of them that seems
I" b" taken for granted. The sketches
Z" the people who are kind tu-the couple
are Charming; so Is the one instance
"h,n the writer loses patience and tells
or IN" assurance Of the young woman
VINO was hitting herself for the mission
airy held.
'mo Reader Will feel under obligations
"'rha ann" ma. harland for giving him in
fofestcrs Daughter (Harpers,
A." fragment ~ the great woris no