New-York tribune., 1915-03-13
BEAIBY.
BFALBN Holiday pv VI q. wei
limo ~. eel Tic Macmillan COMPANY

BEALBY A Holiday py " O. Wells.
limo. ~. 2ei rho Macmillan COMPANY
"a holiday" Mr.. Wells calls this
story, and it is just that, one long
lark. Forgotten for the moment is oil
the muddle Of present-day socio-cco-
Monies. all the injustices of our pres
nt-dsy civilization, oil Glimpses Of
the future. Mr.. Wells gives here free
rein to that gift for comedy OF his to
which we owe already so many deli
cious pages even in his most serious
books He "a as entertaining here rs
he was in Love ano Mr.. Lcwisham,
ss free and successful with his humor
as in the most eXtravagant passage4
OF mir. Polly" Indeed. the episode Of
the old lady on the roof of the burn
ing house in that story Is echpsed by
the magnificent Battle of Craymin-
ster" in this-one runaway boy against
all the rabid conservatism OF lower
middle-class England
Bealby is the stepson OF the gar
dcner az Shonts. Who his father was
or is his mother never told him. ana
Mr.. Wells omits TO enlightcn us. In tho
imaginative moments Of his childhood
Bealbv was convinced that he was the
IlInlluA
present he was destined to become a
butler. according to the tradition that
keeps people Of his class IN their
proncr stations. lie was to begin his
career as stewards room boy at the
castle. lie declared that he won't bo q
servant; his stepfather retorted that o
'ad to-" And to Shonts he went, where
the butler cuiTed him. and Thomas the
second footmSn. humiliated him until
he began to breathe revenge. 30 one
night he stabbed Thomas with toast
ing fork, blindly ran from below stairs
20 the charmed regions above. and
there bumped into the knees OF the
Lord Chancellor, who was carrying the
vherewithal Of n whiskey and soda up
10 his bedroom. Bealby lodged into
the library before he was seen, ana
His Lordship put the assault down 10
the hich spirits of Captain Douglas
whom he confounded with his elder
brother, famous for his practical jokes
His Lordship was in bad humor, ior'
p Hegelian, he had been asked TO meet
a Pragmatist; and Pragmatlst, says
Mr.. Wells. holds the same relation TO
4 Herelian that small dog holds to
Beaiby, in full flight, discovers the
priests hole in the old castle, nils IL
with the noise of ghosts-au Captain
Douglass tricks to annoy him, the Lord
Chancellor believes-and then reaches
the open by secret passage here III
the countryside, Bealby meets up with
- caravan-three charming ladies on an
outing. Does he scOrn now TO he q
servant? Indeed not. He reveis IN H.,
for one of the ladies is Madeleine Phl-
ips. lovely beyond words, and an ac-
tress fully endowed with the histrlonlc
temperament. But Captain Douglas is
Miss Philips's lover, and when he ap-
pears the poor boy must ice again.
lie falls in with a tramp. the country
is flooded with placards offering re-
ward for his return. Shonts has been
broken UP with pickaXes IN search
for his body in its hidden hooks and
corners and staircases-an Thereafter
the fun grows so fast and furious that
70 outline Of the plot can be given,
even if one did not prefer to leave 1t
all fresh for the readers discovery.
To the reader must be left also the
even greater delights Of r. Weiss
humorous Characterization, with ITS
satircal touches, OF the men ana
women who play their parts IN the
comedy-of the host and hostess and
the weekend guests AT ShOhIS' u 'HS
servants. of the ladies Of the caravan
especially Miss Philips-of their driver
and their husbands, of Captan Doug
las. who is keen on his profession, but
must, of course. hide his keenness,
since it is such bad form TO be keen on
ANYTHING; of the mob of village trades
people, who hunt the boy who has tres
passed espassed!
One can only be thankful that Mr..
Wells has felt the need of a holiday.
NInv he take many more of them.