The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-23

In adopting the fairy tale tone In
"The Lost Prince" (The Century Com
pany) Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett
compels her readers to adopt the
fajth, also. without which a fairy tale
Ii meaningless. The small boy will
accept the constancy and perfection
Of her boy hero moro readily than
grown UP readers. who have learned
that most boys. wen with the best
of intentions. falter sometimes In fol-
lowing their ideals. The boy and his
friend from tho streets are lovable
chaps. even II they are preternaturally
gifted. and the qualities they display
are such as boys a appreciate. They
meet with extraordinary and X
citing adventures, which the author
has contrived out Of what seems to
be a very kind Interpretation Of Ser
bian history combined with touches
Of legends and moralities. They come
out of all difficulties brilliantly by
obeying discipline. which Is the chief
lesson i%nculcated; We only regret that
the author has not made room for the
rest Of the band of attractive little
ragamufins, who shared in their train
ing but were not allowed to take part
in the real game. II is a pretty story,
that older readers will understand bet
ter than children. but that youngsters
will enjoy. too, particularly II 1t Is
read aloud TO them.
A capital mystery story has been
written by Victor Bridges in "A Rogue
by Compulsion' &C. L. Putnam's Sons).
While the hero. a convict. Is escap-
ing from Dartmoor we are made to
sympathize with him. regardless of
the matter of his criminality. We are
wholly mystified by the strange group
Of persons that come 10 his assistance
and plan to make use of him When
he is let loose In London. however,
the authors intensity relaxes. he be-
humorous and epigrammatic,
amusingly enough as a rule. but oc-
c%asionally a little out of place. and
on taking up the thread OF his IN
genious intrigue again, while he con-
tiniies to hold the attention closely
he comes down to the ordinary level
of mystery tales In his style. HIS
villains lose much Of their cunning
possibly because Germans must now
be made stupid. and the hero's genial
ity covers all sins against him. 1t
is an entertaining tale. which In the
first chapters is brilliant and finely
written.
The first part of Berta Ruck's The
woolng Of Rosamund Fayre" tDodd'
Mead and Company is bright and
amusing farce with It's satire OK the
modern I'M Of social activities
the mixup in the girls that the hero
falls in love with, and the pleasant
outing on the French seashore. the
authors touch is not so light when
she undertakes to unravel her tangle;
the hero's Qulxotic behavior comes
pretty close TO stupidity, the heroine
is not wholly admirable. and the au-
thor unfortunately tries to soften the
wooden little female martinez who
stands between them. There Is
rather startlingly frank passage In
which she explains the physical dis
taste she has for men, which jars IN
q story written in the vein or the
lightest comedy.
The obligation OF parents TO keep in
terested in their children's desires i
the lesson preached by Sidney Nc
Call in THE Stirrup Latch" little
Brown and Company by means OF th'
story and several long discussions II
It. a moribund Southern town and {
love affair that has dragged FOL
twenty years are both stirred up BY
a wideawake widow and her son wh'
return from the outer world. An ami
able and INDECENT lady has shut her
self up with the memories Of TIT
worthless husband she lost years ag'
and is bullied by her rebellious daugh
ter. The scenes between these two arr
decidedly disagreeable, much more