Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-10
NEW ENGLAND
CONSCIENCE MAKES
| GOOD FICTION THEME
,.,sia Theme Handled With
Admirable Art in "The
Bent Twig"
orHER NEW BOOKS


e .s,stence of the New England
8 lne eo - ,hroush the generations Is the
s e'hs.'s !, t,orotby Canfeld'3 remarkable
NOV, mrbe Bent Twig' uenry Holt y
l'''s Nav YORK;. The "rock-bound coast
y, puritan fathers, as Mrs. Hemans
w. ,heir landing place, is no more
,s.s,v sranitic than the inheritance OF
oS'a which the heroine, Sylvia. has
.a spa' from her New England mother
~ ~ a. infexibly but more suotly from
4 =. rather OF similar stock
.,,cropping Of the underlying vein
4 Ine.Sont Ine the girls experiences In the
uV1ss u,vuss N an early and luckily thwarted
.,srce s,ve and the Capua OF another period
4 ~, = hsr life is constant and ehective In
s ra,nne her ideals unyielding throusn
4 ..rnptation to indulge In the sol. iuNuries
temR.d t,RI,s ana to substitute a futile culture
F Tor life.
t,sr family Is transplanted to Middle
~, town where her father is the under
w VA rrofessor In the state university and
". rstlcent mother the practical head OF
nS,irs Here on short commons, SO far
y ,,vurv goes Is her rearing, and here
!. ,ss midst of peculiar domestic routine
~ IA assortment of family friends she
stsorhs the convictions-and courage
ns,ch doninate her life and make her
,,tsln real happiness at last, uncontaml-
,s,,d by ease, dearly bought at the sacri-
sse Of character, and the jargon OF the
sstbetic and other enervating influences
mich enter her life. These might have
,asr subyersIve IN a tree inclined less to
~Nst is lust and true, because the twig
h,d not been bent in the proper direc-
ton
The author Is to be congratulated on
,hls rounded replete, emotionally full
roysl. with its penetrating psychologist
M Of the idle rich and the unproductive
,sthetlc, with it's keen analysis of the
modern American spirit of discomfort in n
number OF manifestations, with It's
shrewdly observed pictures of college life
N small town on State bounty, with its
k,en insight into social, economic, politi-
ea and artistic conditions in the America
of today In style II Is OF genuine dis
tlnction; In form II Is shapely. Sharp.
swift epgrams are memorable on many n
mage: descriptions are pictorially repro
ductive OF the scenes; analysis OF motives
and deeds are convincing and Elusive: ac-
ton Is unfailing in tempo and rhythm.
Page after page can be read aloud for the
sheer beauty of cadence and felicity of
phrase.
Readers Of long memories who can re-
call Jules verne's Captain Hatteras"
know the fascination OIL Arctic romance.
II there are any readers left who have
rest for the crisp adventure and the es-
sentlal hardihood of polar adventures In
this generation OF the sex and problem
lat hor IN "a nf cyf n
Bsmor. who has written a capital novel
OF exploration In the frozen North, called
"A Wild Goose Chase" Duffield & Co.,
New York;. The movement OF this story
Is brisk, the photography seems accurate
and the plot Is modern. In addition to the
adyeatIrous element there Is an interest
Ing love story-something that the un-
Sentimental Verne left out OF his fiction.
Although he has entitled his latest work
Stories without Women" (Hearst's In
ternat.onai Library Company, Dom
Bsre has not fulfilled what his book
promises. In some of the stories women
are assigned roles as important as those
Of the male characters. This however.
does not detract from the interest in the
book. il is book of short but complete
novelettes In which the author dlscourses
on gangster fracases. prize fights. war
horrors and life under various other con-
dltons, all Of interest to lovers of fiction.
His Harvest" John Lane Company,
New York;, by Pearl Doles Bell. author
y Gloria Grey" and Love Pirates" Is
stoT OF an adorably unsophisticated
Young girl, who through a twist OF Fate
becomes the protege OF wealthy New
York bachelor Through him she comes
. believe that paying her debt" to her
1enefaetor must be the chief business of
aer lie. Then comes love. 1t sweeps be-
Iole her all ambitions. 1t Is a story OF
lvlng characters and II Is natural and
}. intensely vital interest. The character
p the heroine Is irresistible. There are
many laughs in the pages of the book and
- occasional one with Just a tear behind
The Fortunes OF Garin" (Houghton-
1iuln Company. Boston,. by Mary
'phnston' Is an absorbing romance OF
pss AID adventure. set in richly coiored
'acAground of Southern France at the
'erod OF the Crusades. the time of the
,ouoadours aid the fullest Towering of
he Ideals OF chivaIry.
varin Is bold and handsome knight
~ returned from victories in the Holy
..ahd and or course he is the hero Of
10 story. The princess Is oppressed by
'nlainous character. The siege gives
ise 10 great battle scene. which is de-
srloed graphically by Miss Johnston. The
sausr VIII rejoice in the happy and ro-