Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-14
ReUiews and News
OF Latest BOOTS
Society Novel and Dctcctiuc
Story Contributed 10 Spring
Literature.
"lnatend OF tho Thorn" BY Clara
Louise Burnam. Houghton Mifflin

Co.
\ society novel OF the West will
many or the usual types and situations
notably the spectacular success of Il
,Setf-madc man. who ventures at last
too far. and the logical result, OF UNI
limited riches upon the character OF
his children.
The story opens at the climax OF
Lambert Barry's career, when his
youngest daughter, Linda, having fin
ished college. has just made her en-
trance into the gayest and most ex-
I~travaSant society of Chicago.
Linda is a law unto herself and the
autocrat OF her home. She exempli-
ies the very worst feature of our
american social system. the rlorihca-
ltion-almost edilcation-of youth at
the expense OF maturity. the most In
teresttne. as we'll as encctual period
OF life.
to the treadmill OF business long after
they have earned the right to the en-
1oymcnt of leisure and the gratifca-
ton of their own tastes. in order that
their children. particularly their daugh-
tors. may be further STEPPED in luxury
and have more to spend upon their
pleasures and adornment.
Selhshncss, wilfulness. careless cruel
~. are the natural outcome of over
Indulgence. and we are not surprised
TO find Linda's finer traits obscured
by those characteristics. Or the con
trary, we wonder how Harriet. the
elder sister. has escaped their innu-
ence. She is, indeed, that rare being.
n lnultimilliona!rc's daughter who has
kept her perspective. She Is capable,
conscientious. b~roadmtnded. public
spirited, ar admirable wife and mother.
Early in the course of the story
the father is ruined in circumstances
that appear TO put tho responsibilities
upon mis- business associate and adj
wiser, Bertrarn King. who bears the
undeserved blame in silence. Bertram
has loved Linda for Years, but she is
aware that he does not think her
~faultlcss. and rs she canuot bear the
most tacit disapproNal. or even i'm
piled criticism. she consistently re-
pulses him.
Her father sinks under the blow OF
his failure. and Linda who really loved
him, is crushed by his loss and threat
. cned disgrace. Il is AT this time that
she comes by accident upon a leaf
torn from a calendar OH which this
iihlc verse appears. Instead Of the
thorn shall come UP he fir tree" 1t
'mpreSScs her, i'll her retrospective
mood, deeply, and later when she has
been persuaded to 30 &, her aunt's viii
faEe nome in New ErEian1. and slowly
reEaining her poise and taking up life
nEain, sha begins to realize its mean
ing in the Ugh of her own changed
nature. Every fault overcome. she
feels. is IA thorn removed and in it's
stead the beginning OF n nobler growth.
4 religious note is struck in the per
sonality of Mrs. Porter. the friend and
mentor, who has preceded her to the
cape, and whose loving sympathy and
counsel have helped her TO better
things.
Rertra,n King. the insulted. almost,
IN q roll btt ett1l fn,IT,I - 49,.
superhuman efforts that have landed
him at deaths door. saves the good
name of the nrm. and protects their
investors from loss. lie then drifts. by
force of circumstances. into The sam.
haven that holds his beloved. where
he is cleared Of blame. the risky spccu-
iation being really the fathers idea.
are explanations. lov~e-nlakines.
a s~tercotyped. but satisfactory
ending.
"rhr Master Detcctirc!' By Percy
lanes Brehner. L. p. Dutton & CO..
Almost every one is bound to con-
feSs At least, at some time in his life
Z" Il weakness for detective stories,
while for many OF us they never loose
their fascination.
II is, therefore, not surprising that
we have q perennial crop of tales of
crimes and mysteries, and OF tho pre-
u oiN
them.
Modern taste seems. however, to de-
mand a different type OF hero from, she
on" hitherto exploited. In place Of the
~daSiinr officer Of Scotland Yard. the
k~een-witted Partisan agent and out,
own rodouota5le sleuth, the dilcttantc,
! he amateur, the consultant has muda
his appearance. lie Is a wonderful he
inS who's. genius irresistibly impcls
him 10 marvellous fentS OF deduction
from infnitesimal beginnings. Tie does
the work for It's own sake, remaining
mode,tly In the background and in
variatly giving the credit to the ohtuse
but ~.ll-ncaning professional who as
s!sts n the investigation.
SUCH is Christopher Quar!es. profess
sor OF philosophy, whose taste lies in
The direction OF dark crimes and seem
tnEly impenetrable mysteries, and
wncae mind finds It's relaxation In their
solution.
He has a system OF hi. own which
demando for it's proper working a GER
tain location and surroundings, and
often Tho presence OF his daughter. Ze-
ma. whose foolish questions" he
claims. affect his trend OF thought and
frequently pat him upon The tight
track.
.Quaries is an eccentric. and rather
dssaereeahlc. old gentleman, but a. the
'''S 'S'NN''NCs Sal Hpl OILY QP-
sires his help, but his daughter also.
harmony between them is preserved,
and together they work out their prob
lens.
the collection Of fifteen stories,
though perhaps not in the front rank
OF such literature. are sufficiently In
Eentous IN construction to be inter
csting, and we'll enough executed for
IN" writer's purpose There arc few,
real thrills. and the suspense is at all
times tndurahle, but the action is gen
orally brisk, the theme u~nhackneyed
ana the stories worked IN 10 n clever
climax. making altogether an acccp-
table addition TO ,Nis class OF fiction.
Neglected Points OF Auction Bridge"
BY Carl Ehlcrmann. Harper &
Bros.
Ia the last half-dozen years we have
aInassed Il considerable literature on
auction bridge, but on account OF the
continual changes and Developments in
the game much that has been written
on tn" subject has become obsolete and
useless, Now that the lo~w-spade bid
mas been abolished and the new rule.
az 1915 definitely established The pame