The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-01
CRITICAL
OF THE SEASONS
LATEST BOOKS
W. L. Georges Satire Of Settlement Work-Fourteen
Imaginative Tales-Other Fiction.
Rules for Playing Poker-Auction Bridge Curtain
Making-Automobile Selins-"First Aids"
Addition to Popular Edition o. Tolstoy-Dr. Wiley
in Popular Terms on Digestion and Nutrition.


n "a a tragic story that W. L. George
tells In his satire Of settlement work.
Tho Strangers Wedding" tLittle.
Brown and Company. He draws q
picture OF a young Oxford graduate,
we'll to do, of aesthetic tastes, who has
substituted ethical IDEAS for religion
and 10 anxious in an indefinite a to
improve the world, a portrait that will
ft many college graduates. He Is OBJ
stinate and IL set In his ways and
habits for one so young. When he "
drawn into settlement work much Of
It Is d!stasteful to him and he has
sense enough to see through the pet
t.ness OF his associates and to have
some realization OF how little good
they are all doing. He Is attracted to
q working girl and makes her love
him and marries her hastily without
considering the difference in their
ideas OF l!fe. SO far the tone Is hat
of ironical comedy. II he were more
adaptable and really cared for the girl
there seems TO he no reason why they
should not reach some common ground
on which to live. After the honeymoon
he goes on as before; he is irritated
because his wife is ignorant OF all the
social customs of his class. The strug-
gles Of the unlucky girl to crafty him
and retain his affection. n her lone
illness in her new surroundings are
pitiable. A way out Is devised by her
going of with a man OF her own class
while the husband Is philandering with
another settlement worker Older than
himself. The wife Is the real heroine
of the adventure. Mr.. George Ia re-
corded much accurate observation in
this realistic description. even II he
affects a cynical tone; the girl Is very
human and we can sympathize with
her Ideas, the conventions and the
%prejudices OF her bringing up. To
these her husband. who has chosen to
live emong people who share them. is
blind. He. too, Is true to Q type. His
seeming less natural may be due to his
youth. but Is more likely the result OF
the authors satiric Intentions. for
throughout the story the people who
are to be reformed are all alive and
natural. while their b~enefactors are
animated distractions.
The fourteen exercises In imagina-
tive writing which Lord Dunsany In
ciudes in The Book OF Wonder
John W. Luce and Company are In
terest!ng. although artificial in lam
guage and plot. He is quite success
full n conveying the impression OF
terror n much less successful with
his touches of humor. In all the
tales he relies on memory more than
on originality. The tale of the Lon
don business man who lets his poetlcal
fancies get the upper hand and is
locked up as q lunatic is n good story.
There may be some symbolical or
mystic meaning hidden in these stories
which we have missed. Most OF them
are really poems in prose.
II the readers will take for granted
certain absurd!ties he will derive
much enjoyment from "Mildew Manse,"
by Belle II. Mandates lLittle, Brown
and Company. The story is told in
the letters OF a very expansive young
girl. who is held, however, under
greater restraint than a previous
heroine of this author. The idea of
q commercial bureau of ideas is anus
ing. and so is the very unconventional
family that she goes to 1--we with. All.
young and Old. are so am!able that we
are gratlied when their difficulties
are removed. even II II be after the
n OF fairy tales. There are three
distinct low affairs TO be set right, a
number Of properly mischievous small
boys and some remarkable real estate
transactions, including moving a
hnuaa with fha family in a. nh. int
ter writer is n nice girl and very nat
ural, especially in her discovery OF
her real sentiments toward the youth
who loves her.
The majority Of the pieces con.
tr!buted to THE Blinded Soldiers and
Sailors Gift Book" edited by George
Goodchi.d (Jarrold and sons; G.. p
Putnam's Sons). are stories contributed
by the best know writer's Of the day in
England. Notable among them is q
tale by II. G. Wells, written several
years ago, In which men have to CON
tend against the improved m~echan!ca,
engines Of warfare. Among the other
authors are Robert H!chens, John
Galsworthy, Ellen T. Fowler. Eder
Phillpotts. j. +. Patterson, G. Is. Ches.
terton. Anthony Hope. Arnold White
Barry Pain. A. C. Benson, Beatrice
Harraden and T. p. O'Connor. Many
poets contribute verse, including Aus.
tin Dobson, Edmund Gosse and Gilbert
Parker. white the best now Illus,
traitors supply the pictures. The mis-.
cel!any IL therefore OF unusually high
quality. The proceeds go 10 helping
those who return from the war de-
prived OF sight to learn how to make q