The Washington herald., 1917-12-16

Love Stories of the Bible and
Their Lessons for Today. by Billy
Sunday. illustrated. New York:
C. P. Putnam's Sons. Price, $50
net
IF Bill Shakespeare says it," Billy
Sunday points out in the preface to
his first book, ''it is literature. If Bill
Sunday says it, it is saCrilegious."
The Rev. Sunday states that it is his
business to talk about sin as it is
not to put a staincd-glass window be-
fore it.
Those who have hcari Mr.. Sun
days picturesque eloquenCc, which
has drawn thousands up the saw
dust trail" will find that he loses
nothing OF his power when address
ing his audience through the medium
OF the printed page. and also that his
vivid personality is felt nearly as
much as when he in person stands
before his public.
He gives in this book. in his own
inimitable style, the great love stories
Of the Bible-Esther. Abraham and
Sarah, JACOB and Rachel. Isaac and
Rebecca, etc. Then in all-and at the
end of each shows the great lessons
which may be learned from them.
The Shadow on the Stone, by Mar
Euerite Bryant. New York: Duffield
4 Company. Price, $1.35 net.
When ''The Shadow on the Stone"
is read a unique impression Is loft in
the mind OF the reader. for 1t is so
entirely different in idea and con-
structi6n from most novels, ami de-
lightfully surprising At first. the
book seems overweightcd with names.
expressing meaningless characters.
until the realization comes that these
many characters are introduced be-
cause they are necessary in giving
the proper atmosphere and clue to
the story. Neil Meredith is an eX-
alted sort of hero who sacrifices his
life for his ideals These ideals arc
not mere theories. built upon fantas-
| tic dreams. but are deep metaphysi-
cal and spiritual laws. which inspire
him to give his life for the Gooj of
the race. The Shadow on the
Stone" has just the proper amount of
romance to create a dual interest. 1t
Is an ESSAY novel" and so subtly
done that the discriminating reader
is sure to enjoy it, The style is easy
and charming.
The Enlightenment of PauIIna, by
Ellen wilkins TompkIns. New York:
E. P. Dutton & Company. Price.
$1.5O net.
This new novel is one of those
books which one reads with feel
ing of regret-regret for what they
might have been. For there is
some good work in THE Enlighten-
ment of Paulina." but it is rendered
almost null and futile by the au-
thor's apparent lack of any sense
OF light and shade, any sense of
what to eliminate. Vigorous blue
penciling and pulling together
might have made an interesting
novel out of what, as it now stands,
is very tedious one. Paulina her
self, especially in the opening part
of the story, is well drawn; as the
tale advances she steadily becomes
less interesting.
The backbone of the plot is the
familiar theme of the woman who,
married to one man. falls in love
with another.
The Forfeit, by RidgweH CuIIum,
author of The Son of His Father.
Philadelphia: The George w. Jacobs
and Company. Price. $1.35 net.
A ranch story of Montana which
centers around the fact that the
leader of the "Lightfoot Rustlers"
and the likable but devil-may-care
brother OF the hero are one and the
same.
The story starts with the discov-
cry by JEFF NJ. Masters that his low
able but devil-may-care twin broth
er and the leader of the 'Lightfoot
Rustlers" are one and the same. The
cattle thieves are run to earth
through information obtained from
a woman by the offer of a $4,000
reward, and Ronny Masters, the
brother, Is strung up.
How fate some years later throws
this woman in Jeff's path, his mar
riage to her, his discovery that she
was responsible for his brothers
death, and the complications that
ensue therefrom provide the mater
ial for a story that compels the alb
sorbed attention of the reader to
the very end.
Love stories OF Court Beauties,
By Baroness Won Hedemann Fran
xisca. = illustrated New York:
George II. Doran and Company.