The sun., 1918-10-13
"The Caravan Man"
0TT is an evil age for the gypsily in

L elined among men; he who sits
squarest on three-legged stool, he it is
who has the most wealth and glory" In
spite of this bit of youthful cynicism Of
Robert Louis Stevenson the love Of gyp-
sying still lives in mems hearts; and if
they can indulge in it in no other way
they still enjoy it vigorously in the pages
Of books Of adventure, whether the ad-
venturing be in love or adown the
highways Of the broad world. And it is
because this inclination exists among US
that all readers of fiction will take huge
delight in the pages of Ernest Goodwin's
animated, novel and very interesting tale
Of The Cororaa Non.
Bamfeld was an English artist who
had just 50 much success as to be in the
hands of the Philistines, to wit, q shrewd
and INSCRIPTIONS picture dealer who
bought his canvases cheap and sold
them dear. On the wall of his studio
some former occupant had painted a
sketch of the head Of young girl who
was Bam6eld's only sweetheart, although
at thirty-three he had never seen her nor
had knowledge Of her name or condition.
Achieving huge disgust at the world as
represented by the Philistine picture
dealer, Bamfeld got himself caravan
and went gypsying over England behind
an ancient marc pretending to be an tin
Grant photographer and painting land
scapes the while. Thus he came to Ouse-
ton Common, by which spot lived Rose
Nieugente. Since Rose was the daughter of
an adventuring mother what more natural
than that she should become interested
in the caravan men who called himself
Jonesf And il Rose was Is lovely as Mr..
Goodwin sketches her, what heart free
man could help but fall in love with herf
Naturally these things worked in con-
junction toward that common and ever
lovely destiny. But many events fell be-
tween the beginning and the perfect end
ing. It Is Mr.. Goodvin's inclination to
give these events q fsrcical cast, with
shrewd filings at snobbishness and much
admirable character sketching Of English
rural types, both Of the quality" and the
British rustics. The scene in which Mr..
Jones loses his reputation with Roses
aunt and grandmother by eseorting some
happily inebriated village rustics home
from their Saturday night at the local
inn is described with a Georgian gusto
The gentlemanly daring with which he
forces himself upon Roses relatives in
their own home is mastery in its social
tactics. The adventure with the rural
beauty who "borrows" very fashionable
evening gown in which to be photographed
by Mr.. Jones (the display at one end Of
her figure to serve as an Offset to the dis
play afforded by Delighted chorus girl
in her lovers eyes) is not only rich in
voluptuous beauty but comic beyond
words to tell. Set upon the stage and
played with the seriousness Of this
writer's atmosphere it would be bound to
leave any audience helpless from laugh
ter, so grotesquely comic is the ensuing
pursuit of the village constable's of the
person who took the aforesaid fashionable
gown.
The author of this romance is a new
writer come among US, and in this, his first
story, shows all the qualities we have in
dicated with the addition of nice sense
for dramatic effects. This enables him to
round out his tale to a very successful
"last act" in which Virtue and Love tri-
umph, the Philistines (both social and
artistic) are east down and Humor how
ers over the scene with a precise feeling
for the niceties Of a proper balance.
Above all else Mr.. Goodwin has accom-
plished task almost unbelievable in these
lays and all the more welcome thereby
he has written a wholesome, charming
md amusing story where war is not and
where its grim and darkling presence
never intrudes.
THE CARAVAN MAN. BY ERNEST Good
WIN. Houghton Miflin Company. $l5O.