The sun., 1918-08-18
"The Little Girl Who
Couldn't-Get-Over-It"

A novel, The Little Girl Who
couldnfGet- Ouer-It, has given us a story
that is charming in its cleverness and its
emotional appeal. 1t is sweet and clean and
full of tender feeling. this story of lit
tie orphaned baby. bewildered by a world
too harsh and uncomprehending for her
sensitive soul. The central character, Ma
aggie, as Mrs. kernochan, the Irish wom-
an who brought up the hapless waif on
condensed milk and soda crackers. called
her, or Margarita, as Otto Lilienthal
named her, or The Princess, as she is
otherwise spoken of, is delcately limned
Margarita seems bit exaggerated,
bit overdrawn, verging too near the neu-
rotlc at times TO be altogether convincing.
Yet IN the main she is human and very
lovable. She seems more real in her i'm
poverished childhood than in the siken
shelter Of her later years. The forlorn
little Princess with heart full Of
love for everybody, even for those that i'll
treat her, the ragged small fairy slipping
in and out of the old book shop, playing
In the dingy park, minding the baby,
bringing home pals of beer from the cor
ner saloon, seeing beauty everywhere and
wistfully looking for the land of Never
come, is more actual than the pet.ed
daughter in the Paris home.
We see her humber surroundings more
wildly, and we find the persons associated
with her in her earlier days more hfe!ike
than those of later times. They all seem
real. Old Mrs. Dowd, "wh0se eyes could
scarce be seen for the folds and collOps of
smoky yellow flesh on her widowed face;
Mrs. kernochan, whose rising preceded
the dawn and whose stern backbone pre-
vented her husband from loafing; Miss
Brecn, with her face like faded palimp-
sest, with her little flat ringlets and her
hungry heart; Otto, the bookshop man,
"a little like wooden Buddha, little
like Chinese mandarin, little like an
OWL in appearance and at heart all ten
dernesS, all rise before the mind like per
sons we have known rather than like
characters from novel
The scene wherein Otto first meets Mar
gari;a, who has fled frightened into his
shop, is revelatory of the nature of the
two.
'1f the light silvering from his shop
windows had suddenly danced into shin
ing crystalline forms revealing Oberon
and Queen Nab, he might have been
bored, but this delicate thing before him
in flesh and blood and soiled linen was
altogether too wonderful. And there was
more, much more. For behind Otto
LilienthaTs wonder there was long,
long hunger for the beautiful which
earth had indifferently satisfied The
rare soul within him had been I'M
derfed, just like the Princesss pipe
stem legs, but in a different wise. And
now he was drinking at fairy fountains
just as was the child. And they were
quite absurdly happy"
There is much whimsical pathos and
tender humor in the book, oddly COM
pounded. There is description that
makes us clearly see the places and the
persons pictured, and a sympathy that
makes us feel with them.
"Among the hurrying traffic came the
Princess There was a thing called a
hat on her head, felt, surely. and some time
navy blue, pressed deep over her stringy
locks, obscuring both eyes and ears
About her slight figure coat thing that
had been black before Bridget wore the
thin nap off, inclined to part from itself
in critical places. Very thin cotton stock
ings, too, no longer black, revealing one
bare and grimy knee! Shoes out at the
toes! Legs without a calf! Little fingers
curled up in the sleeves of the coat thing.
and clinging pinky by the edges! But
very brave and resolute for all these.
There was a natural dignity about her
which kept her from running, but did not,
hnunyar roach anita 70 tbo liz, oe bar