New-York tribune., 1918-03-23
Typical Works Off iction
Good, Bad and Indifferent in
Substance and Form

SUNSHINE BEGCARs. BY Sidney Mccall With
fronspccc 12mo. pp. 302. Little. Brown & Co.
THE FLAME BY Olive Wadslcy. l2mo, PIP. 3S4.
Dodd. Mead & Co.
THE SOURCE. BY Clarence Budinston Kelland
With fronhspece l2mo. pp. 3l2. Harper &
Bros.
Those of us who have read "Truth
Dexter" and other books Of Sidney Nc
Calls and now find this latest charm
ing addition will be Interested to know
II at it is merely the pen name of Mary
Mcneil Fenollosa, of Mobile, Ala. In
Sunshine Beggars" we have an alto
eether delightful story that makes us
feel happier for the reading O. it and
sorry shat we can spend only few
hours with those lovable beggars, the
Bertollots.
The author has certainly given us
frst-handcd portrayal Of the narrow
minded, small-town- standard idea of
living, and the characters are sketched
as if one might be living among them,
watching the growth of the Bertollotis
and their feud. Most of us have known
"Ma" Giddings, with all her whole
some mothcrliness, and if we haven't
we have missed great deal. Little Phil
is just normal child, much misunder
stood and mistreated. Into this com
despiscd family of Italians, who,
through their love Of beauty, make a
bare, ugly spot place of riotous color
and of beauty. AS for the others, one
has to read the book to appreciate truly
the clear sightedness and philosophical
way in which Sidney Mccall draws all
the people who go to make the "Sun-
! shine Beggars" what it is.
This seems to be an era O.: problem
plays, "movies" and books, and to add
to the list we have Olive Wadsley's
"Flame,' truly appropriate title for
her book 1t is an excellent exponent
of sordidness. We open the pages with
drunkenness in it's lowest form, and
from then on we have all the physical
| passions Gished up for our digestion.
Toni, as the "Flame," is a wonder for
Sex, though no doubt there arc plenty
more like her. Surely Miss Wadsley.
might have given us a more attractive
story out [. the material at hand, for
it is not even clever enough to give
jolt to the most iaded taste in sex
literature, and it can easily be summed
up in few words. If one cares to be
there is rlenty Of it to be found in the
life Of Tcnl's much degenerafed father
and motacr; in fact in all the short
comings of her whole family, and in
her own hasco; otherwise, it may be
we'll be relegated to the ssh-heap Of
present lay fiction. Of course, there is
always one character in book that
claims our consideration, and that is
the proverbial uncle and fairy god
father. However, it is too bad that we
don't have a little more of Sir Charles
Saumarez.
A man serving his country. not in
a war Of bloodshed and horror, but
ar industrial war demanding much good
gcncraship and fnesse against petty,
underhanded plotting. AS in all cases,
right wins over might and we have
gripping story throbbing with life as
it is in lumber camp. Mr.. kelland
docs not waste time giving the details
OF how the man, who eventually made
good. fell from grace, but Immediately
introduces the city "bum" after he has
been "shanghied" to the lumber camps
of Vermont Arriving sonden with
| drink, the notice of woman, the
woman, made him realize that he is
a man and not mere Ching" Over
coming the drawbacks of his ireXperi-
ence, the cl stacles set in his way by
tie camp loss and the opposing enemy
of The Source. Yard finally. wins out,
gathering as his reward tie woman
whom he loves and to whom he owes
! lis regeneration, the respect and con-
fdence OF his fellowworl,ers and a
position OF trust with the man who
backed him in the beginning: and so
everything ends happily after 312 pages
Of bright breezy and wholly er tertain-
ing fiction. ii. a. Ii.