Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-29
1EW AMERICAN BRITISH AND FRENCH NOVEL
NOTHING CAN KEEP
TRUE LOVERS APART
The Old Theme Is Developed
in archibald MdrSIdIPS
Latest Tale

Archibald Marshall, British nov
elist of distinction and gradually in.
creasing popularity, set out apparently
in 'Sir Harry" his latest book to do
one thing, and before he had finished
| 1t decided to do another. Sir Harry
the hero, is the sou of an Englshman
of rank and wealth who married an
obscure actress, and few weeks later
was killed in the South African war.
The widow is taken TO the country seat
of her mother in law. where her son is
born. The grandmother decides to do
her best to keep him from the influences
which led his father to marry beneath
/ him, and keeps the boy in the country
with no companions of his own age or
rank. lie is not quite eighteen years
old when the story opens and the great
war is just beginning, While riding on
the estate one day he suddenly comes
upon beautiful seventeen year old
| girl, who proves to be the daughter of a
London artist spending his vacation in
the country. The young people fall in
love ut once and the thing has appar-
emily happened which the grandmother
| had devoted nearly eighteen years of
effort to prevent.
/ 1t is disclosed in the course of the
story that the mother of the girl had
been an actress--shc had died soon after
! her daughter was born-and friend
of the mother of the boy. Her father
was a man of good family, as the
father of the boy had been. She had
been educated by her father and was
delicate and refined in her nature. The
boy, born of the same kind of mother,
had been educated by his grandmother
with the aid of a tutor, and he was a
youth of honor and fine sensibilities.
Their love affair, as it is exhibited, is
beautiful idyl of youth and purity.
And the moral, which the grandmother
herself sees and formuates, when she
discovers what has happened, is that it
is useless to attempt to mcddle with
fate. The romantic reader will put it
in another form and say that two per-
sons destined for each other will come
together, though the whole world sep
arate them.
Mr.. Marshall might have ended his
story with happy marriage between
the young people after the boy had
served in the great war and survived
its peris. But after laying the founda-
tOn for such Il romantic and satisfying
ending he seemed to decide that he
would do something to console tho young
women whose lovers were killed In
France and Egypt and Mcsopotamia
and Gallipoli So he has the boy die
in battle soon after his grandmother
countenances his engagement to the
girl and then he has the girl assured
that Sir Harry still loves her, and
that he is continually near her.
The story is told in Mr.. MARSHALL s
usual leisurely style. with his usual
aptness of characterization and keenness
of insight into British character and
motive In spite Of it's quietness and
calm it holds the readers attention
from first to last. 1t is understood
that the author regards it as the best
thing he has yet done. However this
may be, it is novel of which any one
might be proud.
/ SIR HARRY. by Archibald Marshall New
York. Dodd Mead d Co. $175.