The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1921-02-25

| collection Of verse, 1t IL a chRrac-
| teristic title; for many years Mrs. De-
| land has each winter grown ia her own
! house in BOGtOn great numbers of
butch bulbs. which she sells at an
annual function TO her friends and the
public, fer the benefit of her favOrite
| charities. As she does all the labor
herself, it is sinsularIy personal form
of good works.
Only two years later came John
Ward. Prencher." hook which won
the author wide recognition. There
| have been many others between that
and 1.-THE Awakening of Helena
Richie" IN 1903, including sold Chester
| Tales in 1s0S, in which she made
| famous her childhood home. 1.-THE
! Iron Woman" appeared in 1911.
IN 1906 Margaret Deland, after hav-
& ing written several other books,
L. gave to the public the fruit of her
maturer skill in THE Awakening of
Helena Richie"
The story is simple.
! Stripped of the charm of its setting.
and the subtle delicacy Of its treat
ment. we have IL tale presenting few
| characters, ana with no very extended
scope for action.
The scene of the novel is the same
small Pennsylvania town in which
Mrs Deland has placed two previous
books. odd Chester Tales" and
/ doctor LayenGar,"
At the opening of the story Mrs.
! Richie has come to Old Chester and
taken up residence in the stuffed
! Animal House." so called because its
I former owner was Il taXidermiSt. She
| is little known to the villagers, living
an isolated existence, and stunning
any intimacy with the toWnSfOlk ; new
crtheless she is universally respected.
| There is, TO be sure, an atmosphere of
mystery enShrOuding this beautiful
stranger who is possessed Of a culture
and poise that place her a stratum
| above the simply bred inhabitants of
the sleepy little settlement, but since
she goes to church, is quiet and dec
orouS. and gives herself no airs, she
| furnishes no cause for criticism.
Her only visitor is Mr.. Lloyd Prior,
known to Old Chester as her brother.
AS the story proceeds, however, we
are made aware that Prior is not her
brother, but is Philadelphia widOwer
] with one daughter whom he idoliZes !;
and that he and Mrs. Richie have for
| thirteen years beer living together
/ awaiting the death of Frederic, Hell
ena'S husband, whose demise will
leave them free to marry. Frederic
has been a dissipated man who, when
| not himself, has been responsible for
the death of the Richie baby; and he
| is now living a dissOlute life in Paris.
| The tragedy of the baby'S death has
| been the eliminating factor in turning
| his Wife'S hatred and contempt for
him into revulsion, and determining
| her to desert him and go to Prior. To
her lover she gives all the affection
which the loss of her child and the de
| struction of her hopes have turned
back into her nature.
| Prior, on the other hand, has loved
her in the past, but now, after thir-
| teen years of deferred happiness, his
passion is burned out. He Is tired of
her. Alice, his daughter, is growing
! up, and he realizes the indiscretiOn of
the ENHANCEMENT furthermore his
business demands his time; it is less
and less convenient to come to Old
| Chester; and he is no longer young.
He is Il selfish, sensual being, with the
| typical masculine distaste for every
| thing that renders him uncomfortable
either in mind or body. While he is
iwilling, in an indOlent sort of way, to
! continue his relation with Mrs. Richie !;
is even honorable enough to marry her
| if lie must, it is obvious that he would
| gladly be rid of the whole affair.
| But to Helena Richie this incident
| is not an affair" 1t is her life. She
| loves Prior with Il devotion engen-
dered by her lonely, heart-starved ex-
| iStence, and she looks forward to the
moment when Frederics death shall
| release her from her present precari-
J Gus position, and allow her to confront
the world with clear name. That an
4, ultimate marriage between them will
wipe out the blot on their past she
| does not question. In the meantime
she can only possess her soul of pa
thence. and make the best of her en-
] forced seclusiOn. No one knows her
secret. No one can know it. There
| fore she feels quite secure-that is, as
secure as is possible in the face of
the eyer-present danger of exposure.
Into this fevered life of hers three
important characters project them
| selves: Doctor Lavendar. the minis
ter Of Old Chester; DR.. William King,
| the village physician: and David, an
orphan child whom the rector has be-
| iriended, and for whom he is desir0uS
If finding a home. OF all Mrs. Deland's
| .reations none, perhaps, is more be-
| owed than is Doctor Lavender. Wise,
benign, humorous; yet just at all
| imes-a man who is never to be
| urncd aside from Il principle by idle
;entimentality. Doctor King is not I'M
| ike him in this un;inching fealty to
luty and to honor.
These two persons put their heads
| iichie leads such a solitary life and is
hbundantly able She is the one To take
! he homeless David The conSpiratOrS
proceed with extreme caution. The
HID is brought to Doctor LayendarS
| house, and Mrs Richie is given the OPP
| DOrtunity to see him.
; He is a quaint. WtnScme, appealing
little fellow-a decided personality,
sand one of the most delightful and
lronsfstent child portraits in modern
fiction. His greatest attraction lies in
| he fact that one can never be sure
Doctor Lavender is telling him story
he keeps his eyes fixed so intently on
! The mans face that the old gentleman
Ills much flattered.
..ILnLl ,InI n q ncent hnN f..I