Evening star., 1934-08-15
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.


nam's Sons.
For over twenty years Old John, the
blind beggar. had sat daily in the
shelter of the porch of the Guildhall.
holding on his knees a tray contain
! ing the usual array of boot and shoe
! laceS and boxes of matches, with a
place cleared in the center to receive
the pennies which thoughtful and
| kindly paSSersby contributed toward
| his pitiful endeavor to earn a living.
| So long. indeed. had he occupied his
| lowly station half way down the High
Street of Combe Regis that the town
| had not only become proud of him,
but had for years regarded him as an
authentic part of its atmosphere.
If any of those who tarried for a
bit of cheerful conversation with the
blind beggar had wondered about the
heritage of the quiet. well-spoken man
who had won the affection and re-
spect of the community, interest in
| his past history had died with the
question unaSked, for no one knew the
real John Linden except, perhaps
| Timothy RaikeS, his dog. Timothy
Raikes may not have understood that
the difference between his master and
those among whom he lived was that
the blind man had been well born, but
| dogs have a peculiar knowledge OF
human beings. and the dubious mix
ture of terrier and spaniel which was
Timothy Raikes had given to John
Linden the nearest approach to sym
pathy and understanding that he had
known since the death of his mother.
There had been little in his life
as a boy to give him confidence In
himself, and he had not inherited
the strength of character which hac
enabled his mother to endure years OF
hardship and heartache. The gentle
ness of spirit. the nobility of ideals
and the fortitude incarnate in his
mother had come down to him in
| abundance. He lacked only the abil-
ity to assume responsibility or to ar
rive at a decision and act upon it
It had been, therefore, simple mat
ter for him to be led into matrimony
by pretty, fresh-complexionedc coun-
try girl, far beneath him in mental
equipment and social background be-
fore he had entirely recovered from
| the shock of being left alone in g
world about which he knew little.
He had loved Mary for while
though he missed the companionshir
which she was not qualified to give
him. 1t was Mary who had been in
clined to roam and had led him from
one locality to another as she grew
tired of her surroundings. She hao
been kind to him when his sight was
failing, and had shouldered a large
share of the burden of maintaining
them when his earning capacity de-
creased. No further thought hac
occurred to either of them when the
doctor in small town informed John
that he would lose his sight. They
accepted the verdict without question
and when the last dim ray of vision
vanished in darkness it was Mary
who sent John to the Guildhall. with
his tray of matches and tin placarc
strung upon his chest, to beg.
1t is Springtime in Combe Regis
and John is remembering his mother
and the happy Spring seasons which
they spent together. He is seeing
the flowers and the trees, the riot
of color which clothed the fields
and hills in beauty. He is think
ing of the lessons in spiritual guild.
ance and recalling particularly the
quotation ''They are never alone that
are accompanied by noble thoughts. >
He is regretting that he had no op-
portunity atos read the books 0f 81
Philip Sidney before darkness de-
scended upon him, but he has never
forgotten that line, given to him by
his mother in her last few moments
and he is meditating upon its value
to human being isolated by afflic.
ton from the normal contacts anc
associations of life. There is no re.
sentiment in his heart against the
tragedy of blindness, for he has beer
faithful to the teachings of his child
hood and young manhood and they
have not failed him.
Timothy Raikes interrupts these
musings with a warming that g
stranger is at hand. Though he has
but short time ago passed his flftieth
year, the blind beggar has been calico
"Old John" for SO many years thai
he is startled by an unknown voice
asking II he is ''Mr. John Linden
David Hornton of London, represent.
ing the mythical family of Johns
mother, has found the man for whom
he has been searching for years to in
form him that he is heir to legacy
From the smell of hot soapsuds
and the Steam-filled atmosphere oi
the rooms which he and Mary occupy
John is transported to London. Un-
usual things occur when Mary learns
of her husbands good fortune, and
there is much to be done before the
blind man and Timothy Raikes leave
their Squalid surroundings and en-
bark upon the great adventure in the
company of David Hornton.
An eminent surgeon is consulted
and an operation restores to John the
unbelievable miracle of sight. AND
with the lifting of the veil of darkness
a new life is spread before this wholly
lovable and admirable man from
whom an unkind fate had chosen tC
take so heavy toll With the precious
privilege of again usually absorbing
the beauty and the glory of nature
comes also the enjoyment of the
things that wealth can buy, the
pleasure of close association with
those from whom he should never
have been separated, the glamour OF
a late romance and the cultivation
of warm companionship with the
man who rescued him from the shell
ter of the Guildhall porch.
The author of this exquisitely beau-
tiful and engaging romance is in private
life the wife of Laurence Meynell
Something Human" is her first novel
though she has been writing for some
years for the London newspapers and
contributing articles on London topics
to the colmns of overseas papers. The
story has received enthusiastic COM
mendation in England from the
press and the public, and it deserves to
be accorded success equally as great
IN this country. England has &C
Claimed 1t as notable example OF
the return to public favor of the
purely romantic novel, and it is in
deed a splendid contribution to that