Evening star., 1934-10-21
In the World of Books

Roseholm, her garden-Surrounoed
home on the river, Is a daughter OF
the head of the Considine family and
of its prosperous business. She has
for 40 years been married to Danny
Mulqueen and is the mother Of many
children. She is q devout Catholic
and her passing would be easy but
for her anxiety over her son Reggie,
man approaching middle age, a
physical and moral derelict, who has
been her constant care, in order that
she might preserve him from harming
himself and others. In the sadly
waiting house are gathered, for a
final consultation of doctors and a
iridium under the direction Of
Teresa's brother, Canon Considine.
mournful, insignificant Danny, the
shutting Reggie, the fine, conscien-
tious unmarried daughter Agnes, the
unhappily married daughter Marie
Rose and her husband, Vincent De
Courcy O'Regan; two nurses and,
much of the time, the capable and
forceful village doctor, DR.. Curran.
The atmosphere during the three
days, the Eve Of All Saints, the Feast
of All Saints and the Feast Of AL
Souls, Is so tense that we know some
violent outcome Is inevitable. There
is a heeting suggestion Of Maeter-
linck's THE Intruder" In the mind
of each one, except Danny, the canon
and pious Sister Emmanuel, an ex-
treme conflict is going on, apart from,
yet exaggerated by, the fate Of the
dying Teresa. Vincent O'Regan and
Agnes love each other and Agnes is
fighting that love with all the power
of her religion and her love for her
sister. DR.. Curran, much more
worthy of her than Vincent, loves
Agnes and has discovered her secret.
Nurse Cunningham, aware Of what is
holding Teresa back from peaceful
death, Is trying to nerve herself to
seize the material advantage which
the complication of circumstances
offers her. In the striking denoue-
ment, not altogether tragic, it Is
Agnes devotion for Marie-Rose,
dating from childhood days, not her
religion, which ultimately keeps her
from yielding to what she recognizes
as a sinful love, and at the end Vim
cent thinks Of his mother, long dead,
rather than of Agnes. Though parts
Of the narrative are surcharged with
emotion and sometimes the probings
of the mind of. one person by another
exceed the probabilities, yet the great
test of reality Is met, that the reader
actually lives those three days with
the Mulqueen family and fearfully
awaits the end.
CANDLES IN THE STORM. BY
Robert Littell. New York: Har-
per & Bros.
A LMOST simultaneously, toward the
- end Of June, the cottages of the
Summer colony Of Bridgewater. some
where north Of Boston, opened to the
sun and their owners, and with nearly
equal unanimity, about the first Of
October, they closed in anticipation Of
Winter frosts and SHOWS. It was
usually q quiet colony of artists and
writer's, with no foolish vacation
dawdling and no rushing week end
husbands, except Jack Crawford, who
had lowered himself in the esteem of
his high-minded friends by going in
for advertising art and. q connection
with an office In Boston. During the
Summer whose events are here recorded
the customary aloof tranquility Of the
colony was rudely broken and savage
passions accompanied by tragedy re-
vealed some Of the cottagers to each
other but failed to make revelations
to the more obtuse or to the natives,
who always observed with calm su-
periority the doings of the city folks.
The summer begins as it has done
for many years. Susannah Crawford
opens her cottage and settles her be-
longings and her two grown children,
Judith and John, before Jack arrives
for q long week end. Susannah should
be watched, for she Is the strong wo-
man, the key-woman Of the story.
The woodrufis have remained all
Winter and are able to greet their in