Evening star., 1935-01-30
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Germond.

JACOB. New YORK: The MacMn-
Ian Co.
Paris Howe, child Of the soil, Il
the captivating heroine Of this abb
sorbing story Of a. Yorkshire farm
during the prosperous years preceding
the Great War; the years of abnormal
profits which accompanied that dev-
astating conflict, and through the
long, lean years Of economic distress
from which England has suffered per-
haps more heavily than any other OF
that valiant group of nations allied
in the common cause Of guaranteeing
to the peoples of the earth protection
against the diabolic tyranny CT an
egomaniac whose lust for power had
become Unsuitable.
A variety of conflicting human ele-
ments comprise the unit of power be-
hind the character and personality of
this temperamental girl child, whom
no one except her mother has the
ability to understand. And small won-
der, for it is not given to average
mortals to fathom the depths of ma
lures endowed with rare spiritual
beauty. That the noble ones who have
walked the earth more often than not
were blessed with no greater heritage
than that of Paris Howe is also a
matter which battles even the profes-
Sors Of wisdom.
John Henry Howe had been a kind
ly, hard-working, undemonstrative
young farmer, girl-shy and contented
until he discovered one evening, while
engulfed in that twilight zone oi
inebriety which gives beauty to all
things. that the homely, quiet cousin
who kept his house and darned his
socks was most attractive and desir-
able. Mary Ellen had worshiped him
secretly too long not to take advantage
OF his sentimental mood. They were
married and happy until the arrival
OF an itinerant preacher conceded
with the birth of their son. BY the
time Mary Ellen was well enough tc
return to her housekeeping John Hen
ry had become more of fanatic than
the self-appointed representative oi
the Almighty who had introduced h m
to the horrors Of a hell from
which he believed he could never
hope to escape. Peace and hap
piness came to a sudden end and Jas
per grew to manhood adoring his
mother and in terror Of his religion
mad father, whose untimely end pro-
duced no pangs of sorrow.
A fine V01nO man ia nrI a
splendid farmer. Life has been hard
and has held little of loveliness for
him. Then comes an Egyptian girl of
exquisite and alluring charm He is
overwhe med by her beauty, is wretched
when the caravan leaves his property
and when months later Jael Paris
comes back to marry him his hap
pineSS knows no bounds. Difficulties
and misunderstanding beset them, but
their love is no fiimsy Summer dream,
and the story of their life together is
as beautiful as the deep-ton luster
of rare old jewel.
Paris is the third child Of this union
and the extreme in appearance, char.
acter and temperament from her two
older brothers. She is like her extraor.
dinary mother. Five years Of healthy
wholesome life On the farm has mad,
her sturdy, courageous and fearles:
youngster when on an impulse that she
can no longer resist Jael rejoins hel
Vagabond father and takes the chile
with her. When they return to tn,
farm Paris has added to her youthful
knowledge of the world a year of ex.
perience as a gypsy, which events
growing out Of the unfortunate posses.
sion Of a loaded stick bring to ar
abrupt end. Back on the farm. sht
takes up her interests where they wer.
broken off and before long has &C.
quired passionate love for the lane
and the beasts and has determined t.
become farmer.
4
Before dozen Summers have passed
over her head heavy lead of respon.
sibility falls upon the shoulders of thi:
child Of nature, and when at fourteen
her father and two elder brothers have
answered the call to arms and eon,
TO war she calmly leaves school and
assumes the management of the vas
acres of Howesholm. At fifteen she is a
full-hedged farmer, commanding tn,
admiration and respect of all who
know her and of those with whom
she deals.
A strict taskmaster is this unusua
young woman, one who demands OF
herself as well as of her employees hare
and unceasing work. Firm in he,
belief that both land and beasts vii
give of their best only in return fo,
the care they receive, she permits nr
scantiness in the treatment of either
In opposition to all traditional belief,
and practices, she puts her owr
tneorleS to work, determined at al
costs to make of HoweSholm the fines
farm in the West Riding to make &
pay, ana TO Keep the ownership o.
every acre OF it. The story of he]
struggle against the ravages of storm
and drought and through years O,
prosperity and leanneSs is fascinating
compelling and deeply satisfying.
There is little room in the life OF
woman farmer for play or for love
Paris knows nothing of the Ravety
and pleasure which Is the natural
birthright of youth. And of the latter
her secluded and busy existence af.
fordS slight opportunity for romance
The years eventually bring her a rich
harvest of love, however, in which an.
other loaded stick figures at a critical
moment.
And through all of the experiences
that contribute to the strength and
the character of Paris Howe runs the
story of old Mary Ellen, as courageous
and hardy as her beautiful grand
daughter, and of Sebastian. the
youngest brother, who was born 9
cripple.
Only a person who knows the OLD
customs and traditions of the York
shire country folk that have survived
the generations and who has q deer
understanding of people and of thei1
love for the land could have managed
a novel of such compelling interest as
Naomi Jacob has produced. She was
born and reared in Yorkshire, and has
had career of her own equaled in
variety and experience by few men,
bers of her own generation. She be-
came a school teacher at an early age
in a mining town in Northern Eng
land. She has since then been sue