Evening star., 1935-11-13
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
Margaret Cermond.
SHADOW ON THE BROOK. BY Elisa
beth Stancy Payne. New York: Dodd,
Mead e. Co

Mead & co.
A mysterious family, eking out an un-
certain living on a lonely Vermont estate,
is the driving force behind the rather
delightful romance which Elisabeth
Stancy Payne has drawn from a deft
combination of austere New Englandism
and impetuOus modern youth.
The Teales are regarded in the neigh
borhood as a queer lot, and there is
sinister and mysterious atmosphere
about Teale Acres that gives the place
and its occupants an uncompromiSingly
unfriendly reputation. But the family is
so hard pushed for cash that young
julie Teale defes the will of the clan
and for the accommodation Of any
chance motor tourists who may be over
taken by darkness or storm on the long
stretch of lonely country road between
towns, erects two cabins beside the rest
less brook that runs through the grounds.
There is reminder OF the "Jalna"
theme in the dominant great-grand
mother. nearing ninety, who has ruled
the men of the Teale family for four
generations and, though bed-ridden and
toothleSS, still holds the whip hand. -Four
selfish worthless Teale men, julie, the
only girl child ever born to Teale. and
little David complete the household. Old
Ezry, man of all work, is the only friend
ly and sympathetic human being OF
Jules acquaintance.
Kit Martyr, a promising young en-
gineer, and his fiapper mother are caught
in bad storm after dark and are CRATE
full for the shelter to be had at Teale
Acres. But they are both Immediately
aware of the updercurrent OF mistrust
and mystery that betokens unpleasant
things TO come. They leave the next
morning. but Kit is intrigued by the
beauty of julie Teale, and is determined
to return and dispel. If possible. the
shadow beclouding ber life and denying
her the right to happiness.
The engineering job-which brought
about his acquaintance with Teale Acres
in the first place-affordS the oppor-
tunity to return and take up his resi-
dence in the cabin. but. try as he will,
he cannot wrest from julie the secret con-
cerning her relationship TO David. and
the child undoubtedly is substantial
stumbling block in the way OF any at
tempt to rescue julie from the indolent,
grasping Teale men and the equally
selfish old virago. There are other myS-
teries that thicken the long shadow on
the ceaselessly whispering brook, all OF
them Whetting, yet battling, Kits efforts
to tear away the clouds of doubt and take
julie and David into the security OF his
love.
Youth and love are powerful enemies
of arrogance and hatred. and eventually
Kit wins the confidence of old Gran
and is thereby given the key TO the
mystery and the weapon with which to
force the truth from the handsome. un-
holy clan and 10 insure his own and
Jules happiness in a world far removed
from Teale Acres and the long shadow
it casts on the murmuring brook. 1t IS
a pleasing story that will be liked for It's
pure romanticiSm.
THE HUSBAND OF MARY. BY Eliza
beth Hart. Philadelphia: J. B. Lip
pincott Co.
In the development OF modern liter
ature along lines intended to give
clearer and more enlightened under
standing of the events of history there
has been highly commendable move
ment on the part of trustworthy and
sincere writers to turn to the Bible for
inspiration and to take from the count
less events recorded in its pages the basic
material for enlarged and more specific
studies OF stories with which a civiliZa-
ton that is now nearly two thousand
years old has only vague understand
ing.
The handling of these stories must be
carefully and conscientiouSly under
taken only after a comprehensive re-
search and profound study OF the COM
paratively few authoritative sources OF
information. and then strict fidelity to
the Bible version must be exercised If
the work is to be accepted with any de-
gree of appreciation. So far as mere
unprofessional student can judge. the
author of this beautiful romance of
Joseph and Mary has fulfilled these re-
quirementS.
Beginning with a scene in the streets
Of Nazareth as the pilgrims to the Feast
of the Passover return to their homes,
the reader Is introduced to the COM
munity. Joseph is lonely and keenly
aware Of the joyleSSness, of returning to
a dwelling that houses no one but him.
self He is in love with Mary, the
daughter of his cousin, but Joachim has
other plans for the lovely girl. and
Joseph is filled with doubts and misgiv-
ings. Many eligible girls in the village
seek to draw the attentions of the young
carpenter, for he is both industrious and
attractive, but his interest is rooted deep
ly and firmly in his love for this one
strange girl of whom the villagers admit
they have no understanding.
With simplicity and sincerity the story
moves forward to the days of the dis
covery by Joachim that Mary is in love
with Joseph and Of their promised mar
riage, and then to the journey of Mary
to a far city for visit with her cousin
Elizabeth who soon Is to become the
mother of John the Baptist. The return
of Mary with the extraordinary story of
the miraculous visitation from the angel
Gabriel and of his declaration that she
shall be the mother of the Son of God
is related with an artistic finish that wins
immediate admiration and appreciation.
From the return of Mary 10 Nazareth
to the memorable journey to Bethlehem
the story of Joseph and Mary is woven
into a romance that throbs with human
sympathy for these two whose lives be-
come complicated and then blessed by
the advent of the Infant destined to bring
a new philosophy into the world and to
change the whole of civilization.
HIDDEN WAYS. BY Frederic F. Van de
Water Indianapolis: The BobbS-
Merrill Co.
David Mallory, young newspaper re-
porter who is down and out in New York
and working as a switchboard operator
IL H. II