LOVE STORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

LOVE STORIES.

I In "The Houses in Between" (Hodder and Stoughton) Elizabeth Harland has written an interesting end, in its later part, a touching story. Daphne Stallard, the daughter of- an English rector, describes her childhood and home life, and goee on to take us into her confidenco about her love affairs. Tho story is vividly told, and the characters are live men and women of the present day. but, except one or two, not of particularly high character. It is hard to believe that the bishop who baptised her was so startled by her crying that ho dropped her into tho font" or that her father, the rector, was as helpless as she makes out.

"Xo Stopping Backward," by Vera Wheatley (Thornton Butterwo'rth) is tho story of a sensitive and inexperienced g.'rl who becomes infatuated "with a man older than herself and marries him. Ho is physically attractive, but ie indolent, stupid and wanting in tact and breeding, and, as time passes, gives way to drink. She. finds life with him almost intolerable, and when another man, a doctor, conies along who understands her and cares for her, she loses her heart to him, and there is danger of a •''triangular" development. Her luixUncl by his own folly comes to a tragic end, and whether she ultimately marries the doctor we are left in doubt. Tho story is lit up by the amu=in" conversations between a" Cockney cook. Petunia, and Mabel, a house-parlour-maid.

"The Disinherited," by R. ,T. White (ITodder and Stoughton), is a story of some very modern and pagan young'men and women, most of whom "can't stand all that bunkum about the sexes." The central figure is Vivien Calladme, a business girl in an English Midland (own, and it is her love affairs, more or less illicit, and the love affairs of the others, their scanty clothing on holidays, and their talk and banter, that make'up the story. It begins just before the war and goes on till shortly after the armistice, with the scenes inainly in England and partly on the Continent. Mr. White tells us in somewhat inflated manner that be knew Vivien Calladine and recognised and continues to recognise in her something symbolic of a "client ion and that is why he has gh"on us her" .story. It is well told with curious vague phrasing here and there, as for example: '-he .■ , ed her .. . f ar ' out word w" r'l S", """ dl ' V '' • th ™ St iTrror "f™ Mvl" Po " r °" thD