SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3136, 14 July 1917, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION

In the Wildorness, by llobort Hiolins (Methuon «nd Co.). A careful piece of literary craftsmanship, much stronger as a psychological study than anything-we have had i'rom this author since his "Garden of. Allah" and "The Calf of the Blood." It is the story of a woman, who ie a trifle too good, a woman who ie not good at all, and a man who gravitates between good and oyil. Diou und Bosainond, husband and wife, are alike in being of a strongly Puritan turn of mind, the husband, a -straight, athletic, orthodox young Englishman, clean-living and well-intention-ed, ii stockbroker, with a. university education. The wife, although enjoying life and sport, has a strong tondoncy to ltiystioisin. After marringo and (ho birth of a son tho husband goes away to tbo South Afrioan War, tho wifo residing in n cathedral city, tho religious fl.tmosphc.ro of whioh. is in sympatliy with hoi , tastes and ideas. The hiisband returns, and tlio pair live happily together, until Dion accidentally Villa his boy when out shooting. Tho wife is unconsolablo. Sho refuses to look on Dion's face again, and joins a religious sisterhood, giving full vont now to her girlish dreams of religious seclusion. T confess I find it difficult to understand how oven such an caotiet as 'Rosamond could have refused to recognise tho agony of wind of the unhappy Dion. Her much cherished religious ideals should surely have inoluded tho Divine qualities of morcy and foigironess. The utterly, wretched husband, now bereft aliko of wife and child, seeks forgotlulnesa of his iroes in travel, and eventually settlos down for a. while in Constantinople., Here, a broken man, he falls an easy victim to tho bad woman of tho story, Cynthia Clarke, a lady whom he hail known in-London as the heroine of a divorce oaee, out of whioh, though guilty, ehn hod emerged legally victorioiis. Cynthia, a Kclfieb. sensualist, succeeds in binding Dion in silken chains, and for a time at least tho mn sinks into a moral degradation. In the end, however, his ivifo realises that she has deeply tinned by hor egotism, and there is a reconciliation. The strong, point of the book, is its character drawing, although to some readers its chief charm may lay jit tho beauty of the. author's descriptions of .Greece—where Dion, and \l?osainond spend their honeymoon—and Constantinople.

Haidce, by P. Horace Rom (Eloddor aud Stoughton). ' \ "JJaideo" is ;i well-written if hi&hly Bnueationnl story of life in South Africa (Capo Colonj- and Hio Band), (ho period being just prior Lo and during the [anions Jameson Haid. Tho Mory hikes ils lille from a liltlo girl, libosn mother has been foully betrayed by a young man. of Dutch extraction, who nfterwiinis bocoincs ii highly-placed figure in l.!io politioal world of the Transvaal. By a curious fate the fortunes ul' thin ninn become involved with ihoso of a rival speculator, to whom tho botrayud woman had been, engaged, and who becomoa tho guardian and kind protector of her illoCitinialo. child. The story is largely concorned with political life, a.nd Ilia feverish speculations of tho Rand, the author, whoso first bonk "Golden Glory" may bo remembered by my roadws, displaying nn intimate kuoivledge of tliß varionfi forces at work which-brought .iboiif l);e ill-starred revolt against Krngnr's p.uthorily. A highly dramatic element is inIroduced hy a. faithfuj old servant, who •sweare and niecutesi a terrible-vengeance on Hie villain of tho story.

The Gates or Kilt, by Lindsay Uucsell hjhl Co., per S. and W. Mn.<:- , lray).

This i.- a war elory, Uin background bring mainly London, with an fircasinnni iliTorfiion ■lo 'Mesopotamia. The plot; liirnti on (be love of C'npUin. Philip TorriU H,nd twn women, one, Isnid Marcnurl. 'a ltisrried lady), the o'hor, Bealrico Byndham, who is mnrh younger. Enid has a. desperate fight between lovo ;ind marital fidelitj - ,' and tins rlcciden , lo leave hor husband when ;*n old but worldy Tviae. Tclativc, Lady Beckouden, intervenes, and by hp ingenious devk , * nrrvenls the clopemenl.. TorriU, goes to Mp.sopot.amiß, wihrnssos l,hi> Ml of lCut, and is marie |irisoner hy the, 'I'niks, but. rsrapos iiiul returns lo l/ondnn. The IKisilion. lor V,n\i\, ;ie;iin hpcowcs |«'ii!niis. Rnid's Heiilli. iiflcr an oper:il inn, 'finallv solves Tp.rritl.'s problem, and lit! returns to Ihr front, Iliis limn an II"' hiisbund of Bralriw, with ""Uom ihi! ilyiiiK woman counsels him to find comfort. The ivar are vigorously done. Bnid Jiarfiurl and her husband tiro wpll dra.wTi, but: thn eurresi: of tho IkioIi" U fh« keen-wil.lwl, shnrp.kmjjiica , I/;idy Bickonden.

Chlnn Malnne," by Kunnin Hraslip l;<w (little, Brown and: Co.; ;ht (-leorße Rohrrkon, Ltd), Is a slight but prolty story, tbn heroiuo ••t winch is ii. New Orleans younjr lady oi miwil French and Irish descent. I moos mother, who is rlrspwiilnly pn,,r. "•Jshw tho girl | o malic a rich inarriap.", r "!«- »«•!" plniis arn upset ), v ;l T scientist, who is invpslij-nling llm ivecvil plague, which iHdßv.-iiibi.Hnß tho r,niitei.iijan <v>l,ton_ crops, and whnsoacriuainliini'n Mici heroino makes in a. innlor accident. ioratrmnilsrcmnan if t.hng-irl scarcely fcnows her own mind, and thai. Ihn mil.lOlwiirn planter, lo whom sbn had boon affianced, will carry off Ihn prize.. '.I'ritn ove, however, trhimuhg in l.ho owl. though for a whiln (ho jwlh thereof is Mclly thorn-strewn. Tho local colour <,f I ■Iβ story—both of Now Origins and a '..ontral American Stale—is pinturosipiii "lid a I tractive. An iigrw-i bly-w rili.nn and very readable, piory.

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