SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 223, 8 June 1918, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION.

"Singing Sands." Miss C- I'ox Smith must be credited with having in her "Singing Sands" (Hodder and Stoughton) very cleverly utilised some hilherlo unworked ground. The scene of her story is laid on n small island on tho coast of British Columbia, the heroine, an English young lady, proceeding thither lo discover a long lost uncle. Sho finds herself thrown into a social milieu very dilVerent from that of her English home. Her relatives are disagreeable,' uncongenial folk, their surroundings squalid and sordid, but sho bravely makes the best of a bad job, and comes in the end to admire tho patience with which the way-back Canadian settler faces the difficulties and disappointments of his lot. recognising lliat "lives that have 60 much that is hard in them—that have no books, or piclurea, or music—aro bigger and heller lives than most people's who pride themselves upon their culture anil e.ivilisalion." The story has a sentimental interest, and becomes towards tho end tinged with the dramatic, even the tragic. A special feature of the novel is the insistence laid by tho author upon the lack of wisdom displayed by the Canadian Government in allowing hordes of foreigners to sell lo iu the country. Miss I'ox Smith would ii'ivo Canada all British in reality as well as nominally, and a-surcdlv Ihe. pictures -lie draws of certain of Hie

"Dagos" and "Yaw Yaw Dutchmen "who aro the neighbours of the Travess's family aro ugly enough to warrant her

policy ol' exclusion of ulions. A Tory original, brightly-wrillcn, and, in itis My, agreeably instructive story.

"The House of Silent Footsteps."

Dotectivo stories still maintain tlioir popularity with :v largo, ti very law, section (if jiovel readers, one reason being, no doubt, (lie desire of so many people to read something that will distract them I'roin tlio anxieties of tho war. Jit; (lii s as it may, the manufacture of "detectives" shows no falling oft in tlho output. A recent example, '"l'lio Houso of Silent Footsteps," by Armine Grace (.Stanley Paul and Co.), is a very satisfying production in this particular genre. It deals with tho nefarious exploits of :i gang of very clever and daring thieves, whose chief is known as Tim Sphinx, and whose members employ "Romany talk" in their private conversations on "business" matters. Tho Rang includes a peer's son, a genial scamp, who may not hnvo improbably been suggested iiv our old friend Rallies. He is suoli an engaging scamp that the author evidently has not tho heart to kill him oft in the bust chapter, but actually marries him lo a very charming girl, who, by tho way, is fully cognisant: of the double life lie ihas led. There is an excellent detective character in tho story, but I doubt very mutih if, in real life, any Scotland Yard officer would liavo decided to hold his tongun as to tho real character of the plansiblo young Raffles up to date and refrained from putting tho handcuffs on liim.