SOME NOVELS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8091, 20 April 1912, Page 10

SOME NOVELS

In the Oregon Pine Country. A new '’American," which I can almost unreservedly recommend this week, is John Fleming Wilson’* novel, "The Land Claimers” (Little, Brown and Co., per George Boberteon. and Co,) Few N ew Zealanders there are who have not heard of Oregon pine, which is now imported into the Dominion in such vast quantities, Mr Wilson's story is of life in the Oregon timber country, its special feature being an unsparing exposure of the rascalities which are possible, and only too frequent, under the curiously drawn homestead settlement laws of the State. The Oregon highlands are greatly favoured by American consumptives, and the leading figure in the .story is one Sim Spencer, a waterside "crimp," prisefighter, and "tough" generally, who-is seat up from San Francisco by his doctor to repair hja weakened constitution in the bracing air of the Oregon uplands. Spencer is “taken down" very badly- by a rascally "old hand" who swindles him by selling him the “relinquishment papers" of a small holding upon-which the timber, being principally hemlock, is practically worthless. Spen-

ccr, weak in health, is strong of will, and swears vengeance. ,H© is befnendea by the rough, uncultured but goodhearted daughter of a settler, and the kindness and disinterested affection 01 Sally McCarthy bring out the loug latent goodness of the man. An. olu acquaintance, a woman he had loved in his youth, is now a broken-down variety” actress in San Francisco. inis woman’s son. Who. is at an Eastern university, and who is all unaware qi fits mother’s decadence fiom her tormei high estate as a leading stage star, 1= taken in by Spencer, wno by this tune is deeply in love with his girl trieud. As time goes on, however, he discovers that Sally loves Hal, and eventually sacrifices his own life by an act wince spells comfort and happiness tor tho young people, it would be unfair to the author to say more of a plot which is ingeniously complicated, and wnicn is nevertheless worked out to a conclusion which is artistically right, although there may be muuy readers who will iegret that poor Sim could not have been spared. Tne heroine is a most charming creation,, not iu any way theatrical, but the commanding features ot the book are the grim strengtn of its pictures ot pioneer life iu tho pin© country, aud its exposition of the weaknesses ot the State laws as to settlement. Those who may think that in land settlement matters, ‘‘they do these things better iu America/' will bo rudely disillusioned when they read this) fresh and really excellent story. ,

“The Conflict.” "Tli© Conflict,” by the late David Graham Phillips (Appletens per George Robertson and Co.), is probably the last book that we have from the pen of the brilliant young American author, vho met with so untimely and dramatic -an end a few months ago in New iork. It is hardly so attractive a a ® the m.uch-difecussed “A llusbund s or tliat fine story, "OldAVivee for New, but it is much above the average ot American fiction, and has a strong, it not a very original plot and much clover character drawing. The interest of the story centres round the daughter of an ill-educated but immensely nch man, who practically rulee, supreme in the big manufacturing city in which his business interests lie. His daughter, a well-edu-cated woman, of great social ambitions, finds, when she returns to Bemsen Oity from Europe, that her father is the best hated man in the place. A young and wealthy lawyer who, at the university, and afterwards, has coquetted with the cause of civic and industrial reform,* wishes to marry her, but the girl becomes interested and soon falls in love with a young Socialist. Victor Horn,

Whose "In the Maoriland Bush"' has been well Reviewed. Mr.Koebel spent some years in Canterbury. He has written works on Argentina and, just rooeptly, on Uruguay, and is also the author of a very amusing novel, “Hodson’s Voyage/

whose father has been killed on a railway in which the young lady’s millionaire parent hud been .interested, the company meanly getting out of its liability. Mr Phillips, introduces a strike of transport'workers, and gives some dramatic pictures of industrial warfare and of the part played by the paid "bosses" in -civic and State jKditic.Si The plot is complicated by a second love story, that of the young Socialist and a girl of Russian extraction,, who assists him in. editing his paper, “The New Day." It is oulv after a very hard struggle that the millionaire's daughter gives up her love for Victor Dqin and marries a strongminded doctor, who, himself half a Socialist, insists upon her devoting the vast fortune she inherits from her father to ; hospital endowments and other good objects. The . hard-fisted, hard-headed old millionaire is a familiar enough character,, but the weak and wavering Hull, who, beginning as a reformer, ends as a subservient political hack, is an original and most effective figure.

“Eusnes of Honeymoon.’’ , ■" The title of H. Perry Robinson’s story, "The Essence of Honeymoon" (Ueincmann; per George Robertson's); should prove alluring ,to many lady readers, but tho "mere' man" (so ne-, glected a figure at his wedding, but a person of much greater,importance during his honeymoon) will -bo equally interested in Mr Hohinson’e light but amusing story of the various adventures —motoring, house-hunting, etc.,,- etc,—ot Mr Jack Barrett and his pretty little wife Euphemia. Tho pictures of country, life are charming, and although : perhaps! there is an excess of osculatory exercises in the- story, it is by no means purely sentimental in tone. There is much real humour throughout Mr Robinson's chapters. The style reminds me somewhat of that of Keble Howard, but the fun is never- forced, and there ar< many shrewdly satirical hits at contemporary life, and manners.

“The Major.” ■ As Major- Peacock, the author of "When the War is O’er" (Longmans; per George Robertson), remark© ojx bis first page, the word “Major" “conjures up in-tne mind’s eye of many people 1 picture of . a stout and choleric man past middle age, a man with a • fiery nose, whom it is rash to contradict,' But there are exceptions, -for was not the immortal Major Dobbin of "Vanity Fair" a long and lean man, with a strong objection to intemperance. Major' Peacock's fictional major. Major Sharebrook, has not a Uttle in common, with our good old-friend-Dobbin, for he, too; is long and lean and plain-featured, and chivalrous to the extent of Quixotism. Also, he is a fine soldier, in love with his profession, despite the vile injustice with which he is treated by two successive colonels under wheat it is his misfortune to serve.- Be is also quite a brilliant artist, one of. whose pictures, that of a girl whom he meets in India, is accepted at the Koyal Academy* It -is the love story of Major Sharebrook, snubbed by his colonel but adored by his men, with Agatha Brancfafiqwer, daughter of ■ a non-commissioned officer, that Major Peacock has to tell, and a very pleasant story it is, - The Major’s. love, like Dobbin’s Amelia, first marries a younger and handsomer man, and the Major himself is temporarily beguiled by a frivolous and -flirtsome young lady who would have 'certainly made him most unhappy had he married her. ■ Before the Major win* his Aggie he has to pass through many-:e*. citing and dangerous experiences in India and'-South Africa; but the end of-the story is just what it ought,to be. ;