BOOK NOTICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16601, 26 January 1916, Page 6

BOOK NOTICES.

"Betty Grier." By J. Laing Wangh. London and Edinburgh : R. and W. Cliambers. (Cloth, oolourcd frontispiece; 3s 6d.)

This is a Lowland story of the quiet, homely life of an old Scottish woman — nursa, housekeeper, friend of the author. Betty's beautiful life is but one among thousands which blossom and adorn the waste places of this toilsome earth. Betty has a keen sen so of humour, of tho kind generally known as " pawky." She is an ardent prohibitionist and a narrow religionist; but her faith is wider than her creed, her pracfcico more human than her philosophy. For example, when she has succeeded. after much trouble, in making her brother-in-law, Joe Hebron, sign t! 1 ■ fledge, lier heart relents at the sight of t.. man's distress: "He has a queer, cowed look I never saw before. Tho fact is he's eairly off his usual. Oh, the man's no' wocl, an' I'm sure he blames me for it. This morn in', when he cam' doon, ho was lookin' fair meeserble, an' I asked him in a kind, sympathetic way how he was feelin', an' said he: 'Middlin', Betty, very middlin'. It's a vera stiff job this I've tackled. I've been teetotal for 20 days, an' I've saved as much as will buy me an oak coffin; an', Betty, if I'm teetotal for another 20 days, by the Lord Harry, I'll need it.' An', d'ye ken, he was sao fa'en away lookin' that, though I kenned it was plantin' wi' ae haun an' pu' it up wi' tho ither, I gaes away an' poured him oot a wee drap—just a timpglass,—an' then I gi'ed him your buits to brush, an' lie started to whustle like a mavis." Again, when she reproaches tho busy, hard-working, rough-tongucd doctor, with his supposed atheism, and he responds:

We arc all heirs to a heritage of dif-° ferent distresses in this life, and as wo are not all constituted alike wo require different treatment. Some find a panacoa in their Church, though many go to church who are not aware that they need such a panacea. Others, of whom I am one, find a balm for their afflictions in communing with God's creation in Nature, as wo see it around us. With _ such it isn't neccssary to go to church in order to feel God's presence or to experience hi 3 beneficent power. . . . It is possible for a man to go to church and still remain in doubt; but no one can stand, as I often do. under the starry firmament, alone in the midst of slumbering Nature, or facing the glowing east when the shafts of the morning beams are piercing the shadowy sky, and not feel within himself that Giod reigneth, and the earth in consequence rejoices.

To which Betty replies with all her heart: "Grand! Man, doctor, I'm glad to hear ye say that. I'm—l'm rale glad." As a eoncession to publio demands and tile stereotyped necessities of the " novel," Mr Waugh introduced a love interest into his book, as between " Maister Woelum," the writerBetty's old nursling and present care, —and a certain Desirec Stuart, 011 whoso birth rests a cloud of supposed illegitimacy, which cloud "Woelum" is fortunately able to disperse with the aid of Joe Hebron, earning thereby first the lady's gratitude, and later her deep affection. t Of coursc, Betty has something to do with the wooing and tho winning, and in spite of her own trouble, connected with the passing of her old and well-loved husband, she does it bravely and well, putting aside her own grief to rejoice with those who rejoice, and finding ner unfailing reward in so doing.

" Gentlemen of the Sea." By Paul Trent. London: Ward, Lock, and Co. (Cloth, illustrated, 3s 6d.) This is a spirited naval yarn of the days just before the outbreak of the present war. Tho hero, Guy Hallam, is a lieutenant on board H.M.S. Trident, super-Dreadnougnt of the Channel Fleet. Hallam is "a_ keenfaced young fellow, whose specialty is torpedoes' and who is an enthusiast over his work." Ho has aleo made a valuable discovery in connection with wireless messages which he is about to submit to the Admiralty. On the same ehip, as gunnery lieutenant, is one Mark Furber, who is shortly disclosed to tho reader as a German spy, who has been specially trained for that purpose. Furber is anxious to get hold of tho details concerning Hallam's discovery eo that he may forward them to his employers. He hopes to effect this in such a manner as to throw the onus of blame on Hallam and make it appear as if he has sold hia country's naval secrets to 'he enemy. In this, attempt Furber is foiled by the superior astuteness of the British Admiral, who detects the plot and has such faith in Hallam's honour and patriotism that ho first assures him of his own personal belief, and then, to corroborate it, induces him to pretend that ho is really in German employ and to accept further commissions and pay from the head of the German Secret Service. This is a hard task for Hallam, as he is naturally openhearted and outspoken; but tho Admiral's influence is backed by the young man's love for Stella Cameron, whom he is too poor to marry. Hallam is also brought into relations with a beautiful and very clever female spy, Hilda Glyn, who falls desperately in love -with him, and thus complicates matters both 011 the political and the affectional sides. The story is full of life, go, and action. The reader gets intensely interested in the fate of Halkm, who is always between the deval and the deep sea, and who develops, quite extraordinary powers of acting so that he is able to deceive tho clever men opposed to him, and carry out the programme suggested by his .friend, the Admiral. The plot is excellent, and tho whole rapid action does not occupy more than a few weeks. Many of the scenes are of quite breathless interest, for the players are engaged in the greatest games in the world, War and Politics, and their cut, parry, and thrust are keen and insistent. When the war breaks out and "the Day" approaches, a grateful country recognises Hallam's services. He receives promotion, is gazetted to a finer ship, rewarded with the hand of Stella Cameron, and goefl off at once on active service, tho blockade of enemy ports and the hunt of submarines.

"The Gillingham Rubies." By Edgar Jepson. London: Methuen and Co. Melbourne, etc.: G. Robertson and Co. (3s 6d, 2s 6d.)

The theft and recovery of valuable jewels has ever been a favourite themo for tho compiler ol sensational stories; but it may truly be said that Mr Jepson, in "Tho GiUmgham Rabies," goes one better than most oi his predecessors, since he depicts a personal and most exciting struggle between an ebullient and vehement young American millionaire and a brilliant lady criminal of European reputation for ingenious and daring coups. Of course, the lady is young and charming, and can oll'er very excellent excuses for her nefarious practices, had such been needed, which, we all know, is not tho case, since a beautiful criminal has always possessed great attractions for certain minds. . Kitty Meredith, alias Barbara Lessing, and other names too numerous to mention, is one of those women who appear to bo specially created to be the rum of men. In addition to tho American hero, two members of the British peerage, and many other minor eligibles, are at her feet, asking nothing better, apparently, than to bo trampled on. Clever Barbara puts them to tho test. What cannot be effected by her known criminal propensities and lightfingered skill is easily managed by a physical defect. As the result of an accident, Barbara becomes lame, and cannot cross a room without crutches. When she is sufficiently convalescent to receive visitors, the Earl of Tilcom'be is admitted to her presence. He is profuse in his sympathy and inquiries, and begs her —for the second time—to marry him.

Barbara looked at him, earnestly, and a little incredulously. "You want to marry a cripple?" she said. "Eh? What? What cripple?" he cried, quickly. " Me," said Barbara.

"But you're not a cripple " ho asked, with sudden, sharp anxiety. "You're humbugging mo." "No; I'm not. It's tho cold truth. I shall have to use crutches for the rest of my life." "Oh, Lord ! But Dr Jenkins never said a word about this. It's always tho way with these people; you pay them, and they let you down. It's perfectly beastly," ho cried, and his face was blank, his tone, indeed, unhappy.

lie takes an early oppoitunitv of backing out of the room, without further protest. Lord Flcetham then enters, and makes tho samo request. "I want you to marry me. Every time I've asked you, you've put me off. I want a definite answer." Barbara tolls him the same tale. Ho is shocked, fearful, frozen. "It makes such a difference, you know." and takes an early opportunity of escaping from tho room. Then Godolphin Blew, the explorer, is admitted. " Here's another who would not take 'No' for an answer before I was crippled." says Barbara, "lot us see what he will say." He, too. is shocked, sympathetic, blustering, but takes an early opportunity of slipping from her presence. Through t.he open window comes Absalom Gom-me, the American, tho amateur detective, her persistent antagonist. and devoted lover. He asks no questions. simply takes possession. "T'm going to look after you." Vain arc all protests. Tf she is lame he will carry her. If 10 doetors fail, he will try another. She accuses him of having, indirectly, caused her accident, and swears that she hates him. Ho offers to bo equally damaged in hsr service,

and suggests that she should blind him, because sho is not strong enough to injure liiin in any other way. This, of course, 's tho last straw. She is convinced, and succumbs—a true woman, spite of all her cleverneb's —to her conqueror. In itself the story is bright and amusing, and it ib further enlivened by innumerable touches of Mr Jcpson's humour.

" The Scaled Valley." By Hubert P ootner. London : Hodder and Bto ugh ton. (Cloth, illustrated, 3s 6d). Long before this story commences there was in the Athabaska region of the Far West a legend told by a solitary prospcctor after having been lost to eight for a whole year. A story told by a man already dying, a living skellingtiOn, out of his head." A story v,'!j ich no one believed, though it was calculated to fire the imagination. The tali; of a little valley, far up among the mountains, surrounded by high cliffs that you could not get up or down, with smooth sides " like the inside of a bowl." In the centre was a lake of pure water, with many little streams flowing into it through flowery meadows; the streams were literally paved with gold, and tho little scaled valley was beautiful as Paradise. Tho only access to it was by a natural winding cave. The rediscovery of this wonderful valley and its final destruction through the greed of man forms tho motive of the present story. The principal actors are a young doctor, just come out to try his luck in the Far West, and two beautiful girls, one white, one Indian, together 'with the usual number of supers, all more or less greedy and cruel. The Indian girl seeks the doctor's services on behalf of her mother, who has broken her arm and had it wrongly set. The long journey, bv river steamer, canoe, and portage, furnishes all the incidents necessary for a sensational story of life and adventure in the far places of the earth. The tale is well told, and the illustrations, by Herman Potts, are particularly good.