SOME RECENT FICTION.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 83, 14 May 1914, Page 5

SOME RECENT FICTION.

"SARAH EDEN." In "Sarah Eden" (Mills and Boon; per George Robertson and Co.), that clever writer, Miss E. S. Stevens, whose first story, "The' Veil," was so deservedly popular, gives us a powerful and in its way very fascinating study of a Cornishwoman, a widow, with a small fortune, who, naturally of a strongly religious temperament, believes she sees "visions," one of which she interprets as a command from on High that she and a curate, who has a strong influence over her, shall proceed to Jerusalem to await the Second Advent. She realises her property, and, accompanied by some faithful followers, settles in Jerusalem. Years pass by, and the ' ( vision'' is not fulfilled. Still the woman believes in her destiny, but as time goes on she devotes herself to practical philanthropic work in the Sacred City, founding a school for Mohammedan girls and undertaking other enterprises. Her only daughter is now a woman, and the cliinax to the mother's disappointment is reached when the girl is loved and determines to marry a young English artist. Celibacy .is the rule of the Eden Community, and there is a sharp if brief struggle between maternal love and a long-clierislied faith before Mrs Eden gives her consent. There is some admirable character drawing in the story, but its strongest feature is the vitality and convincing realism of its pictures of modern Jerusalem, with its many groups of everlasting-squabbling fanatics of various sects. "Sarah Eden" is in many ways a very unusual and striking story. EIDER HAGGARD'S LATEST. Sir H. Rider Haggard's latest published story, "The Wanderer's Necklace" (Cassell and Co., per S, and W. Mack&y), relates the extraordinary and often thrilling adventures which fall to the lot of a Jutland warrior -of the ninth century. To satisfy the caprice of hia, betrothed, the lovely Induna, Olaf breaks into the tomb of The Wanderer, a monarch then dead a good thousand years or more, and robs the mummified corpse of a marvellously beautiful necklace, plus the Wanderer's sword. Upon this introductory motif, Sir Rider Haggard founds a fine romance, transporting his hero from Scandinavia to Eastern Europe, and giving his readers a vividly picturesque description of the old Byzantine Court at Constantinople, the Empress Irene playing a prominent part in the story, into which, also the Caliph Haroun al Raschid, of "Arabian Nights," fame, and many other historical and legendary celebrities are introduced. Personally I own a preference for those of this author's stories which have a South African background, but there is no gainsaying the fact that his latest romance is a strongly dramatic and successful production. Illustrations by A. C. Michael. A NEW AMERICAN. "Little Corky," by Edward Hungerford (A. M'Clure and Co.; per George Roberston and Co.) is an agreeablywritten story, the leading motif in which is the struggle, between his love and his business interests, in which a smart young American, holding a position of high trust in a tramways company, becomes involved. The company requires for power-house purposes, a site upon which stands a private mansion, of almost historical interest to the city, and the maintenance of which is regarded by the beautiful young lady who owns it, as a sacred obligation to her dead father. But James Edward

Rudolph Corkingham, popularly known as "Little Corky," also had his duty to perform, his duty towards the "Consolidation Traction" Company of Tremont City, and he loved the fair Genevieve most deeply, his duty toward the "Consolidated Traction" weighed on him like a nightmare. A completely honourable action is misinterpreted by the young lady, but time and a kindly fate can work wonders, and in the end it turns out, after all, that the sacrifice of his position which Corky had corir templated is quite unnecessary, and the tramways young man wins his bride, although he does have to "hustle"half across the Continent to prevent some one else getting in ahead of him. A wholesome and interesting, if not notably clever, story is "Little Corky." "THE PERFECT WIFE." Roddy Carlisli, quite recently married, made the mistake of having a private interview with Miss Hattie Deverill, who had loved and lost him, and made the further mistake having ingeniously staved off Hattie's request for a loan of £SOO, of kissing lier, he lit the fuse of a train of consequences of most direful import to his matrimonial happiness. In "The Perfect Wife" (William - Heiuemann; per George Robertson and Co.), Mr Joseph Keating, who seems, by the way, to be a specialist in matrimonial troubles, sets forth those consequences at length. They were quite serious consequences for the over-susceptible Roddy ancl his pretty little wife, but as related by Mr Keating, they keep the reader, if not exactly in fits of laughter, at least in a- well-nigh continuous state of merriment. In vain poor Roddy attempts explanation and excuse. The outraged Mrs Carlish is adamant, and leaves him at once. When, by the efforts of kindly relations, the breach bids fair to be healed, a fresh source of suspicion is provided by Roddy's mistaken good nature, this time in acceding to Hattie's request for financial assistance. Now ; the fun grows fast and furious and threatens to attain the character of Palais Royal farce, when the exiled "hubby," quite innocently, is forced to conceal himself in his wife's bedroom. Those, however, who may here sniff some possible impropriety, some Hubert Walesian incident, will be disappointed, for the moral of Mr Keating's story is everything that could be desired. It is a story mainly told in dialogue, and some of that dialogue is delightfully witty. Hattie, I am afraid, will be denounced by lady readers of the story as "a little cat," but in the end, even she is not excluded from a share of the author's gift of all-round happiness. "The Perfect Wife" is a capital story in its own class. FRIVOLE. Kate Horn, \vho w:rote that very amusing story, '' Edward and I and Mrs Honeybun," now follows up her first success by a smartly-written and humorous novel, "Frivole" (Stanley Paul and Co.). When the Honourable Daphne Estcourt (otherwise Frivole), only daughter of Lord and Lady Estcourt, announces her intention of marrying a young socialist lecturer and exponent of advanced free thought, Mr Albert Gadby, whose parents keep a small confectionery establishment in the Commercial Road, something like a bombshell is thrown into the aristocratic and usually serene atmosphere of the Estcourt household. Mr Gadby is a selfish and conceited young bounder, but he possesses a certain "gift of the gab," which passes with .Daphne, who is temporarily enamoured, in theory, of

the "simple life" and the "good of others'' principles, for the most illumining eloquence. Luckily for the young lady, she possesses a mamma who is both shrewd and resourceful. The exact manner of Lady Estcourt's disillusioning the infatuated girl with her fiance, and. showing him up in. his true colours as a self-seeking and dishonest "waster," I may not tell, but my readers can be assured of .gome excellent amusement in the story thereof as unfolded by Miss Horn. The - experiences of the "simple life" as heroically endured by Lord and Lady Estcourt, witha special view to disenchanting the guileless Daphne, are set forth in a vein of light comedy which is vastly amusing. , "GOLD." It may well be that Mr Stewart Edward White's new story, "Gold" (Hodder and Stougliton, per Whitcombe and Tombs), is a sort of composite narrative, in which actual' personal experiences are cunningly blended with incidents which have had their source in the active mind of the author. Be this as it may, Mr 'White must be credited with having produced one of the best, assuredly one of the most readable, stories of the great Califomian gold rush of 1849 which have ever seen print. It is, in fact, an historical document placed before us in fictional form, and in such form will reach and interest tens of thousands of readers who, had the strictly historical style been employed, would probably never hear of the work. Mr White introduces us to a little company of young men, full of vigour, alike in mind and body, who set out for California from

the Eastern States by way of Panama.A vividly picturesque description is given of the crossing of the Isthmus, and ■ the difficulty, when once the Pacific shore had been reached, of getting accommodation on .'Frisco bound vessels. t Of San Francisco, in the earliest stages of its career, we get, too; some lively pictures, but soon the adventurers inake - for the diggings, and immediately we are amidst a host of Bret Hartean figures, and eagerly', following the story of the many exciting experiences and adventures which fall to the lot of the young Easterners. Specially exciting itthe account of how the camp wherethey temporarily settle is,, for a time, under the control of a gang of ruffians, thieves, gamblers and desperadoes, who push their impudence to the extreme of electing a mayor and. setting up their own "police"! The lawless deeds of these . criminals finally call for the sternest of measures, and'we then witness the formation of a Vigilantes ' Association, and the introduction of Judge Lynch, andu his court. The young adventurers meet with varying fortunes and every possible phase of pioneer and goldfields life finds representation in Mr White's vigorously written and vastly interesting story. "Gold" can be unreservedly commended, not only as. .a story, but as affording much interesting and curious information concerning phases of life now rarely to be met with.