"JUST OUT"—BOOKS WORTH READING

Ladies' Mirror, Volume I, Issue 10, 2 April 1923, Page 42

"JUST OUT"—BOOKS WORTH READING

A Review of Current Literature

HPHERE is always refreshment and -"- delight in a romance— love story pure and simple. With a high-spirited heroine who is endowed with subtle charm, beauty and coinage, and a hero loyal, self-sacrificing and chivalrous, the tale's unfoldment cannot fail to tempt any reader to lose himself gloriously in the book. In "Graustark" and "Sherry," George Barr McCutcheon has already written delightful love stories, but his latest, "Viola Gwyn" (Dodd Mead and Company, New York), reaches a higher degree of artistic excellence than any of its forerunners. The story belongs to the pioneering days of a century ago in Indiana, when pistols were carried in holsters and every stranger had to give satisfactory account of himself before hospitable entrance could be gained to a settler's cabin. To this State from Kentucky came Kenneth Gwynne, gentleman and lawyer, in order to take possession of lands bequeathed him by his father. But there were complications of an unusual kind, for that father had been an utter stranger to his child from the day when he left his home with the widowed Rachel Carter and her small daughter, to bury himself and her in the forest wilderness. The forsaken young wife found refuge in an earlygrave, and her little son, brought up by his grandparents, was taught to execrate the memory of the woman who had robbed his loved mother of her husband. On arriving at his inheritance, Kenneth meets his step-sister— he thinks herand, instead of including her in his hatred of her mother. he finds her mysteriously fascinating. She is deeply in love with the gay and debonnair Barry Lapelle. who poses as a gentleman of means, but in reality is an unprincipled gambler and adventurer. Her mother, sternly opposed to such a marriage, puts obstacles in the way. and Barry, eager to secure the wealthy lands to which she will fall heiress on her mother's death, plans the abduction of Viola. He secures the services of a posse of criminals, who scheme to seize the girl and carry her off swiftly through the woods to his cabin, where he trusts he will compel her to marry him. By this time Viola has realised that she no longer loves Lapelle. _ From this on the story grows in interest. Moll Hawk, the illiterate daughter of the horse thief, plays the woman in an unexpected way, and unconsciously renders Rachel and Viola a very great service. A discovery is made which is of tremendous importance to Kenneth and Viola, and the old feud ends with wider understanding and sympathy. SOME books always bring their welcome with them. Of this class is "Fair Harbor." by Joseph C. Lincoln (D. Appleton and Company, London). It is not a learned book, nor does it conceal any purpose, save that of amusing and refreshing _ the jaded in mind and body. It is a sane, wholesome story of simpleminded seaside village folk, not always so busy with their own affairs as to prevent them from paying a great deal of attention to the business of other people. Lincoln knows these kindly folk well, and their appreciation of human and quaint characteristics are woven into a tale which is decidedly absorbing. Captain Sears Kendrick. a seacaptain, nearly fifty years old, is the central figure. He breaks his leg in a railway accident, and loses _ his invested moneys about the same time. On his recovery, poverty makes him accept the post of manager of "Fair Harbour," a home for widows and relatives of seafaring men. And then the situation becomes full of

rich possibilities. Captain Kendrick soon finds his position embarrassing. The cantankerous women unite in harassing him, until his naturally sweet nature finds that agreement with each complainant, intermingled with a little judicious flattery is a wonderful trouble solvent. All then would have been well, had not Egbert arrived from Italy, the suave impecunious adventurer of the quasigentlemanly type, who fares sumptuously through life by the simple expedient of marrying or cheating women who are burdened with more wealth than sense. Oddly enough, parasites of this kind are usually adored by the women they flatter, and Egbert is a delightful example of the species. The complications, and there are several, including Captain Kendrick's own romance, are full of humorous situations, such as Lincoln delights to introduce. In the end the catty ones get their deserts, and the Captain goes on his way rejoicing as he deserves. "IVrO. 87," by Harrington Hext -*-* (Thornton Butterworth Limited, London). The romance of science is here woven into a rather remarkable narrative, which opens up a field of wide speculation—one, too, that may have to be faced by men of science in the future. The author, evidently a man of science himself, speculates whether a man who has discovered a scientific formula giving him unlimited power, would or could use that power for good or for evil. In the supposititious case put, Sir Bruce Fordyce, a man who has given up his life to scientific research, has discovered a new element, No. 87. of stupendous promise for mankind if properly used. It gave him all power. With it he could tear into the globe a dozen new volcanoes. He could destroy, and he could change and build up. He could pour fertility on the sterile lands of the earth, change dross into pure gold, and annihilate time and space, so quickly did it enable him to fly from Japan to Rome and New York. A greatsouled man, he wished to ensure that this force should be used for good alone, but because he could find no one who could be trusted to use it rightly, he had to use it himself, and as he sincerely thought, for the highest ends. But -•.. a mere man, subject to urn. uCiiiii U met c man, suujv.v,i s.--inherited instincts and prejudices, •narrow of view, superstitious and irrational, he was no better fitted to control and use this promethean force than any other man. Actuated nevertheless by the most beneficent and unselfish motives, he proceeded to use No. 87 singlehanded. only to realise later on that he himself had shown the narrow-mindedness, malignity and ignorance of a fanatic and partisan who frustrates his own intentions by his arbitrary acts. Sir

Bruce, looking facts squarely in the face, realised that even as he had failed, others would fail, for the limitations of mortal man are such as to unfit him to wield a force of such stupendous and far-reaching power. He decided that his was the responsihility of destroying the fruit of his long labours. The manner in which he does this, after fully explaining a series of his acts of mysterious retribution which had puzzled and alarmed the whole civilised world, is not the least thrilling portion of an intensely interesting book. "rpHE Daffodil Poetry Book." Com- -"- piled by Ethel L. Fowler, B.A. London : Sedgwick and Jackson Limited. There can never be too many books of poetry, and one opens this new collection of poems with an anticipatory thrill that is fully justified by its contents. Though not selected specially for young people, the gifted compiler had "them in mind when culling gems from the wealth of modern poetry; nevertheless, older folk will rejoice greatly in her inclusion of so many old favourites. For this reason, the Daffodil Poetry Book will be a welcome addition to the bedside bookshelf, while as a gift-book it is sure to meet a gladsome reception from youthful readers. Many of the poems arc by new and therefore almost unknown poets, and all of them are full of freshness and beauty such as make an instant appeal to the human heart. Among the gems many old ballads wellbeloved for centuries by old and young, may be found reprinted side by side with such recently composed word-music as "The Going of the Battery," by Thomas Hardy, and Eva Gore-Booth's "Little Waves of Breffny." William Allingham. John Drinkwater, Walter de la Mare, Peacock, Rupert Brooke, Patrick McGill and Francis Thompson are among the moderns represented, and one and all make good showing among such long dead masters as George Herbert, Marvell, Matthew Arnold, Wordsworth and William Morris, to say nothing of such giants as Shakespeare, Tennyson, Browning. Keats, Shelley and Christina Rossetti. And one can only suppose that limitation of space alone was responsible for the exclusion of "Kilmeny." that supreme creation of the shepherd poet of Scotland. "'"PHE Dancing Annual" for the -*- current year, edited by E. North Rrynildsen London (The Mayfair Press Ltd.), contains brightly written stories and articles by various stars of the dance. Pavlova among others. Humorous drawings abound, and the other illustrations are quite good. The above publications arc from Whitcombe and Tombs Limited, Auckland.