On prize-giving day, Miriam’s last day, Julia seemed to disappear. For the first time since she had come to the school it was as if she were not there. She was neither talking nor watching nor steering anything at all. Again and again during the ceremonies Miriam looked at her sitting or moving about, pale and plain and shabby, one of the crowd of girls.
The curious power of the collected girls, their steady profiles, their movements, their unconcerned security rose and flooded round Miriam as it had done when she first came to the school. But she no longer feared it. It was going on, harsh and unconscious and determined, next term. She was glad of it; the certainty thrilled her; she wanted to convey some of her gladness to Julia, but could not catch her eye.
Her gladness carried her through the most tedious part of the day’s performances, the sitting in a listening concourse, doors open, in the schoolroom, while some ten of the girls went one by one with stricken faces into the little drawing-roomand played the piece they had learned during the term. Their shame and confusion, the anger and desperation of their efforts, the comments of the listeners and their violent ironic applause roused her to an intensity of sympathy. How they despised the shame-faced tinkling; how they admired the martyrs.
Their strong indifference seemed to centre in the cold pale scornful face of Jessie Wheeler, sitting squarely there with defiant eyes, waiting for the future; the little troop of children she dreamed of.
These North London girls would be scornful mocking fiancées. They would be adored by their husbands. Secretly they would forget their husbands in their houses and children and friends.
Julia was the last player. She sidled swiftly out of the room; even her habitual easy halting lounge seemed to have deserted her; andalmost at once, slow and tragic and resignedly weeping came the opening notes of Chopin’s Funeral March. Sitting in the front row of the little batch of children from the lower school who faced the room from the window bay, Miriamsaw, in fancy, Julia’s face as she sat at the drawing-room piano—the face she had when she talked of the woods and the sea. The whole of the long march, including the major passage, was the voice of Julia’s strange desolation. She played painfully, very slowly and carefully, with tender respectful attention, almost without emphasis. She was not in the least panic-stricken; anyone could feel that; but she had none of the musical assurance that would have filled the girls with uneasy admiration and disgust. They were pleased and amused. And far away, Julia was alone with life and death. She made two worlds plain, the scornful world of the girls and her own shadow-filled life.
Miriam longed for the performance to be at an end so that the girls might reassert themselves.
An important stirring was going on at the little table where Miss Cramp sat with the Pernes; only their heads and shoulders showing above the piles of prize-books. Miss Perne stood up and faced the room smiling and gently muttering. Presently her voice grew clear and she was making little statements and pronouncing names, clearlyand with gay tender emphasis, the names of tall bold girls in the first class. One by one they struggled to the table and stood gentle and disturbed with flushed enlightened faces. Not a single girl could stand unconcerned before Miss Perne. Even Polly Allen’s brow was shorn of its boldness.
The girls knew. They would remember something of what the Pernes had tried to give them.
The room was unbearably stuffy. The prize-giving was at an end. Miriam’s own children had struggled to the table and come back to her for the last time.
Miss Perne was making a little speech ... about Miss Henderson’s forthcoming departure. Why did people do these formal things? She would be expected to make some response. For a moment she had the impulse to get up and rush away through the hall, get upstairs and pack and send for a four-wheeler. But from behind came hands dragging at a fold of her dress and the sound of Burra’s hard sobbing. She felt the child’s head bowed against her hip. A child at her side twisted its hands together and sat with its head held high, drawing sharp breaths. Miss Perne’s voice went on. She was holding up an umbrella,a terrible, expensive, silver-mounted one. The girls had subscribed.
Miriam sat with beating heart waiting for Miss Perne’s voice to cease, pressing back towards the support of Burra and other little outstretched clutchings and the general snuffling of her class, grappling with the amazement of hearing from various quarters of the room violent and repeated nose-blowings, and away near the door in the voice of a girl she had hardly spoken to a deep heavy contralto sobbing.
Presently she was on her feet with the tightly-rolled silken twist of the umbrella heavy in her hands. Her stiff lips murmured incoherent thanks in a strange thin voice—Harriett’s voice with the life gone from it.
Note.—A further instalment of this book is in preparation.
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A NEW SERIESModern PlaysA New Series of Plays by present-day English playwrights, also translations of the dramatists of the Continent. Including the dramatic work ofSTRINDBERGTCHEKHOFFSUDERMANNHAUPTMANNJOHN GALSWORTHYEDEN PHILLPOTTSALFRED SUTROMRS. W. K. CLIFFORDHADDON CHAMBERSHENRY ARTHUR JONESOVER 30 VOLUMES NOW READYCloth. Crown 8vo. 2s. net a volume. (Inland post 3d.)List of volumes can be obtained from Booksellers, or from the PublishersA FAMOUS SERIESOVER 40 VOLUMES NOW PUBLISHEDThe Reader’s LibraryCOPYRIGHT WORKS OF INDIVIDUALMERIT AND PERMANENT VALUE BYAUTHORS OF REPUTEINCLUDING WORKS BYHILAIRE BELLOCSTOPFORD BROOKEW. H. HUDSONCOVENTRY PATMOREAUGUSTINE BIRRELLJOHN GALSWORTHYRICHARD JEFFERIESANTON TCHEKHOFFSIR LESLIE STEPHENCUNNINGHAME GRAHAMAND OTHERSWell printed and well bound Library Editions. Crown 8vo. Blue cloth gilt, 2s. 6d. net a volume. (Postage 4d.)Ask to see a list at a Bookseller’s, or write direct to the PublishersMessrs. DUCKWORTH & CO.’SSPRINGANNOUNCEMENTS1916GENERAL LITERATURED. H. LAWRENCETwilight in Italy.ByD. H. Lawrence, author of “Sons and Lovers,” “The Prussian Officer,” etc.Cloth gilt. In the Uniform Edition of Mr. Lawrence’s Works. Crown 8vo, 6s.This volume of travel vignettes by Mr. Lawrence, shows him in a fresh medium. Mr. Lawrence has published novels, stories, poems, and a play, and now he appears with a volume of studies or impressions, of life and scenes in the North of Italy. Some of the chapters appeared serially in theEnglish Reviewand theWestminster Gazette, but they have been revised and rewritten for publication in book form. Several chapters, however, now appear for the first time. The volume will be published uniform with the author’s collected works, which are being issued in a library edition.BY THE SAME AUTHORAmores:Poems.ByD. H. Lawrence.Cloth gilt. Crown 8vo, 5s. net; postage, 4d.PRESS OPINIONS ON MR. LAWRENCE’S PREVIOUSBOOK OF VERSE “LOVE POEMS”“The book of the moment in verse.”—Bookman.“Imagination, apprehension, economy of means, and delicate ecstatic beauty are in these verses.”—The Times.“We have nothing but praise for this book of love poems.”—English Review.A UNIFORM EDITION OF THEWorks of D. H. LawrenceCloth Gilt. Crown 8vo, 6s. eachSons and Lovers.A NovelThe Prussian Officer,and other StoriesThe Trespasser.A NovelThe White Peacock.A NovelThe Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd.A Play.(3s. 6d. net)Love Poems(5s. net)“D. H. Lawrence is a master.”—Daily Telegraph.“‘Sons and Lovers’ is a great book.”—Standard.“No novel of recent years is the equal of ‘The Trespasser.’”—Observer.“Mr. Lawrence, with this volume (’The Prussian Officer’), takes his place in the first flight of modern writers.”—English Review.“‘The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd’ has the qualities of finished craftsmanship. It is packed with significance and suggestion. It has the power to exalt and enrich the mind and the emotions.”—Times.“‘The White Peacock’ aroused enthusiasm and now ‘The Trespasser’ has appeared. It is no common novel. Helena is a grand full length portrait. There are pieces of writing which could not be surpassed.... A picture as powerful as any painted by an artist in words.”—Saturday Review, in a review of “The Trespasser.”“Evidently written at a white heat of inspiration. Wonderfully sustained. A remarkable book to be read by the discriminating and the experienced.”—The Morning Post, in a review of “The Trespasser.”“A wonderful piece of portraiture. Strong, admirable and pathetic.”—Daily Telegraph, in a review of “Sons and Lovers.”“A study of warring loves and passions, containing much beauty. The sheer hard matter of living is vividly presented; the toil of existence in village and town, the solace of nature, the joy of respite from labour admirably realised and presented.”—Times, in a review of “Sons and Lovers.”THE READERS’ LIBRARYNew VolumePRINCE KROPOTKINIdeals and Realities in Russian Literature.ByPrince Peter Kropotkin.New and Revised Edition.Type Reset. In the Readers’ Library.Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.This very important book has been unobtainable for some time, but it now appears with author’s alterations and corrections, so that it is entirely up to date.The interest in Russian literature which has grown so remarkably during the last few years is likely to increase still further in the near future. Until the nineties, the Russian writers, with the single exception of Tolstoi, were unknown in this country. To-day translations of Russian fiction and drama are published very frequently, and the writings of Tourguéniev, Dostoieffsky, Tchekoff, Gorky are known to a great number of readers.In order to appreciate and understand Russian literature an authoritative volume such as this is essential to the reader. Prince Kropotkin surveys the whole field—Early folk literature—Folklore—Songs—Sagas—Poetry—Drama and Fiction—right to the present day. He gives full biographical information concerning the outstanding figures, with a full and critical account of their work and ideas. The lesser figures are treated proportionately, so as to form a full and informative as well as critical volume. The tone of the book is “popular” in the sense that it is very easily read and apprehended. This does not mean that the subject is treated in any way superficially.A work of sound criticism which should be in every public and private library.New VolumeFRANCIS STOPFORDLife’s Great Adventure.ByFrancis Stopford, author of “The Toil of Life.”Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.Mr. Francis Stopford’s ideas on life and service are expressed in these essays for those on the threshold of life. They are addressed primarily to those who have yet to face the more serious problems of life, not the very young, but those entering on the responsibilities of parentage, or those who are to be counted on as being in charge of the succeeding generation.⁂A full descriptive booklet of over forty volumes of the Readers’ Library, illustrated with portraits, can be had free on request.An American PoetWALT MASONHorse Sense.Poems.ByWalt Mason. With Prefatory Letter byJohn Masefield.Fcap. 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 4d.Walt Mason’s verse has attracted a great deal of attention when it has appeared from time to time in the daily press. He has been described as the high priest of ‘horse sense,’ and this collection of his prose poems is calculated to reveal him particularly in the light of a practical man of vigorous mind, whose sense of values is sound and who expresses his views tersely and emphatically. He writes with singular facility, and has complete mastery of rhythm and rhyme. His range is from grave to gay, from wholehearted endorsement of some homely virtue to vigorous condemnation of cant, fraud, and shams of all kinds.Mr. John Masefieldwrites:—“I read Walt Mason with great delight. His poems have wonderful fun and kindliness, and I have enjoyed them the more for their having so strongly all the qualities I liked so much in my American friends when I was living in the United States.“I don’t know any book which has struck me as so genuine a voice of the American nature.“I am glad that his work is gaining a wider and wider recognition.”South America as it is To-dayROGER W. BABSONThe Future of South America.ByRoger W. Babson. With 16 Illustrations and Two Maps. 407 pages.Crown 8vo, 7s. 6d. net; postage, 6d.There is astonishingly little in the literature about South America which explains what that continent really means to business people who are open to extend their trade in foreign markets. Such an interpretation is given in this book, together with an interesting account of the picturesque and romantic sides of South American life, its history, customs and resources, also information for the business man. Mr. Babson is known as a writer on economic questions and as an interpreter of statistical data and industrial and business conditions. He has for years methodically studied South America and its business possibilities. He is peculiarly fitted to draw conclusions about South America as an economic problem, which will be of the utmost value to the banker, manufacturer, exporter, investor, and the general student of foreign relations, affairs, and trade.The book is especially authoritative and official on account of the fact that leading government officials, usually the Presidents of the various countries, have co-operated with Mr. Babson.As a result his book should prove a suggestive volume for all having or hoping to have business relations with the countries described and also for the general reader who is interested in the economic side of the problem.CHARLES M. DOUGHTYThe Titans.A Dramatic Poem.ByCharles M. Doughty, author of “Travels in Arabia Deserta,” “The Dawn in Britain,” “The Cliffs,” “The Clouds,” etc.Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 5s. net; postage, 5d.SOME PRESS OPINIONS ON MR. DOUGHTY’S EARLIER WORKS“Thesense of Englandis the burning thing in these two dramas; the sense of England as only wartime can make it, which glows through all the magnificent monologue with which ‘The Cliffs’ open, or which brightens into most exquisite flame in ‘The Clouds.’”—Lascelles Abercrombie, in theQuarterly Review.“Mr. Doughty occupies a position by himself. The vigorous impulse and imaginative strength of his genius have created their own medium. Work which owes its power to the bigness of its design and the sheer weight of imagination and intellect.“This is an amazingly vivid picture of the fury and wreckage of war. In part of the poem Mr. Doughty approaches more nearly to the idyllic than in any other of his works. It is a great work, full of faith and thought and compelling sincerity, and rich poetic beauty.”—Spectator.“Mr. Doughty is the prophet of Patriotism. Wandering in the Muses’ Garden, he has received the divine call to chant patriot hymns, and it is his mission to rouse his country to a sense of the wrath to come in the guise of ‘air-flying Eastlanders.’ ‘The Clouds,’ is a passionate plea for the nation. His verse is astoundingly vivid and vehement, every now and then breaking into a startling beauty.”—English Review.“Mr. Doughty’s ideas and his outlook might be those of Nelson’s captains could they be called back to life. He thrills our imagination. His historical sense is so vital and far-reaching, his patriotic imagination so deeply rooted in the soil of our forbears’ achievements.... A poem that, we venture to think, will become a classic. ‘The Clouds,’ as an achievement, possesses a creative actuality, a breadth of vision, an intensity of imaginative life. The effect of the poem is cumulative, and no quotation can convey any idea of the atmosphere of the whole varied picture.”—The Nation.A New ImpressionJOHN MORSEAn Englishman in the Russian Ranks:Ten Months’ Fighting in Poland.ByJohn Morse.4th printing.Crown 8vo, 6s.SOME PRESS OPINIONS“This remarkably impressive book is probably the most notable piece of war literature the war has yet produced.”—The Times.“Tolstoy’s pictures of Sebastopol or Dostoievsky’s account of Siberia do not haunt one much more than episodes in this book.”—Spectator.“Those who wish to see the war without any illusion cannot afford to miss this the most impressive book that has so far appeared about it.”—Country Life.“This book is one of the most remarkable the war has yet given us.... He keeps us spellbound with his artless narrative.... This is decidedly a war book to be read.”—Daily News.“We can but offer our sincere congratulations to Mr. Morse on his splendid achievement; through him the name of Englishman will stand firmer in Russia, firmer in the world.”—Saturday Review.“The war continues to provide incidentally many vivid narratives ... and this narrative ... must certainly be reckoned one of the most interesting out of many.”—Evening Standard.“It is a most astonishing book.”—Daily Express.“Having served for ten months as a volunteer in the Russian Army, the author has had such strange adventures that his experiences have provided material for what is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable books concerning the war.”—Outlook.“As a witness of what actually happened on the Russian frontier Mr. Morse comes forward with a book of engrossing interest.... The story of his escape and privations which followed is thrilling in the extreme and related with a quiet restraint and modesty which, as in every chapter of the book, are an earnest of truth.”—Daily Telegraph.“Mr. Morse has written a book which, as far as I know, is unique. It is an extraordinarily vivid account of an Englishman who enlisted in the Russian rank and fought all through the early—and they were in many ways the most terrible—months of the war. As a picture of war it is literally haunting. Mr. Morse writes with the conviction of one who has seen all he desires to prove. Apart from the book’s value as a personal narrative, it is notable for the fine description it gives of life in the Russian Army; while those who thirst for adventure will find no book of fiction stir them more greatly than this author’s account of how he was captured and how he escaped.”—Tatler.THEOLOGYTHE REV. CANON RASHDALL, F.B.A.Conscience and Christ.ByThe Rev. Canon Hastings Rashdall, D.Litt. (Oxon), D.C.L. (Durham), F.B.A., author of “Philosophy and Religion,” etc.Crown 8vo, 5s. net; postage, 5d.The book is an attempt to answer the question “in what relation does the authority of Conscience, which most Christians acknowledge, stand to the authority of Jesus Christ?” The first chapter is a brief enquiry into the nature of Conscience on the one hand and of various forms of external authority on the other. The answer given is that no external authority can be taken as an absolutely final guide for conduct unless it does commend itself to the enlightened Conscience: it is contended that the teaching of Jesus Christ does so commend itself. In the second chapter is attempted the investigation of the recent teaching which makes “Eschatology” the answer of Christ’s message, and treats his moral teaching as a mere “Interimsethik.” The third chapter examines the actual contents of that teaching; the fourth deals with some commonly urged objections to the Christian Ethic—the finality of this Ethic is asserted upon condition that the necessity of development is fully recognised. The fifth chapter examines the nature of the development which the fundamental principles taught by Jesus have received and must continue to receive in the Christian Church. The sixth chapter is devoted to a brief examination of other ethical systems, philosophical and religious, and endeavours to show that not one of them can be regarded as a satisfactory substitute for Christianity while the permanent elements of each are recognised and included in the Christian ideal. It is also contended that the highest ethical influence of Christianity is inseparable from a reverent following of the personal Christ.THE REV. E. GRIFFITH-JONES, D.D.Faith and Immortality.ByThe Rev. E. Griffith-Jones, B.A., D.D., Principal of the United Independent College, Bradford. Author of “The Challenge of Christianity to a World at War,” “The Ascent Through Christ.”Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.STUDIES IN THEOLOGY—New VolumesTHE REV. CHARLES A. BRIGGS, D.D.History of the Study of Theology.By the lateCharles Augustus Briggs, D.D., D.Litt., of the Union Theological Seminary, New York. In Two Volumes.Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net each volume; postage, 5d.THE REV. PRINCIPAL FORSYTH, M.A., D.D.The Justification of God.ByThe Rev. Principal P. T. Forsyth, M.A., D.D., of the Hackney Theological College, University of London.Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.Other Volumes already published in the Series are:—Christianity and Ethics.ByArchibald B. D. Alexander, M.A., D.D.The Environment of Early Christianity.ByS. Angus, M.A., Ph.D.The Christian Hope: A Study in the Doctrine of the Last Things.ByW. Adams Brown, Ph.D., D.D.Christianity and Social Questions.ByWilliam Cunningham, F.B.A., D.D., D.Sc.A Handbook of Christian Apologetics.ByA. E. Garvie, D.D.A Critical Introduction to the Old Testament.ByGeorge Buchanan Gray, D.D., D.Litt.Gospel Origins.ByWilliam West Holdsworth, M.A.Faith and Its Psychology.ByWilliam R. Inge, D.D.Christianity and Sin.ByRobert Mackintosh, D.D.Protestant Thought before Kant.ByA. C. Mcgiffert, Ph.D., D.D.The Theology of the Gospels.ByJames Moffatt, D.D., D.Litt.History of Christian Thought since Kant.ByEdward Caldwell Moore, D.D.The Doctrine of the Atonement.ByJ. K. Mozley, M.A.Revelation and Inspiration.ByJames Orr, D.D.A Critical Introduction to the New Testament.ByArthur Samuel Peake, D.D.Philosophy and Religion.ByHastings Rashdall, D.Litt. (Oxon), D.C.L. (Durham), F.B.A.The Holy Spirit.ByT. Rees, M.A. (Lond.), B.A. (Oxon.).The Religious Ideas of the Old Testament.ByH. Wheeler Robinson, M.A.The Text and Canon of the New Testament.ByAlexander Souter, D.Litt.Christian Thought to the Reformation.ByHerbert B. Workman, D.Litt.FICTIONBERNARD CAPESIf Age Could.ByBernard Capes, author of “A Jay of Italy,” “The Lake of Wine,” etc.Mr. Bernard Capes’ new novel, “If Age Could,” will rank among the most important of the many popular books which bear his name—“If Youth but Knew”“If Age Could”Eustace Ward discovered that his ward Veronica appealed more to his senses than he had ever thought possible. He had come to think he was proof against the effects of feminine charm except in a detached and esthetic way. He is, however, held back by the fear that she regards him as old. The aloof and self-centred attitude towards life of both him and his ward with their ample means is shown without insistence, while the events of August 1914 do not greatly disturb their self-sufficiency. The subsequent bombardment of the North-East coast brings tragedy very near to Ward’s country seat. It is then that they for the first time consciously and on an impulse do an action which is for another’s benefit and which involves their own complete sacrifice.TEMPLE BAILEYContrary Mary.A Novel.ByTemple Bailey. 352 pages.Crown 8vo, 6s.“Contrary Mary” will win her way to the hearts of all who meet her, and the story of the fortunes of her family will provide restful enjoyment for a very large circle of readers. It is seldom that a clean, sweet story is not open to the criticism of being “pretty.” “Contrary Mary” is, however, an exceptional book, and while it shows the best side of human nature it can never be charged with being mawkish or sugary. While it has no bad characters, and only one unfortunate one, the reader is aware that the author has a firm grip on life. It is clever work, and shows the author as a writer of depth and feeling.BEY SOMERVILLEThe Passing of Nahla.A Story of the Desert.ByBey Somerville.Crown 8vo, 6s.This story of Nahla, a native girl child, and of the white man who educates and makes a companion of her, is full of atmosphere. The baby girl is an amusing companion for the educated, temperamental poet, and to see her develop under his guidance and tuition is for him of unfailing interest. In the intense life of the East she is very quickly a grown woman. Her devotion is pathetic in its self abasement, and she is ready to accept either life or death at his hands. The inevitable tragedy is when the desire comes to the man to return to his own people and their code of life. It is then he has to reckon with Nahla’s jealousy and fierce devotion.Apart from the story the book is worth reading for its rendering of the call and influence of the desert on a highly developed personality. The author feels its magic spell and is very successful in transmitting it to the reader.DOROTHY M. RICHARDSONBackwater.A Novel.ByDorothy M. Richardson, author of “Pointed Roofs.”Crown 8vo, 6s.Those who read “Pointed Roofs” will remember taking leave of Miriam as she got in the train for home, after her term as assistant teacher in a German school was ended. “Backwater” continues the narrative of Miriam’s life, the period now being the emotional period of life, when life is at its fullest.The reception given to “Pointed Roofs” has given Miss Richardson a status. She is recognized as a writer whose method is original and “different,” and who is thereby successful in conveying by means of a few strokes the vital experiences of her characters and their action on one another. Mr. J. D. Beresford, who contributed an introduction to “Pointed Roofs,” admitted having read the story three times, the pleasure he experienced at the first being increased by subsequent readings. He considers “Backwater” even more interesting.E. C. BOOTHFondie.A Novel.ByE. C. Booth, author of “The Cliff End,” “The Doctor’s Lass.”Crown 8vo, 6s.This story of Fondie Bassiemoor, his life, and also that of the inhabitants of Wivvle, a Yorkshire village, is a big novel in every way. Mr. Booth’s unhurried method requires a large canvas, and although the story is long for a modern novel the feeling of the reader at the finish is that on no account would he have it shorter.Mr. Booth pictures the everyday life of a rural village in Yorkshire with all its types and characters clearly and lovingly drawn; the comedy and tragedy of life painted with the sure hand of an artist and master craftsman. The natural tone and accent of speech is reproduced, but there is nothing irritating in its transcription as the author renders the Yorkshire dialect in such manner and so naturally that no unusual effort is required to read it.The note of comedy is preserved through the greater part of the book, but the sadness of life is not ignored. To each their place.The author’s previous books have been unreservedly praised, but it is thought by competent judges that “Fondie” is a particular advance on any of his earlier work. For a comparison one must go to the early work of Thomas Hardy. Perhaps “Far from the Madding Crowd” is the closest. Mr. Booth’s “Fondie” will stand the comparison very well.MARY AGNES HAMILTONDead Yesterday.ByMary Agnes Hamilton, author of “Less than the Dust,” “Yes.”Crown 8vo, 6s.This novel has been described by critics who have read it in manuscript as both clever and brilliant. It is notably modern in its feeling and outlook, its detail and allusions revealing its author’s interest in the artistic and social ideas which were current in 1914. The action of the story begins before the war, but is carried past August 1914, and finishes towards the end of 1915. It gives a very effective picture of an educated and bohemian coterie whose sophisticated attitude towards life is sharply challenged by the realization of the need to fight for national existence.MILDRED GARNERHarmony.A Novel.ByMildred Garner.Crown 8vo. 6s.The scent of old-fashioned flowers, the drowsy hum of bees, and the quiet spell of the countryside is realized in every page of “Harmony.” Peacewold is a harbour of refuge where gather those in need of the sympathy which the Little Blue Lady unfailingly has for her friends when they are distressed in spirit or body. To her comes Star worn out with months of settlement work in Bethnal Green, and Harmony whose sight is restored after years of blindness. Robin Grey, the austere Richard Wentworth and his son Bede, all come and she gives to each from the fulness of her spirit and faith. Willow, whose story the book is, also has reason to love the Little Blue Lady who has been as a mother to her.The book is distinguished for its shining faith and belief in the inherent goodness of human nature when subject to right influences. The searchings of heart when love comes and temporarily wrecks the harmony of Peacewold are shown to be for the good of those concerned and helpful to them in their development.“Harmony” is essentially a novel of sentiment and should certainly find many readers. It is earnest and sincere, and promises well for the author’s future as a successful novelist.RICHARD HARDING DAVISSomewhere in France.Stories.ByRichard Harding Davis, author of “With the Allies,” etc., etc. Illustrated.Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. net.A new volume by the popular war correspondent. The stories are varied in theme, and are not solely devoted to war. The title of the book is obtained from the first story which is of spying and spies during the German advance on Paris.LESLIE MONTGOMERYMr. Wildridge of the Bank.An Irish Novel.ByLeslie Montgomery.Crown 8vo, 6s.Mr. Leslie Montgomery will be welcomed as an acquisition to the ranks of humorous novelists. Like George Birmingham he writes of the North of Ireland and shows the everyday life of a small town. The competition of the local managers of the two banks to secure the account of the heir to a fortune is very amusing and always strictly probable. How Mr. Wildridge gets the capital subscribed for the woollen factory: how the confiding Rector and his daughter are saved from dishonour, and how Orangemen and Sinn Feiners, Protestants and Catholics are cunningly induced to work for the prosperity of the town in order to ‘dish’ each other are all related in an easy and convincing way. The story is told in light comedy vein, at times becoming madcap farce, and yet it cannot be said that the bounds of possibility are ever surpassed. There is not an unpleasant or disagreeable character in the book, and the humour is at the expense of everyone in the town. Anthony Wildridge is always cultivated, adroit and audacious, and deserves all his success. At the close he discovers that he is younger and more susceptible than he thought he was.DUCKWORTH & CO.,Covent Garden, London, W.C.
A NEW SERIESModern Plays
A New Series of Plays by present-day English playwrights, also translations of the dramatists of the Continent. Including the dramatic work of
STRINDBERGTCHEKHOFFSUDERMANNHAUPTMANNJOHN GALSWORTHYEDEN PHILLPOTTSALFRED SUTROMRS. W. K. CLIFFORDHADDON CHAMBERSHENRY ARTHUR JONES
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HILAIRE BELLOCSTOPFORD BROOKEW. H. HUDSONCOVENTRY PATMOREAUGUSTINE BIRRELLJOHN GALSWORTHYRICHARD JEFFERIESANTON TCHEKHOFFSIR LESLIE STEPHENCUNNINGHAME GRAHAM
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GENERAL LITERATURE
D. H. LAWRENCE
Twilight in Italy.ByD. H. Lawrence, author of “Sons and Lovers,” “The Prussian Officer,” etc.Cloth gilt. In the Uniform Edition of Mr. Lawrence’s Works. Crown 8vo, 6s.
This volume of travel vignettes by Mr. Lawrence, shows him in a fresh medium. Mr. Lawrence has published novels, stories, poems, and a play, and now he appears with a volume of studies or impressions, of life and scenes in the North of Italy. Some of the chapters appeared serially in theEnglish Reviewand theWestminster Gazette, but they have been revised and rewritten for publication in book form. Several chapters, however, now appear for the first time. The volume will be published uniform with the author’s collected works, which are being issued in a library edition.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
Amores:Poems.ByD. H. Lawrence.Cloth gilt. Crown 8vo, 5s. net; postage, 4d.
PRESS OPINIONS ON MR. LAWRENCE’S PREVIOUSBOOK OF VERSE “LOVE POEMS”
“The book of the moment in verse.”—Bookman.
“Imagination, apprehension, economy of means, and delicate ecstatic beauty are in these verses.”—The Times.
“We have nothing but praise for this book of love poems.”—English Review.
A UNIFORM EDITION OF THEWorks of D. H. Lawrence
Cloth Gilt. Crown 8vo, 6s. each
Sons and Lovers.A Novel
The Prussian Officer,and other Stories
The Trespasser.A Novel
The White Peacock.A Novel
The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd.A Play.(3s. 6d. net)
Love Poems(5s. net)
“D. H. Lawrence is a master.”—Daily Telegraph.
“‘Sons and Lovers’ is a great book.”—Standard.
“No novel of recent years is the equal of ‘The Trespasser.’”—Observer.
“Mr. Lawrence, with this volume (’The Prussian Officer’), takes his place in the first flight of modern writers.”—English Review.
“‘The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyd’ has the qualities of finished craftsmanship. It is packed with significance and suggestion. It has the power to exalt and enrich the mind and the emotions.”—Times.
“‘The White Peacock’ aroused enthusiasm and now ‘The Trespasser’ has appeared. It is no common novel. Helena is a grand full length portrait. There are pieces of writing which could not be surpassed.... A picture as powerful as any painted by an artist in words.”—Saturday Review, in a review of “The Trespasser.”
“Evidently written at a white heat of inspiration. Wonderfully sustained. A remarkable book to be read by the discriminating and the experienced.”—The Morning Post, in a review of “The Trespasser.”
“A wonderful piece of portraiture. Strong, admirable and pathetic.”—Daily Telegraph, in a review of “Sons and Lovers.”
“A study of warring loves and passions, containing much beauty. The sheer hard matter of living is vividly presented; the toil of existence in village and town, the solace of nature, the joy of respite from labour admirably realised and presented.”—Times, in a review of “Sons and Lovers.”
THE READERS’ LIBRARY
New Volume
PRINCE KROPOTKIN
Ideals and Realities in Russian Literature.ByPrince Peter Kropotkin.New and Revised Edition.Type Reset. In the Readers’ Library.Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.
This very important book has been unobtainable for some time, but it now appears with author’s alterations and corrections, so that it is entirely up to date.
The interest in Russian literature which has grown so remarkably during the last few years is likely to increase still further in the near future. Until the nineties, the Russian writers, with the single exception of Tolstoi, were unknown in this country. To-day translations of Russian fiction and drama are published very frequently, and the writings of Tourguéniev, Dostoieffsky, Tchekoff, Gorky are known to a great number of readers.
In order to appreciate and understand Russian literature an authoritative volume such as this is essential to the reader. Prince Kropotkin surveys the whole field—Early folk literature—Folklore—Songs—Sagas—Poetry—Drama and Fiction—right to the present day. He gives full biographical information concerning the outstanding figures, with a full and critical account of their work and ideas. The lesser figures are treated proportionately, so as to form a full and informative as well as critical volume. The tone of the book is “popular” in the sense that it is very easily read and apprehended. This does not mean that the subject is treated in any way superficially.
A work of sound criticism which should be in every public and private library.
New Volume
FRANCIS STOPFORD
Life’s Great Adventure.ByFrancis Stopford, author of “The Toil of Life.”Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.
Mr. Francis Stopford’s ideas on life and service are expressed in these essays for those on the threshold of life. They are addressed primarily to those who have yet to face the more serious problems of life, not the very young, but those entering on the responsibilities of parentage, or those who are to be counted on as being in charge of the succeeding generation.
⁂A full descriptive booklet of over forty volumes of the Readers’ Library, illustrated with portraits, can be had free on request.
An American Poet
WALT MASON
Horse Sense.Poems.ByWalt Mason. With Prefatory Letter byJohn Masefield.Fcap. 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 4d.
Walt Mason’s verse has attracted a great deal of attention when it has appeared from time to time in the daily press. He has been described as the high priest of ‘horse sense,’ and this collection of his prose poems is calculated to reveal him particularly in the light of a practical man of vigorous mind, whose sense of values is sound and who expresses his views tersely and emphatically. He writes with singular facility, and has complete mastery of rhythm and rhyme. His range is from grave to gay, from wholehearted endorsement of some homely virtue to vigorous condemnation of cant, fraud, and shams of all kinds.
Mr. John Masefieldwrites:—“I read Walt Mason with great delight. His poems have wonderful fun and kindliness, and I have enjoyed them the more for their having so strongly all the qualities I liked so much in my American friends when I was living in the United States.
“I don’t know any book which has struck me as so genuine a voice of the American nature.
“I am glad that his work is gaining a wider and wider recognition.”
South America as it is To-day
ROGER W. BABSON
The Future of South America.ByRoger W. Babson. With 16 Illustrations and Two Maps. 407 pages.Crown 8vo, 7s. 6d. net; postage, 6d.
There is astonishingly little in the literature about South America which explains what that continent really means to business people who are open to extend their trade in foreign markets. Such an interpretation is given in this book, together with an interesting account of the picturesque and romantic sides of South American life, its history, customs and resources, also information for the business man. Mr. Babson is known as a writer on economic questions and as an interpreter of statistical data and industrial and business conditions. He has for years methodically studied South America and its business possibilities. He is peculiarly fitted to draw conclusions about South America as an economic problem, which will be of the utmost value to the banker, manufacturer, exporter, investor, and the general student of foreign relations, affairs, and trade.
The book is especially authoritative and official on account of the fact that leading government officials, usually the Presidents of the various countries, have co-operated with Mr. Babson.
As a result his book should prove a suggestive volume for all having or hoping to have business relations with the countries described and also for the general reader who is interested in the economic side of the problem.
CHARLES M. DOUGHTY
The Titans.A Dramatic Poem.ByCharles M. Doughty, author of “Travels in Arabia Deserta,” “The Dawn in Britain,” “The Cliffs,” “The Clouds,” etc.Crown 8vo, cloth gilt, 5s. net; postage, 5d.
SOME PRESS OPINIONS ON MR. DOUGHTY’S EARLIER WORKS
“Thesense of Englandis the burning thing in these two dramas; the sense of England as only wartime can make it, which glows through all the magnificent monologue with which ‘The Cliffs’ open, or which brightens into most exquisite flame in ‘The Clouds.’”—Lascelles Abercrombie, in theQuarterly Review.
“Mr. Doughty occupies a position by himself. The vigorous impulse and imaginative strength of his genius have created their own medium. Work which owes its power to the bigness of its design and the sheer weight of imagination and intellect.
“This is an amazingly vivid picture of the fury and wreckage of war. In part of the poem Mr. Doughty approaches more nearly to the idyllic than in any other of his works. It is a great work, full of faith and thought and compelling sincerity, and rich poetic beauty.”—Spectator.
“Mr. Doughty is the prophet of Patriotism. Wandering in the Muses’ Garden, he has received the divine call to chant patriot hymns, and it is his mission to rouse his country to a sense of the wrath to come in the guise of ‘air-flying Eastlanders.’ ‘The Clouds,’ is a passionate plea for the nation. His verse is astoundingly vivid and vehement, every now and then breaking into a startling beauty.”—English Review.
“Mr. Doughty’s ideas and his outlook might be those of Nelson’s captains could they be called back to life. He thrills our imagination. His historical sense is so vital and far-reaching, his patriotic imagination so deeply rooted in the soil of our forbears’ achievements.... A poem that, we venture to think, will become a classic. ‘The Clouds,’ as an achievement, possesses a creative actuality, a breadth of vision, an intensity of imaginative life. The effect of the poem is cumulative, and no quotation can convey any idea of the atmosphere of the whole varied picture.”—The Nation.
A New Impression
JOHN MORSE
An Englishman in the Russian Ranks:Ten Months’ Fighting in Poland.ByJohn Morse.4th printing.Crown 8vo, 6s.
SOME PRESS OPINIONS
“This remarkably impressive book is probably the most notable piece of war literature the war has yet produced.”—The Times.
“Tolstoy’s pictures of Sebastopol or Dostoievsky’s account of Siberia do not haunt one much more than episodes in this book.”—Spectator.
“Those who wish to see the war without any illusion cannot afford to miss this the most impressive book that has so far appeared about it.”—Country Life.
“This book is one of the most remarkable the war has yet given us.... He keeps us spellbound with his artless narrative.... This is decidedly a war book to be read.”—Daily News.
“We can but offer our sincere congratulations to Mr. Morse on his splendid achievement; through him the name of Englishman will stand firmer in Russia, firmer in the world.”—Saturday Review.
“The war continues to provide incidentally many vivid narratives ... and this narrative ... must certainly be reckoned one of the most interesting out of many.”—Evening Standard.
“It is a most astonishing book.”—Daily Express.
“Having served for ten months as a volunteer in the Russian Army, the author has had such strange adventures that his experiences have provided material for what is undoubtedly one of the most remarkable books concerning the war.”—Outlook.
“As a witness of what actually happened on the Russian frontier Mr. Morse comes forward with a book of engrossing interest.... The story of his escape and privations which followed is thrilling in the extreme and related with a quiet restraint and modesty which, as in every chapter of the book, are an earnest of truth.”—Daily Telegraph.
“Mr. Morse has written a book which, as far as I know, is unique. It is an extraordinarily vivid account of an Englishman who enlisted in the Russian rank and fought all through the early—and they were in many ways the most terrible—months of the war. As a picture of war it is literally haunting. Mr. Morse writes with the conviction of one who has seen all he desires to prove. Apart from the book’s value as a personal narrative, it is notable for the fine description it gives of life in the Russian Army; while those who thirst for adventure will find no book of fiction stir them more greatly than this author’s account of how he was captured and how he escaped.”—Tatler.
THEOLOGY
THE REV. CANON RASHDALL, F.B.A.
Conscience and Christ.ByThe Rev. Canon Hastings Rashdall, D.Litt. (Oxon), D.C.L. (Durham), F.B.A., author of “Philosophy and Religion,” etc.Crown 8vo, 5s. net; postage, 5d.
The book is an attempt to answer the question “in what relation does the authority of Conscience, which most Christians acknowledge, stand to the authority of Jesus Christ?” The first chapter is a brief enquiry into the nature of Conscience on the one hand and of various forms of external authority on the other. The answer given is that no external authority can be taken as an absolutely final guide for conduct unless it does commend itself to the enlightened Conscience: it is contended that the teaching of Jesus Christ does so commend itself. In the second chapter is attempted the investigation of the recent teaching which makes “Eschatology” the answer of Christ’s message, and treats his moral teaching as a mere “Interimsethik.” The third chapter examines the actual contents of that teaching; the fourth deals with some commonly urged objections to the Christian Ethic—the finality of this Ethic is asserted upon condition that the necessity of development is fully recognised. The fifth chapter examines the nature of the development which the fundamental principles taught by Jesus have received and must continue to receive in the Christian Church. The sixth chapter is devoted to a brief examination of other ethical systems, philosophical and religious, and endeavours to show that not one of them can be regarded as a satisfactory substitute for Christianity while the permanent elements of each are recognised and included in the Christian ideal. It is also contended that the highest ethical influence of Christianity is inseparable from a reverent following of the personal Christ.
THE REV. E. GRIFFITH-JONES, D.D.
Faith and Immortality.ByThe Rev. E. Griffith-Jones, B.A., D.D., Principal of the United Independent College, Bradford. Author of “The Challenge of Christianity to a World at War,” “The Ascent Through Christ.”Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.
STUDIES IN THEOLOGY—New Volumes
THE REV. CHARLES A. BRIGGS, D.D.
History of the Study of Theology.By the lateCharles Augustus Briggs, D.D., D.Litt., of the Union Theological Seminary, New York. In Two Volumes.Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net each volume; postage, 5d.
THE REV. PRINCIPAL FORSYTH, M.A., D.D.
The Justification of God.ByThe Rev. Principal P. T. Forsyth, M.A., D.D., of the Hackney Theological College, University of London.Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d. net; postage, 5d.
Other Volumes already published in the Series are:—
Christianity and Ethics.ByArchibald B. D. Alexander, M.A., D.D.The Environment of Early Christianity.ByS. Angus, M.A., Ph.D.The Christian Hope: A Study in the Doctrine of the Last Things.ByW. Adams Brown, Ph.D., D.D.Christianity and Social Questions.ByWilliam Cunningham, F.B.A., D.D., D.Sc.A Handbook of Christian Apologetics.ByA. E. Garvie, D.D.A Critical Introduction to the Old Testament.ByGeorge Buchanan Gray, D.D., D.Litt.Gospel Origins.ByWilliam West Holdsworth, M.A.Faith and Its Psychology.ByWilliam R. Inge, D.D.Christianity and Sin.ByRobert Mackintosh, D.D.Protestant Thought before Kant.ByA. C. Mcgiffert, Ph.D., D.D.The Theology of the Gospels.ByJames Moffatt, D.D., D.Litt.History of Christian Thought since Kant.ByEdward Caldwell Moore, D.D.The Doctrine of the Atonement.ByJ. K. Mozley, M.A.Revelation and Inspiration.ByJames Orr, D.D.A Critical Introduction to the New Testament.ByArthur Samuel Peake, D.D.Philosophy and Religion.ByHastings Rashdall, D.Litt. (Oxon), D.C.L. (Durham), F.B.A.The Holy Spirit.ByT. Rees, M.A. (Lond.), B.A. (Oxon.).The Religious Ideas of the Old Testament.ByH. Wheeler Robinson, M.A.The Text and Canon of the New Testament.ByAlexander Souter, D.Litt.Christian Thought to the Reformation.ByHerbert B. Workman, D.Litt.
Christianity and Ethics.ByArchibald B. D. Alexander, M.A., D.D.The Environment of Early Christianity.ByS. Angus, M.A., Ph.D.The Christian Hope: A Study in the Doctrine of the Last Things.ByW. Adams Brown, Ph.D., D.D.Christianity and Social Questions.ByWilliam Cunningham, F.B.A., D.D., D.Sc.A Handbook of Christian Apologetics.ByA. E. Garvie, D.D.A Critical Introduction to the Old Testament.ByGeorge Buchanan Gray, D.D., D.Litt.Gospel Origins.ByWilliam West Holdsworth, M.A.Faith and Its Psychology.ByWilliam R. Inge, D.D.Christianity and Sin.ByRobert Mackintosh, D.D.Protestant Thought before Kant.ByA. C. Mcgiffert, Ph.D., D.D.
Christianity and Ethics.ByArchibald B. D. Alexander, M.A., D.D.
The Environment of Early Christianity.ByS. Angus, M.A., Ph.D.
The Christian Hope: A Study in the Doctrine of the Last Things.ByW. Adams Brown, Ph.D., D.D.
Christianity and Social Questions.ByWilliam Cunningham, F.B.A., D.D., D.Sc.
A Handbook of Christian Apologetics.ByA. E. Garvie, D.D.
A Critical Introduction to the Old Testament.ByGeorge Buchanan Gray, D.D., D.Litt.
Gospel Origins.ByWilliam West Holdsworth, M.A.
Faith and Its Psychology.ByWilliam R. Inge, D.D.
Christianity and Sin.ByRobert Mackintosh, D.D.
Protestant Thought before Kant.ByA. C. Mcgiffert, Ph.D., D.D.
The Theology of the Gospels.ByJames Moffatt, D.D., D.Litt.History of Christian Thought since Kant.ByEdward Caldwell Moore, D.D.The Doctrine of the Atonement.ByJ. K. Mozley, M.A.Revelation and Inspiration.ByJames Orr, D.D.A Critical Introduction to the New Testament.ByArthur Samuel Peake, D.D.Philosophy and Religion.ByHastings Rashdall, D.Litt. (Oxon), D.C.L. (Durham), F.B.A.The Holy Spirit.ByT. Rees, M.A. (Lond.), B.A. (Oxon.).The Religious Ideas of the Old Testament.ByH. Wheeler Robinson, M.A.The Text and Canon of the New Testament.ByAlexander Souter, D.Litt.Christian Thought to the Reformation.ByHerbert B. Workman, D.Litt.
The Theology of the Gospels.ByJames Moffatt, D.D., D.Litt.
History of Christian Thought since Kant.ByEdward Caldwell Moore, D.D.
The Doctrine of the Atonement.ByJ. K. Mozley, M.A.
Revelation and Inspiration.ByJames Orr, D.D.
A Critical Introduction to the New Testament.ByArthur Samuel Peake, D.D.
Philosophy and Religion.ByHastings Rashdall, D.Litt. (Oxon), D.C.L. (Durham), F.B.A.
The Holy Spirit.ByT. Rees, M.A. (Lond.), B.A. (Oxon.).
The Religious Ideas of the Old Testament.ByH. Wheeler Robinson, M.A.
The Text and Canon of the New Testament.ByAlexander Souter, D.Litt.
Christian Thought to the Reformation.ByHerbert B. Workman, D.Litt.
FICTION
BERNARD CAPES
If Age Could.ByBernard Capes, author of “A Jay of Italy,” “The Lake of Wine,” etc.
Mr. Bernard Capes’ new novel, “If Age Could,” will rank among the most important of the many popular books which bear his name—
“If Youth but Knew”“If Age Could”
“If Youth but Knew”“If Age Could”
“If Youth but Knew”“If Age Could”
“If Youth but Knew”
“If Age Could”
Eustace Ward discovered that his ward Veronica appealed more to his senses than he had ever thought possible. He had come to think he was proof against the effects of feminine charm except in a detached and esthetic way. He is, however, held back by the fear that she regards him as old. The aloof and self-centred attitude towards life of both him and his ward with their ample means is shown without insistence, while the events of August 1914 do not greatly disturb their self-sufficiency. The subsequent bombardment of the North-East coast brings tragedy very near to Ward’s country seat. It is then that they for the first time consciously and on an impulse do an action which is for another’s benefit and which involves their own complete sacrifice.
TEMPLE BAILEY
Contrary Mary.A Novel.ByTemple Bailey. 352 pages.Crown 8vo, 6s.
“Contrary Mary” will win her way to the hearts of all who meet her, and the story of the fortunes of her family will provide restful enjoyment for a very large circle of readers. It is seldom that a clean, sweet story is not open to the criticism of being “pretty.” “Contrary Mary” is, however, an exceptional book, and while it shows the best side of human nature it can never be charged with being mawkish or sugary. While it has no bad characters, and only one unfortunate one, the reader is aware that the author has a firm grip on life. It is clever work, and shows the author as a writer of depth and feeling.
BEY SOMERVILLE
The Passing of Nahla.A Story of the Desert.ByBey Somerville.Crown 8vo, 6s.
This story of Nahla, a native girl child, and of the white man who educates and makes a companion of her, is full of atmosphere. The baby girl is an amusing companion for the educated, temperamental poet, and to see her develop under his guidance and tuition is for him of unfailing interest. In the intense life of the East she is very quickly a grown woman. Her devotion is pathetic in its self abasement, and she is ready to accept either life or death at his hands. The inevitable tragedy is when the desire comes to the man to return to his own people and their code of life. It is then he has to reckon with Nahla’s jealousy and fierce devotion.
Apart from the story the book is worth reading for its rendering of the call and influence of the desert on a highly developed personality. The author feels its magic spell and is very successful in transmitting it to the reader.
DOROTHY M. RICHARDSON
Backwater.A Novel.ByDorothy M. Richardson, author of “Pointed Roofs.”Crown 8vo, 6s.
Those who read “Pointed Roofs” will remember taking leave of Miriam as she got in the train for home, after her term as assistant teacher in a German school was ended. “Backwater” continues the narrative of Miriam’s life, the period now being the emotional period of life, when life is at its fullest.
The reception given to “Pointed Roofs” has given Miss Richardson a status. She is recognized as a writer whose method is original and “different,” and who is thereby successful in conveying by means of a few strokes the vital experiences of her characters and their action on one another. Mr. J. D. Beresford, who contributed an introduction to “Pointed Roofs,” admitted having read the story three times, the pleasure he experienced at the first being increased by subsequent readings. He considers “Backwater” even more interesting.
E. C. BOOTH
Fondie.A Novel.ByE. C. Booth, author of “The Cliff End,” “The Doctor’s Lass.”Crown 8vo, 6s.
This story of Fondie Bassiemoor, his life, and also that of the inhabitants of Wivvle, a Yorkshire village, is a big novel in every way. Mr. Booth’s unhurried method requires a large canvas, and although the story is long for a modern novel the feeling of the reader at the finish is that on no account would he have it shorter.
Mr. Booth pictures the everyday life of a rural village in Yorkshire with all its types and characters clearly and lovingly drawn; the comedy and tragedy of life painted with the sure hand of an artist and master craftsman. The natural tone and accent of speech is reproduced, but there is nothing irritating in its transcription as the author renders the Yorkshire dialect in such manner and so naturally that no unusual effort is required to read it.
The note of comedy is preserved through the greater part of the book, but the sadness of life is not ignored. To each their place.
The author’s previous books have been unreservedly praised, but it is thought by competent judges that “Fondie” is a particular advance on any of his earlier work. For a comparison one must go to the early work of Thomas Hardy. Perhaps “Far from the Madding Crowd” is the closest. Mr. Booth’s “Fondie” will stand the comparison very well.
MARY AGNES HAMILTON
Dead Yesterday.ByMary Agnes Hamilton, author of “Less than the Dust,” “Yes.”Crown 8vo, 6s.
This novel has been described by critics who have read it in manuscript as both clever and brilliant. It is notably modern in its feeling and outlook, its detail and allusions revealing its author’s interest in the artistic and social ideas which were current in 1914. The action of the story begins before the war, but is carried past August 1914, and finishes towards the end of 1915. It gives a very effective picture of an educated and bohemian coterie whose sophisticated attitude towards life is sharply challenged by the realization of the need to fight for national existence.
MILDRED GARNER
Harmony.A Novel.ByMildred Garner.Crown 8vo. 6s.
The scent of old-fashioned flowers, the drowsy hum of bees, and the quiet spell of the countryside is realized in every page of “Harmony.” Peacewold is a harbour of refuge where gather those in need of the sympathy which the Little Blue Lady unfailingly has for her friends when they are distressed in spirit or body. To her comes Star worn out with months of settlement work in Bethnal Green, and Harmony whose sight is restored after years of blindness. Robin Grey, the austere Richard Wentworth and his son Bede, all come and she gives to each from the fulness of her spirit and faith. Willow, whose story the book is, also has reason to love the Little Blue Lady who has been as a mother to her.
The book is distinguished for its shining faith and belief in the inherent goodness of human nature when subject to right influences. The searchings of heart when love comes and temporarily wrecks the harmony of Peacewold are shown to be for the good of those concerned and helpful to them in their development.
“Harmony” is essentially a novel of sentiment and should certainly find many readers. It is earnest and sincere, and promises well for the author’s future as a successful novelist.
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS
Somewhere in France.Stories.ByRichard Harding Davis, author of “With the Allies,” etc., etc. Illustrated.Crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. net.
A new volume by the popular war correspondent. The stories are varied in theme, and are not solely devoted to war. The title of the book is obtained from the first story which is of spying and spies during the German advance on Paris.
LESLIE MONTGOMERY
Mr. Wildridge of the Bank.An Irish Novel.ByLeslie Montgomery.Crown 8vo, 6s.
Mr. Leslie Montgomery will be welcomed as an acquisition to the ranks of humorous novelists. Like George Birmingham he writes of the North of Ireland and shows the everyday life of a small town. The competition of the local managers of the two banks to secure the account of the heir to a fortune is very amusing and always strictly probable. How Mr. Wildridge gets the capital subscribed for the woollen factory: how the confiding Rector and his daughter are saved from dishonour, and how Orangemen and Sinn Feiners, Protestants and Catholics are cunningly induced to work for the prosperity of the town in order to ‘dish’ each other are all related in an easy and convincing way. The story is told in light comedy vein, at times becoming madcap farce, and yet it cannot be said that the bounds of possibility are ever surpassed. There is not an unpleasant or disagreeable character in the book, and the humour is at the expense of everyone in the town. Anthony Wildridge is always cultivated, adroit and audacious, and deserves all his success. At the close he discovers that he is younger and more susceptible than he thought he was.
DUCKWORTH & CO.,Covent Garden, London, W.C.
Transcriber’s NotesThe original spelling was mostly preserved. A few obvious typographical errors were silently corrected. Further careful corrections, some after consulting other editions, are listed here (before/after):... to an end just as the picture of the Frenchcount...... to an end just as the picture of the Frenchcourt......backto the table so that nobody “poked.” She ......backsto the table so that nobody “poked.” She ...... andcanonsand things make a frightful noise.” ...... andcannonsand things make a frightful noise.” ...... That lifeandsuch happiness in store for him is ...... That lifehadsuch happiness in store for him is ...... lounge seemed to have deserted her; andalmost...... lounge seemed to have deserted her; andalmost at...
Transcriber’s Notes
The original spelling was mostly preserved. A few obvious typographical errors were silently corrected. Further careful corrections, some after consulting other editions, are listed here (before/after):