"MARY GAUNT'S" NOVEL.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 764, 12 March 1910, Page 11

"MARY GAUNT'S" NOVEL.

"Mary GauntV' many friends in Victoria will have been astonished (says an English correspondent of the "Australasian") to hear that her new West African novel, "Tho Uncounted Cost," has been placed upon the "Tndox Expurgatorius' by a committee representing the great lending libraries. Moved by the scandal of "Lady Cardigan's Recollections," the • Circulating Libraries' Association determined to malco an effective protest against the publication of objectionable books. "The Times" Book Club, Mudies', Smith and Son's, and Boot s joined the movement/ .'<Now the public is seeing the consequences of appeared, at first sight, a proper and fruitful action. The boycott cf "The Uncounted Cost," however, is a big miscake. Mrs. Miller spent 13 months writ-, ing her. book. As she.says, when finished, *1 submitted i<t to a literary lady, a clergyman of the Church of England, a naval expert, and to two West Coast officials. No one hinted at suggestion— Jot alone immorality." , Yet, when the book was sent to the Libraries' Commit- • y spieled that it was not a desirab.e addition to their shelves, and placed it upon the "Index." "The

I .Times" refused, so Mrs. Miller tells us, to put an advertisement referring to the novel in their literary supplement. .It seems that the fault of "The Uncounted Cost" lies in the fact that the I .heroine, Anne. Lovat, had been, persuaded -a liasdn-' with Bullar, under the promise that marriage would follow when income allowed. From this . point "Mary Gaunt" begins her novel. It is not a joyful theme, but, remembering Hawthorn's. "Scarlet Letter," it would be hard to say that , a novelist is .not justified in using it. Mrs. Miller shows the utter failure that must follow tho flouting of conventional moralities. Dicky Duller tires. The woman only finds, happiness in the end when the love of another and a stronger spirit— a district commissioner in West Africacomes into her life. In the end the West African proves able and willing to forgive Anne's fault. The body of "Mary Gaunfs" book is made up of the struggles of a, band of English pioneers'i in West Africa. So that it cannot even! be said that-'a; doubtful'theme monopolises thei .whole', of a reader's attention: Indeed, the only excuse for placing the book upon ' the, libraries 'Index" would be the plea that "the yonng girf" alone must ,be considered in stocking a lending library. There are immoral books written and read.- It seems a pity that the .Libraries'.Committee has not sought theso out, and put an end to their circulation before such a writer. as "Mary .Gaunt" with the accusation of: producing an immoral book.

A MODEL EVENING GOWN OF NINON OVER SATIN CHARMEUSE.