SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1812, 26 July 1913, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION.

THE PRIEST IN FICTION. - Sectarian arguments, plus sectarian prejudices, are, to my mind, always most objectionable when introduced into fiction. In my youth, a writer named Emma Jane Worboise was a special offender in this way, and most of us know how Mr. Joseph Hocking has worked the same ugly vein. Recently, two novels havo appeared which cannot fail to give gross offence to Roman Catholic readers. One, by far the bettor written or' the two, is Mr. Gerald O'Donovan's "Father Ralph" (Maciuillan and Co.). The other. "Souls iu Pawn," by Lindsay Russell (Ward, Lock and Co.; por S. and W. Mackay), is the production of an Australian writer, who, I notice, has been hailed as tho Australian Mario Corelli. Mr. Donovan's story deals with Ireland of the present day, the hero being a young priest, educated at Maynooth, who, later on, comes to hold Modernist views, and eventually, after great lieart-reachings, decides to leave the Church and enter some secular profession. Mr. O'Donovnn draws tin ugly picture of tho Roman clergy in Ireland. From archbishop- to parish priest, the Roman ecclesiastic is painted as either grossly ignorant and occasionally drunken and vicious—or lazy, greedy of money, and totally devoid of anything approaching spirituality. I do not know Ireland,'nor the Irish priesthood, but it is difficult to believe tlmt Mr. O'Donovan's, story can afford a true or fair presentment of tho situation. Even George Moore, in his famous book, "The Untillcd Field," never drew an uglier picture. Mr. O'Donovan, however, is to bo credited with the possession of considerable literary ability. His style is vigorous, and ho has clearly a gift for characterisation, Miss Russell may or may not be "the Australian Marie Corelli," but one thing is certain, that she has written an extremely olTensivo book, She far exceeds Mr, O'Donovan in her attacks upon tha

Roman Catholic priests as a class. Indeed, more than one chapter of the story is defaced by wantonly vulgar realism. The heroino is botruyed by a bad priest, and loved and befriended by another, but although the author may defend her work as an attack upon "the curse of celibacy," I can find no excuse for her deliberate transgression of the laws of good taste. _ The- style, when not turgid and weak, is essentially Corellinn in its spasmodic character. The doctrines and methods of most religious faiths and churohes are, of course, open to criticism, and even justifiable attack, but to "bang the drum ecclesiastic," or anti-ecclesiastic, in.so noisy and vulgar a way' as does Miss Russell, is to me singularly distasteful. Sectarian spleen, whatever faith or church be its objective, is' surely best left to the pamphleteers.

"THE ROMANTIC BUSHRANGER." Mr. David Hennessey's Australian novel, "The Outlaw" (llodder and Stoughton), is described on tho cover as "the best bushranging novel since 'Robbery Under Arms/ " and won a .£4OO prize in a novel competition initiated by the publishers. I can hardly agree that Mr. Hennessey's story is equal, either in tho interest of its incidents or in literary merit, to Rolf Boldrowood's story, but it is none the lees ■a, very readable novel, abounding in picturesque and exciting episodes, and written in a spirited, vigorous style in excellent keeping with the plot and leading incidents. Tho hero is a well-educated young Australian, of good parentage, who, in thte 'forties of the last century, when a lad at college, is tempted to steal a valuable book, is tried, found guilty, and sentenced to the infamously cruel punishment of seven years' hard labour on the roads. "Assigned" as labourer to a brutal master, he is so vilely treated that he escapes, and, changing his name, becomes a country schoolmaster, in which position ho wins the esteem and affection of all who know him. Detection, however, being imminent, and despairing of being treated like a human being, he turns bushranger. Then follows -a long record of daring deeds and defiance of authority. In time Jack Sal-athiel—the hero has Jewieh blood in his veins—becomes the friend and beuefactor of the poor and friendless,- and develops into a popular hqro, establishing a sort of city of refuge in a wild ravine, which he calls Adullam. The police set the forest on fire, and drive him out, and, having disappointed the purely criminal element among his followers by sternly tabooing deeds of wanton cruelty, he is in grave danger of capture. He finds, however, a warm friend in a leading lawyer, and eventually escapes to California with his faithful wife, a bush nraiden, his friend having obtained him a. safe conduct. Tho story deals with a period in Australian history whon there were frequent conflicts between tho British officials and the people, and the novel has its political as well as its romantic side. It is certainly a well-planned and decidedly thrilling yarn, which will doubtless find many admirers.

"THE FRONTIERS OF THE HEART." "The Frontiers of tho Heart," by Victor Marguerite (Heinemann; per George Robertson and Co.). is a translation, by Frederick Lees,, of a. story which has achieved considerable popularity with French readers. It depicts a struggle between a Frenchwoman's love for her German, husband, and the difficulties of the position in which she finds herself when, a year or so after her marriage, war breaks out between her native country and Prussia. There is true pathos in 11. Marguerite's picture of the harassed wife, torn asunder by the rival claims of marital duty, and the love she has for her parents and brothers, and their and her native land. Tho French novelist is not unfair to the German husband, an army doctor, but his story, which ends with the permanent separation of husband and wife, is not only a powerful indictment of the folly and wickedness of war—war for unworthy motives—but, indirectly, involves . a strong argument against the marriages of persons of different races. It is a strong and touching slory, containing passages of quito notable literary merit.

Tho success ifhich lias attended , the publication of M,r. D. Hennessey's prize novel, alluded to • nHove, doubtless prompted tho reissue, in Hodilor and Stoughton's Shilling Library (S. and IV. Mackay), of t.ira earlier works by the same author, namely, "The Bush Track" and "The Dishonourable." Both stories drcil with, up-country life in Australia, and are vigorously written, and very readable. To the same series the publishers have recently added the everpopular "Scarlet Pimpernel," Sir. .John A. Stcuart's novel of society, "The Wages of Pleasure!," which has been described as a "New Vanity Fair," with, a twentieth century Becky Sharp, "lan Ifaclaren's sketches of Scottish life, "Besides the Bonnie Briar Bush," and a re-i'-suo of Booth larkington's "The Two Vanrevels." In their cheaper _ form all these old favourites should enjoy a new lease of popularity.