SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1872, 4 October 1913, Page 9

SOME RECENT FICTION.

•:the red mirace." Miss Ida Wylio's "Red Mirage" (Mills and Boon, per George Robertson and Co.) should, if I mistake not, provo one of the most successful novels of tho year. Its poignantly dramatio character will probably make many readers pardon a doubtfully wise employment of tho "long arm of coincidence," for it is straining the probabilities of life not a little to make both father and son join the famous Foreign Legion of France, each disappearing from society as the result of an unwarrantable suspicion of dishonouring the Queen's uniform in oach ca.se, too, the prime agent in dictating the self saerifive being the love of a woman. Miss Wylie must, however, bo credited with haviing imagined a singuarly impressive and, to the reader who knows tho exact position of affairs, terribly pathetio situation, when she makes the father, Colonol Destinn, of the Legion, most brutally ill-use his own son, the wretched waif, " Richard Nameless " —this latter name, by the way, savouring too much of tho Trollope style of labelling —and to bo direstly responsible for the fiendish cruelty which dooms to the most horrible of deaths tho young brother of the lyoinan he loves. The mean rascal, Captain Arnaud, for whom Sylvia Omney so foolishly rejects the lovo of Richard Farquhar, is perilously akin to the stagey villian or transpontine drama, ana the professional gamester and spy, tho Jewish officer, Sower, ; s alss a figure whose true plic» is in the glare of the footlights. But tho story is so vividly dramatio and so fascinat* ing in the entrain of its vigorous narrativo that a few discrepancies and threatricalities may well be forgiven. Muoh has been written of late of the famous Foreign- Legion—for most of its members veritably "a legion of the lost," — which the French Government employs with such effect against the turbulent Arabs of the Algerian hinterland, and Miss Wylie's descriptions of tho utter brutality of the life led by these soldiers of misfortuno are probably none too highly coloured. All the same, I think the author might havo less frequently obtruded, through the lips of some of the legionaries, the famous " Mot de Cambronne." What that word is I will not say, but thoso who can trace out the English equivalent will probably be hugely disgusted, for it is the very reverse of a pretty word. I havo no doubt that the common talk of the soldiers of the Legion is full if the argot—and worse than mere argot —which is found in M. Barrere's famous,, dictionary. AH tho same, it is hardly in place in an English novel. "The Red Mirage" is a very powerfully written story, immeasurably superior to Miss Wylie's earlier novel, "The Rajah's Wife," If tho author would only prune, down her somewhat flamboyant style r she will do something really great in fiction one of these fine days. ... "THE SECRET CITY."

A pathetio interest attaches to tho publication of "Tho Secret City—A Romance of the Karroo" (lioddor and Stoughton; per S. and W. Mackay), for on Tuesday last the death of the author, the Rev. Joseph J. Doke, was reported .in tho news columns of Tub Dominion', Mr. Doko was for some timo in charge of a Baptist Ckurch at Christ-church, but at tho timo of his death was engaged in missionary work iin South Africa. "The Seorst City" is a powerfully-written story, highly sen-, sational in its main incidents, and, aliko in subject and stylo, challenging comparison with more than one of Sir Ilider Haggard's widely-popular South African stories. Purporting to be told by a young Cape farmer of mixed Dutch • and British extraction, the Btory deals with the discovery of an ancient manuscript in which an ancestor of Paul Retief. tho hero, tells of a wondrous city situated in the far interior, and inhabited by the descendants of an ancient and highly-civilised race, skilled in the arts and sciences and possessing ail immense reserve of accumulated treasure. The secret disclosed in the manuscript is shared by a rascally Spaniih half-breed, Castello by name, who is the villain of the story. Castello coret3 pretty Marion; Arden, and, kidnapping hor, takes her away to the mysterious city, where Paul Retief, aftor a scries of stirring adventures, rescues her. Although, as I have said, decidedly reminiscont of some of Ilider Haggard's novels, "Tho Secret City" _ possesses many original features, and is a vigor-ously-written r.nd interesting romance, rich in curious studies of Kaffir customs and of contrasts between Dutch and English racial traits. A NEW "JACK LONDON." Our old friend, Jack London, has returned to the scene of his earlier successes as a novelist, and in his "Smoke Bellow" (Mills and Boon, por George Robertson and Co.) gives us t a fullflavoured, highly-seasational, and exciting story of mining and adventure on the famous Klondyke. His hero, Kit, or "Smoke" Bellew,' is a young San Franciscan, a plucky, hefty fellow, wlio, tiring of a .Bohemian and somewhat unremunerative career as a journalist in tho City of tho Golden Gate, makes his way up to the Klondyke, and there takes as his mate and mining partner a happy-go-lucky, merry, but eminently shrewd and hard-headed individual named "Shorty," otherwise Jack Short, "sometimes known as Johnny-on-the-Spot." Shorty is a decidedly original and vastly-entertaining character, and Mr. London is at his best in describing the ups and clowns of the well-matched comrades. Their adventures include the bi caking of a. .roulette bank, much to the disgust of the professional gamblers, its proprietors, the championing of beauty in distress, and various mining enterprises, including a wild rush to be first ob a newly-found field. Mr. London's style is as vigorous as ever, and ho makes skilfully effective uso of the curious slang with whioh the Klondyke miners have enriched tho great American language. There is not a dull page in tho book,' which can be heartily commended to all who enjoy a good, stirring tale of adventure on the frozen but wonderfully rich gold fields of ' Alaska. SHORTER NOTICES.

Mr. John Barnett, the author of "Barry and a Sinner" (Boll; per Whitcombo and Tombs), is a practised story-tellsr, and his latest - novel,, the story of a lazv, selfish wastrel and rogue, wh» is befriended by a singularly unworldly and romantic-minded old school dram, makes excollent reading. The dodge by which the wealthy and virtuous Barry Lincoln tests tho sincerity of the world's, especially the feminine world's regard for him by passing himself off as tho ex-gaolbird, Gilly Leviter, is followed _ by consequences sometimes amusing;, and at others pathetic. Poor Gilly is such an amusingly impudent rascal that one cannot "help wishing that Mr. Barrett had chosen to end his story on a less tragic note.

"The Ethics of Evan Wynne," by D Hugh Price (Bell; per Whiteombe and Tombs),' is a political pamphlet in the form of a novel. A "Foreword, by no less a person than the Bishop of fit David's, and dated frem "Tho Palace, Abergwili," informs tho intending reader _ that' "this volume illustrates the injury which would be inacted «n social "life in Wales wero the Government to bo allowed to pass into law, behind the backs of the people, its mean little Bill for seeularisiiig the ancient religious endowments _ of Wales." In mo intervals of planning new onslaughts on tho Lords—or pf playing golf—l expect Mr. LloydGcorgo would find Mr. Pryce's story

rather amusing reading. Those, however, who like myself are not in tho least interested in Welsh political questions, may find; the -story rather dull stuff.

In "The Hidden Road" (Mills and Boon; per Wliitoombo and Tombs), Mrs. Joan. Sutherland' takes the reader to far-away Tibet, cleverly utilising the story of the now-famous Mission to the once-mysterious Lhassa. Her hero is a young Englishman, Ludar Stair, who goes to Tibet on a sccret mission and suddenly disappears. What happens to kini is almost too horriblo to tell. There is a fine romantio spirit underlying the whole of Stair's experiences, ana the stirring adventures of tho Mission, and the Btory is > well _up to the high standard set in Mrs. Southerland's earlier story, "Cavanagh of Kultaun."

Keble Howard, who, Tinder the nom-de-plume of "Chicot," writes an amusing weekly page for "The Sketch" and "The Pall Mall Gazette," has republished in "London Voices" (Bell; per Whitcombe and Tombs), a number of the dialogues which he has recently contributed to tho latter journal. The same sort of thing has been done before by Mr. Anstey and Mr. Pett Ridge, but Mr. Howard has his own methods, arid although the quality is rather uneven, there is much lively humour and evidenoes of Bhrowd observation in the author's sketches of life, high and low, in "Tho Modern Babylon."

Guy Thar no. tho author of "Not in. Israel" (Casseil (tnd Co.; per S. and W. Maokay), must bo credited with having conceived a highly original situation in making the younger and favourite son of a wealthy Jewish baronet, Sir Henry Leon, a Jew of Spanish descent, and an Erdcnt believer both t in tho truth of his religion a-nd the'dignitv and future triumph of his race, suddenly embrace and become a Roman Catliolio priest. Tho father considers Sebastian insane, but his oldest son, Maurice, a magnate in the theatrical world, sets quietly to work to bring tike apostate under the influence of a beautiful cousin, Miriam Leigh. Soon begins a long struggle between religious conviction —or supposed oonviction —and lovo. How the struggle ends for Sebastian Leon and tho woman he marries—for there is a second, and dual renunciation in the young man s life—l must not say. Mr. Thonies work' as a rulo strikes me as artificial in sentiment and is often crudely melodramatic. Ho has, as usual, attempted to provo too much, but "Not in. Israol ia muoh stronger and better fiction than this arattioT generally produces. SirHenry Leon, and his old frieaid Samuel Hart, are characters not soon to bo forgotten by those who read the story.

"You don't know what her ohann means to a woman, Mick. That's tho difference that you can never understand, the difference between a woman s poTvetr and a main's. Hera is founded ion nothing that you can name, yet it is the greatest thing about hea^—it makes real wives—and mothers. And the world depend® a lot on tihem, doesn t it?" —"Patchwork Comedy," by HumPrey Joirdan.