SOME RECENT FICTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 169, 6 April 1918, Page 13

SOME RECENT FICTION

Missing. Mrs. Humphrey Ward's latest novel, '•'Missing" (W. Colling, Sons and Co.), displays the author's usual sound literary craftsmanship, but. it marks a certain new if temporary departure on the part of this much-practised and de-servedly-popular novelist. . For once, Mrs. Wardtakos us away from London drawing-rooms, and political circles, and gives lis a pathetic but very beautiful love-story, with the war as a prominent factor therein. The background isiho picturesque Lakes district, a mis-un-scene which affords Mrs. Ward aniplo opportunity for hor fine descriptivo talents. The heroine, Nellie Sarratt, an exceedingly pretty if,, intellectually, somewhat colourless young lady, spends a brief but delightful honeymoon with her, young officer-husband, the pair being befriend-1 ed by a middle-aged, baronet, a man of great:-wcalthj an amateur artist,. and cultured art connoisseur. When tho husband goes off to the war this gentleman, Sir William'Farrell, and his eccentric but warm-hearted sister . "take up" the pfetty Mrs. Sarratt, and fairly overwhelm her with friendly and kindly attention. Months pass by, and one day comes'the dreadful 'message , from the War Office that.Sarrall is reported missing. _ Month after month of carkwg anxiety follow for tho poor little wife, until at last sho and her friends give up all hope. By this time the baronet has fallen in love with the young lady, who oil her side has begun to find a certain degree of consolation in the kindness and deli-cately-expressed affection .of the great man. Her elder sister. Bridget, ' a cold-blooded, utterly selfish woman, who dreads poverty, and to whom the baronet's unmistakable lovo for Nellie seems to offer a horizon of opulence for the latter, and of comfort for herself, now plays a most dastardly part. Intercepting a letter, which tells of a dealf and sorely-maimed soldier who strangely resbinblos the lost man lying in a French hospital, having completely lost his memory, but who is supposed to bo Sarratt, she; secretly hastens away to France. She recognises George, but coolly tells the hospital authorities he is not the long-sought-for man, and conceals tho fact of her visit from her uiisuspfceting sister. The latter being greatly touched by Sir William's kindness, begins to develop a feeling for her benefactor whioh is close akin to a milch warmer sentiment, but George, recovering his memory, and a second letter arriving which the treacherous Bridget fails to intercept, the young_wife hastens off to her husband, who dies in her arms. For a time the heroino bitterly accuses herself of having been disloyal, iii thought at lefist, to her husband, and insists upon taking up nursing work. In the closing chapter, however, it is moro than hinted that Farrell, who is a thorough gentleman iti tho best senße of the word, will somo day reap tho reward of his chivalrous dovotion. Such arc tho main outlines of on exceedingly pretty and interesting story, which, by tho way, inoltldos a number of exceptionally well-drawn minor characters. "Missing" should provo exceedingly popular with Mrs. Ward's admirers.

"An Autumn Sowing."

Mr. Thomas Keeling, the successful and wealthy "Universal Provider," who is tho leading figure in Mr. E. F. Benson's latest story, "An Autumn Sowing" (Wm. Collins, Sons, arid Co,), has reached middle ago, is indeed sur le rcienr, as the French saying goes, when,, iespite the fact .thrit he is a married ;

man ho falls desperately in love with "is handsomo typist-secretary, Norah I'+y ■^ ce '' n ß' s oho great passion Hitherto lias been for choiccly illustrated books, and when his secretary, who is that rara avis, a feminino biblioanH ,',^T, that , Bh6 shares llis Pastes, Wl-, rtakes tho IVork of catalogu">g his hbrary, a special bond of syms. created.' Tho lady begins by vhieh T S r her - Bn,ploycr " a cad "~ , elln S is assuredly not-but ties pn!i i y his natural ,g°od qualiSlm'is l returning his affection, wril B woman of as 1im.,,11 i 'i 6 common-Bense, and mip-hf 1 ? a connection which Tn mn °i n y 00 oasil - v ' ,ave resulted ii moral and social disaster for the much-enamoured commercial magnate. 7wf.i ngS « S ar Wlfo and Perfectly 1 mo^W: ln -liw—■with her "thin ttle laugh like a bat's squeak," and ner httlo red eyes, as.wicked as those of an elephant"— must have been terrible people to lire with, but of course from a strictly moral point of view, Mr. Thomas—later on in the •K * i ec 9 mcs Sir Thomas—had no right to fall in love with his secretary. All the same, under tho special circumstances of tho case, many readers will, I am afraid, sympathise with the universal Provider,, who so late in life finds his true affinity, and trill put down the book with a suspicion that not evon a taßte for rare and fine books—accompanied, too, by ample means for its gratification—will ever restore the poor man's all too transient happiness. Mr, Benson's latest novel' is oiie of the best he has given us for some time past. A Welsh Story. Mr. Joseph Keatirig'g novel, "Flower of the Dark" (Cassell and Co.; per S.and W. Mackay), has for its scenario a collier); district in South AVales, the period being that of the war. The heroine, a Coal Queen, Aeronwy Parry, a handsome, high-spirited, and wealthy ady, becomes engaged to a rival col-liery-pwner, Samson Cragwyn, a brutal unprincipled fellow, who has unholy dealings in coal with the, Hunsthrough a convenient Dutch. channel. Aeronwy's manager, Idwal Morgan, j discovers Cragwyn's villainy, and is ruthlessly sonfc to his death for threat-' ennlg .disclosure, Cragwyn thus gets rid of one rival, but has to deal with! a second, another colliery oxport, bearing the curious name of. Osla Silvertop, j who finally succeeds in winning the j Coal Queen, the scoundrelly Cragwyn j being. shot dead by a sentry, in j civil life_ the .. sweetheart of a i peasant girl, Megan, whom the villain i ot the piece had betrayed and deserted. ! ine way in which Mr. Keating clears \ the stage of. so many of his leading! characters reminds one not a little of the Elizabethan drama, but the story is well told, the description of a niiriers_ strike, the result of Cragwyn's insatiate greed, being particularly well done. (Reviews of other novels held over.)