SOME RECENT FICTION.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 97, 18 January 1919, Page 11

SOME RECENT FICTION.

,r Askflw's Victory." 11l his latest novel, "Askew's Victory" (Ward, Lock, and' Co.), ili'. Harold Biiidloss. gives lis a series of very interesting pictures of farming .life up in tlio Yorkshire dalos.' Ilis hero, a young dalesman, who comes of a long race of yeonien farmers, falls iit love with the daughter -of the local squire, an obstinate, self-indulgent man, whoso extravagance, and indolence have, been largely responsible for the reduction of his income. Between the squire of Thorburn arid Kit. Askew, the progressive young yeoinan, there springs up a mild: feud,. arising out of Kit's championship of the Thorburn"tenants, very harshly treated ..by Osborne's agent. Eventually the young farmer, despairing 'of winning the squire's daughter, goes off to.a Central American republic, whero an uncle, a wealthy trader, is deeply engaged in'political plots. Mr. - liindloss shows .himself just as much at- home in tropical America as -in' the .Yorkshire dales, and as. usual 'treats his 'readers to a very generously supplyof. of adventures and sensational incidents; ■ Eventually "The Buccaneer,'.' as the Askew unclc is known to his' friends,- dies of fever mid leaves his fortune 'to tlio nephew who lias, stuck to him so courageously in his ill-fated effort to bolster up a piosident who had. exhausted his popularity ar.d power.. ■ Kitreturns'to England and the home nf Kis ancestors with many progressive, ideas; rand. /sets, to work to .improve, his property and to instil a spirit of modernity into' his slow-moving- neighbours. His; old love for the squire's.daughter, is revived, and when he saves her. from a forced marriage with a wealth'v 'p»an -whom she, dislikes, who. • holds, so. .lie thinks, • the . honour of the Osborne family at his mercy, the sonire's scapegrace sou- having forge/1 name to a hill, the, young yoonian's long fidelity to i'lie love of-his youth is duly rewarded.' The Central American episodes really''form ,i separate story, hut no reader of the* novel will regret the interpolation, so 'vivid and nic■tiiresque is the . local! colour. Mr. liimlloss lms never, introduced us to a more manly and likeable, young Englishman tlinn Kit Askew.- and Grace Thorburn's*liigli.. spirits 'and indomitable courage make her a fit- nnrtuer. for such a .fine young fellow. . Haves, the..land fluent, the villain. of. - the piee.e.,. is Tirnilv drawn, and to Xew Zi>«':ind readers the descriptions vf rural life, in the Xorth Country are.'as instructive as they are'agroeable. to~read. ; '.Quite .a good novel in its own class'. -. . ' -BOOKS AND