THE READERS' COLUMN

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 138, 4 November 1914, Page 6

THE READERS' COLUMN

(By James Wortley.)

*"Tho Laughing Cava'lier," by Baroness Orczy. The story .of tile anee»lor of the Scarlet Pimpernel. London ■ Hodder and Stoughton. ]914. IDiogenea was of the tribe ol KngiUninen who, with the "wander-lust" stroay 1 upon them, have with careless ana buoyant spirit left ilae Homeland 10 seek adventures in other couuuies. Ai the time of our story such adventures were to be had in full and plenty just across the sea in the low countries. Diogenes, in common with many iJiousands of kindred spirits, gath..-rod thither from the Peninsular, from jj i 4. tain, from Germany, and front Scandinavia, during ifliat stirring period, was • . . a . . . mercenary, who, how- • ever, . . . he "services, carried . . . out his undertaking-! in no mercenary spirit. At the time of which we write—car.\ ■in tho seventeenth century—'Haarlau was a city of eamtmanding .influence in the Netherlands. In its inns and eat-ing-houses there mingled freely in social intercourse men of every race, w'.ose sword was ready for engagement in ally desperate enterprise, as well as i lie stolid burghers of the town, their wm-» and daughters. Into t'his teeming, vigorous social lite we are iiurudae.L New Year's live, 1624. Maying over..a.,; to pray after the watch-nighi .sere... in the Cathedral, Oilda Bercsteyn uvei-> hears a plot being arranged to twAhm and murder the Prince of Orange. 0: it-he conspirators one is Nieo aes, »». brother, and another the Lord of .S ontenberg, her erstwhile lover. alarmed, Nicolaes proceeds to try e.a. buy oil' his sister, and extor, a proi;)i.-.i to forge;, the sinister convocation she has overhear 1. But '.Uyneer Jierestovi. s<nd Gi!d-<, are both stoat piUV<ta:is of tU. I Prince, and she will not acquire in in: j brother's demands. Here Diogenes is sought on i. Nieo : a.I lias been an eye-witness to a iitt.e street j seen*; in whiuU Diogenes has been true to the best traditions of his race, in I rescuing from the insults ox tile rabble an impoverished girl. With no o.'aei' recommendation, the plot'.ei's proeced to t-njßgi! the laughing cavalier, as Diogenes has come to be known, to abduct Gilda as she returns home, and carry her with all speed to the home of the Perestpyn's jewish Ijinker in Hotterdam. It is of this desperate enterprise and its consequences lo Gilila and ll'ogene's that the story is concerned. It it full of stirring incident, which carries the lvader along with unaba ted in ..crest. Of course Diogenes turns out to be a Make of liiakeiv.-y, ami not inferior in iurvlhimr to the sturdy family of oar friend lieresteyn, of the Town Council of Haarlem.

"Mlardivaro,' by Kineton Parl-xs, author oi ''Poti'phar's vV'ift'." London. Fisher Unwin.

"Hardware,' !14 the tiile impliLS, :s a oi lilt lua'aveare ti'.ute, ,i!iu OI I:.e moiicru growtii of a en, .e : . ; laud, very thiiuy veiivd under the nuinc of jle.ieingham. rUe :iue lias scored n inc!, - cess. It is a ])owe:t::iiy \v'.':-t,n sto.'.. by one who kauiis ;l grwt vital ot aiai) <

soe:;:! M'o in ijlitain. in l-tliva.d .b.'i.'irp we have a clcnrl;; drawn typo of the suiiy, u!i_erupii,o'.i:> ;:i;d eiiiiieli, .o'.vn and felnLc, friends ai.a faniiiy, to Ins o'.v.u vmis, .uut vi'l

v.'liij -o cleverly puddles his ov.n e.ue.e tlwt he is .nceiakiu'i! a pidar oi coiisness and an oniamcnt to ti:e v.villi fc oi the eil"'. Itiding always or. t:::: cre.-t of ilie v.'ave, he judges with line accuracy the psychological ii'.oim ir. to make his biovm, and liltimateiy retires from the Lord iviayorai chair will dignity and honour.

■l-IJ 3 daughter, iiet.iy, iv all iturai psuduct of such a home environment aa fc'lia.ro and his nagging win. -proi'ide. Keen, »r.d gifted with great -beamy, »ii<> .vol lacks the more trader qualifies we tW4ocut>e with the ideal wor.ian. Thorpe (,'hutwiu, the hero o; tivc story is til e oniy son of a clever and honest working foreman in Sharp's eiiipioy. iuareii 'in n plain iinyiisii wo: king man's home, witn » shore school career, yet encouraged to take advantage of t««

Bieaus whidi le.-hnical education and free libraries provide to di.ve ■lop tile -:l-

lelligenro of fee yoKth oi cur .lvr 1 .-io cities, in>. ataUro "tvaily progress iviik i'i.' Jioi llnbhau. K;ii;.jovi(i : u a l.i:- ll' W,,,; ,■ .; 0 ., j c-l. null-.- o! luiv.stv nnd deyihi-.', Krov.-s .:> an ;,i'i:<.sp!ioi'c whon' i-.li iiai. !; - 1 st is p:;ve:i Akiid by r(a-5y of iJj» eeonixelts ui eoitiiiieiei', iie !.'ce;:i( i a foivorfal fae'o! 1 in ill.: i'i•(."ii of the 7iii.-ine.-is

almi," modem lin-s, and nene.r.il'y in wurdii'.j; 1 the new nietho;!..: of b'.isine; liiaiiai'; iii'. Nt aiui welfare that are stiirip.vf in '.lu.'. city ifemrallv. ' e.il.wiu is a etiar„eter wiiicli may be found mo:v or less in i.bousaiids of young and anibitioiu )i;i:-'.ine-,s «,;cn of the Empire tob.:",y. His [rieiidf.hip and ultimate '.ive ior Hetty Sharp is again very na-IKMI. Of liet.y's we-'din;; with l.ioeh in ti.e chap! 1, of (he Saturday mornin;: promeiiade, of tlio j.'ianiier in wliieh the iougli Mi!'])ioyee::i at the meia'l stanijii-rs envbrai'i■!—oil t'lie-.-e ale intunaiely of «be I'i.'iei.iiKt we irnow aiicf live in, in iiiis vear oi fjiwc 1914.

■'■Til-.' Auction v.lee'.i.," -by .ilex 'liraeh, author of "The Iron Trail" etc. l..:ir;;ien: Kodder and, Slough-ton. '.Vfr Ue<; fk-ach haa iiroken entirely n 'iv proujiit At .(1 ve same tiiiie lie writes with tiie siira movun.-'iit of one v. iio te'i., \ihereof he kauws, und the resul l : is a n iiiiirkiible narrative of strange tone. Peter Knight is iilie fool of a political boss in a, country electorate. Where his talent, lies to have ;.;a,]', si even that position is noli apparent at the commencement of the .-lory, and he H heir;;; yiiariioned oil' vittt a gou-r«-inent cii-rkshiii in Kew York. But hop,-, for the family fortune centres in Lorelei, the irl w ! iio lias been ; air.'pered ami p«t!eii ami reared ! : ke a prise dog iiulighi tie. to Jij 'trailed oli' to the highest bidder. 'But despite the ruin'iii;; methods adopted s>y -Mra Kinyhi. no circiiiuslamv-' ■seem to spoil iier lovely nature. Sirs .Kniglit has secured a pos'tion for her In a variety M.nip'any, immediately on arrival in the c.'ty, and so with a combination of beauty, and sl-'Omr conmion.

.«cn t *.' f-'ie ma!:e* her way on Kie l!oi> Whnrton w early attracted, :;;i I. inn'rary to «»>•&. eappcrfcnM., frtHn <Vl.,ra>::ufßy in lovo wHII iwv. At last. iSriVi-ii to desperation l>v ir.ecsanit ' ti-Mhli-.i a« 'soa i:s !>,' larke-; won-lcrfu! effnvU 4,. h«i!,r,,vi* ;! w'tk tfjmity V< 'i";.-i■ i'.'ii married man. That ] u . fc» uHimaHe <'!oer:«fal sjora wit-lwat MVS'''. .it wr.ulil to s>t;:.'Un» t!>e siwv •>. !:■'! &.»w*l»i» iv^Mralioo

*:<!:' I.;'! ■■'i' lli'aU:.' V^^a,;A\;!: -j' i n!)hl' • IWa ■' i by Alr A. <S. -V.. i;.Mi the reiv !iatin-ii '■ ■ r; of v.iny :;.r[ ■■■: 'n. v. l'iCjj) lo Jus c.ii'lirr novo: "Oar.: Aboard a >! V ii'! I !!, jils! ;,;■■!! r.'ji: 1 1 iii■' L. it is ijii.ti' a-: aiii.ii'iis\: ■" a.-; any tl:i n;; else Mr Uaicttinxos hat wrtX»-n. J'Vi,a! ail a *ti<-j-- n?i "A Threatened Kisg-lantl," by Mr 6. 'U. t&n, the veteran