“THE TWO LAWYERS.”

Temuka Leader, Issue 908, 24 January 1882, Page 3

“THE TWO LAWYERS.”

This is the title of a novel recently given to the world by Mr W. M. Southan of Tixnaru. It is Mr Southan’s first attempt at authorship, and as such,, it must be regarded as a very creditable beginning.. The book has certainly many defects, not so much in a literary point of view, as in construction of the plot, or rather the way in which the chapters are arranged. The story runs over a period of twenty years, and the first incidents of it are so. mixed up with the more recent occurrences that it is not easy to understand' the plot. This is the principal fault of the novel, but it is one which,.if Mr Southan contemplates publishing a second edition, he could remedy by merely placing the chapters in consecutive order. The plbt is laid in Timaru, where a young lawyer named Perryman makes the- acquaintance of another young lawyer named; Hobart, and' his sister, recently arrived from Australia. Perryman falls in love with Miss Hobart,, whose real name is Grant, she being not the sister, but the mistress of Hobart. A man. named Felix Fixer appears on the scene,, who knew Hobart to have been guilty of many crimes. Mr Fixer makes it known to Hobart that he is in possession of his secrets, and so forces; him to start him in, business, in Timaru. The business firm of Fixer and Go., prospers, and’so does Hobart,, who joins in partnership with Perryman, till eventually things oorae to a ; crisis. Hobart had seduced Miss Grant,, whom he passed for his sister, away from her father, who had been wrongfully convicted to penal servitude for life.. He had. previously married a young lady against her will, the young lady thinking at the time of the marriage that she was only acting the part of a bridesmaid til] the clergyman told her she was married. Grant, proven to be innocent, is liberated! and he sets out in search of his daughter, and after experiencing extraordinary hardships comes to Christ-

church, whers- ht' inlets the young lady whom.. Hobart had married against her wiH;"- Both go to a church in town to witness a great wedding, and to their surprise, the bridegroom is Hobart who is getting married to the daughter of an American millionaire. They expose Hobart, the bubble bursts, Fixer flies in one of his own vessels which afterwards is wrecked on the coast of America, Hobart escapes and becomes a lunatic, and all the well-behaved characters settle down happily. The plot is an excellent one if it hadi been well worked out, but as we have already stated it is destroyed by want ot consecutiveness in the order in which the various incidents are placed before the reader. Felix Fixer is a splendidly drawn character, and shows Mr Southan to be a thorough business man. But we fail to see why he should bring him to such a melancholy end. He has not been guilty of any misdeeds only that of forcing Hobart into a business speculation that proved a great success, He on all occasions, curbs the scoundrelly intentions of Hobart, in fact, seems more bent on doing good than harm, is highly respected, and' his society is courted by young and old. We think a better fate aught to be reserved for him, but we dare say honester men have been drowned in a shipwreck. On the whole the book is -very readable, and as it is a local story by a local author, we should recommend persons desirous of whiling away a pleasant hour to buy it. We believe it can be got of any of the Timaru booksellers.