There is real delicacy and beauty in her theme. The
youth forced by partial blindness to give up all the hopes for which he had
been educated, who becomes a shepherd, solacing himself with his pipe
(musical) and the simplicities of country lore for the loss of love and
ambition; and eventually, after his death, is deified by rustic tradition
into a supernatural helper of "all things that are kind"--here is an idea
for the tenderest handling. My feeling is, while giving Mrs. BUCKROSE every
credit for such an inspiration, that she should have been a little sterner
with herself over the treatment, and thus avoided a certain stickiness that
may irritate those who prefer the simplicity of nature to a not quite
sufficiently concealed art. But, as I began by saying, it all depends on
the individual palate; and, anyhow, the book has the historic excuse of
being a very little one, which you can read, with pleasure or irritation,
within the hour.
* * * * *
If you should chance to hanker for a change from novels in which the hero
and heroine dally over-long in falling in love you will get it by reading
_The Fur-Bringers_ (HODDER AND STOUGHTON).
Pages:
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