22 SEPTEMBER 1928, Page 31

LEAVE ME WITH A SMILE. By Elliott White Springs. (Heinemann.

7's. 6(14-As a study in- nervous exasperation, this novel is not always pleasant ; but it is original and clever. Henry Winton, a young American airman, returns from distinguished war service in Europe, and the refinements of a London season, to his father's cotton mill iu one of the Southern States ; and he passes through a violent love affair and other troubles before his inbred Puritan pugnacity rallies him from a disillusionment that for a time threatens -his sanity. Psychologically, the story is strong, subtle, and, in the main, convincing ; while the background of Southern provincial life, with its cramped outlook, is painted in vivid colours.