12 APRIL 1924, Page 21

Mine. Kailas is Finnish and, Mr. Galsworthy vouches, well known

out of England. This volume is the first that hits been translated for us. The short stories in it are re- creations of feudal life in Esthonia ; almost all are based on actual incidents, on incidents comparatively recent. It was only in 1862 that Esthonian peasants ceased to be slaves, and the atmosphere of feudalism continued long afterwards. The stories are told with economy and directness, and Mine. Kailas shows great imaginative power in assimilating a mode of life so strangely, so incredibly different from modern civilization. Her peasants think and speak as peasants. Mr. Alex Matson has done his work of translation admirably.