The Trait Together: an Episode. By H. H. Bashford. (W.
Heine- mann. 6s.)—Mr. Bashford, who is known to readers of the Spectator as the author of some delightful verses, has written a striking and original, if somewhat incoherent tale. It is con- cerned with the Back of Beyond in the Canadian North-West, whither drift a band of men who have failed in Europe. The story deals with the regeneration of one of them, who, begin- ning with a crime, makes the only reparation in his power, and works out his salvation ultimately in the ruin of his worldly fortunes. The scheme of the book is in many ways a fine one, and there can be no question about the dis- tinction and eloquence of much of the writing. The main characters, too, are well conceived and developed with subtlety and power. The best is Annette, a half-breed girl, whose late- born nobility of soul is convincingly portrayed. The hero is well done ; so, too, are some of the other ne'er-do-weels ; but Mr. Bashford is inclined to look to conventional melodrama for those of his figures whom he does not take the pains to realise for himself. As we have said, the book is to be judged by the higher literary standard, and there have been few better pieces of descriptive work in recent fiction than the account of the hailstorm on the plains. Our only criticism is that the author is inclined to dwell too long on an emotion, and to lose the thread of his argument
now and then in unprofitable rhetoric. A novelist who deals with a spiritual crisis must be sparing of unnecessary words, and make the lines of his narrative very clean and sharp.
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