FICTION.
BEFORE THE 1VIND.t
Miss JAN= Larva has given us a war novel in which the scene is laid at home and the plot developed with freshness and originn-lity. Ann Charteris became engaged, out of gratitude, to the doctor who had attended her father in his last illness and secured her a post (1) The Western Front. 20 Plates each part. [2s.]—(2) War Draeangi. 10 Plates each part. 10a. ]—(8) With the Grand Fled. 6 Platea. [206.]- (3) Munition Drawings. 6 Dates. (208.3 London : Country Life Oilice.
t Before the Wind. By Janet Laing. London : J. M. Dent and Sons. [6a. net.] as companion to two old Scots ladies while he went off to the Western Front in the R.A.M.C. The elder of the two sisters, Miss Caroline Barton, a woman of personality, is stirred to a con- sciousness of realities by some impulsive remarks of Ann. She sees herself and her sister as two wrack-straws in the storm shaking Europe—flying before the wind and only fit for the rubbish corner. She also realizes that there are other wrack-straws in existence, rich and personally useless like themselves, and " cornering labour." Hence her plan to stack them all together, "collect them, sweep them out of the way, and make the same labour suffice for all, thus increasing our usefulness and lessening their obstructiveness." Her sister acquiesced as she always did, Ann was enthusiastic, invitations were sent out, and the story describes the sequel. The company were mostly women, and harmless, but members of a jewel-thieving gang and secret agents of Germany availed themselves of the opportunity, and life at Bartonsmuir soon began to hum. Miss Laing is not one of those writers who commence author with a complete mastery of the rules of the game, but we like her none the less on that account. There is improb- ability in the episode of the invalid V.C. who obtains indefinite leave to carry on a piece of private detective work disguised as a chauffeur, but Fred Lorrimer is an engaging as well as a gallant fellow, and plays his part with spirit. The episode of Ann's engage- ment is rather hurriedly treated, and the rapidity with which the chivalrous doctor consoles himself when Ann pairs off with the V.C. is surprising though very satisfactory. And other crudities and unrealities might be noticed. But Miss Laing has a sense of character, high spirits, and a generous enthusiasm for the qualities that count. Even her adventurers and adventuresses are not inhuman, and in the Zeppelin raid, which brings the tale to a thrilling climax, Miss Caroline Barton's harangues to the other wrack-straws and to her servants are truly immense. Altogether, this is a most agreeable medley of cross-purposes, excitement, and romance. There are at least half-a-dozen characters we should like to meet in real life, including, besides those already mentioned, the charming Mrs. Alleyne, and Mr. Tosh, who began a book in 1912 on The Utter Impossibility ol Germany Ever Going to War with Britain, but subsequently changed the title to The Utter Impossibility of Annihilating Germany.
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