THE DEATH WATCH. By Michael Cape-Meadows. (Holden. 7s. 6d.)—The Rector
of Stanbrook, in Suffolk, is a man in whom idealism is matched by strength of will. He has not been long in the village before he proceeds, by personal influence and public denunciation, to attack the immorality that underlies the smooth surface of its life. His " inter- ference " rouses the ire of the baser and the merely respectable elements in the village, and reVenge comes in the form of an assault by a lustful blackguard upon the niece who has been to the widowed and childless Rector like a daughter. The niece dies from shock, but the Rector, emerging from the Gethsemane of his loss, determines to continue his fight. A brief sketch of the plot, however, suggests nothing of the true scope and quality of this remarkable first novel. As charac- terization, which includes many minor figures, it is particularly good ; realism and beauty go hand-in-hand ; and there are many strong incidents and situations. The story plumbs the depths and rises to the heights, and gains a final touch of distinction from the glow of a true mysticism.
Previous page
