The Wisdom of Esau, by R. L. Outhwaite ani C. H. Chomley. London, T. Fisher Unwin, 1901. Green C'oth Library.
This is a very stirring tale of agricultural life in Australia in the early sixties, the Jscene being laid in the North-Eastern district of Victor'a just after the passing of the Gavan Duffy Land Act. This Act was intended to benefit settlers who desired to clear the land and bring it under cultivation, but its beneficial clauses altogether failed, the result being unlooked-for hardships and disaster on many who devoted their savings and labour to clearing and opening up the country. The intended purposes of this Land Act were frustrated by frauds in allotting the land, and such frauds and their disastrous consequences to hard-working settlers form the subject of this very forcibly written book The plot of the story is most skilfully worked out, and the tale is so well told that it fascinates the reader, though he is moved with sorrow at the evil fortune that falls upon the principal character in the tale. Hero he cannot be called, though all the action revolves about, him, and his hard life forms the story, that is so well told.
John Toland is an ably drawn charact and claims the reader's fullest sympathies, though it is impossible to. admire all his actions. Hard working, persevering, shapeful and honest, he is still so prejudiced and obstinate that he is throughout Lis own enemy and the cause of his own ruin. Soon after settling in the country, and when in the midst of the prodigious labour of clearing his allot ment and bringing it under cultivation, he meets with Ruth Macfarlane, the pretty young daughter of an old Scotch Presbyterian Minister, and after an idyllic courtship marries' her.—Thenceforward Ruth shares with John Toland the interest of the story, and the pathetic incidents of her sad life are most touchingly. told. Though unfortunately powerless to prevent the evil consequences of her husband's unreasoning obstinacy, she never lost his affection, and the two were lovers during the whole course of her married life. "Ruth Toland is a most charming creation, and though several other abl: drawn characters are introduced, it is with John Toland, his wife and children, that the interest of the story lies. of this setier's family is devoid of incident, Tt must not be supposed that the history
for certain events in the story are so dramatically worked out that the reader will find a difficulty in putting down the hook when once fairly begun, and will not skip a page.
How the dual authorship was managed it would he interesting to know, as ib is possible for the reader to detect the division of labour.
It is really an excellent tale.
Would there were more like it!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.