"piress_anp_a Dancer," "Tu, Poon Maxi "Tue Livres Wont)
Stella Benson, Macmillan @ Ca. Ld.
London.
We in China may consider ourselves very fortunate that Miss Benson, who is one. of the most vivid young writers of the day, has Glected to centre her work around China, She sees things not only with the trained vision artist but with the insight of. a payehologist and then is able to convey her impression almost photographically to the reader by, means of her mastery of language.
As we read Miss Benson's! sketches of China, India, and the United States in her last volume, "The Little World," there comes to us often the sensation of looking upon sight which has grown-unintere: ing through familiarity, dulled by repetition, when suddenly, with sense of awe, comes a vision and we truly see the landscape for the first time, The author knows that.
ant sensation. She makes the heroine of "Pipers and vancer," experience it as she Mr. talks to Rodd and watches a star which the ship was leaving behind. The star interrupted "he star suddenly for the first time in her life. This experience often interrupted her, She often suw many things-for the first time "tome things almost for the time re the first time.
With this intensity of perception Miss Benson makes an exceptional nide or commentator upon the Far t. Not a Thomas Cook guide, although she pays thi tribute to him: fut have. been Them Son beeause—it 1 remember aright.
End-—probably—Sen discovered" New "woman Cook decoyered "Aurtea Yeniand. to" watch. Dear Thomas (coke shis "ofice. is the Somewhere "in his ledge Ties" hidden the secret nal' youth of achieving. a name of hi own or growing up. I may be wrong, Uae I imagine that Thomas Cook wa among the first to evolve from slimy Primeval cha directly he Gry, began distributing granite n riven Into the business that pric been the essence to be a daughter.
Miss Benson, who in home life Mrs, O'Gorman Anderson, has done a surprising amount of work and seen a large portion of the world for one o young. Educated at home she has roved round the world as her fancy Gictated or her health demanded, She was at one time connected with the Women's Suffrage movement and during the worked for 18 months in East London, later en the land. Besides the books article she hi "This is the and "Living With each successive publication Benson's touch seems to grow firmer, her technique more varied. For some two and after her mama she lived in Mengtsz, in Yunnan, then passed through last spring on her way back to England for a six months' stay. Her novel "The Poor" Man, was one of the three chosen for discussion in the allotting of the "Vie Heureuse" Femina Prize Paris, though the final vote gave the prize to Perey Lubbock's "Roman Pictures." She is decidedly' une of writers whose work demands consideration in any literary" sur-
To return to "The Poor Man,' Which has already received more extended review in our columns, it may be said that it is an unflinching study of inadequacy. The pitiful hero is a man of promise which is never fal filed. Worst of he knows it. Indeed most curiously self-conscious. They ex: hibit their mental and emotional processes to-the render ina way which seems almost spiritually indecent. Almost, not quite. Although Miss Benson ticks one on the quick at times by laying bare te the world whet is usually most,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.