There is not the least doubt public opinion is tolerant in allowing tacit sanction to the fullest arguments on religions and morality, It would b odd if it was not so, considering the enormous (though fleeting) effect of on the screen, sources, But books are in a different category and common sense in England clearly distinguished between them. One sort of bool taboo in Great British. It is interesting to try and define the reason of it.
Progress in civilization has always followed in cycles. In our time we have seen an intense Puritanism preceded and now followed by the, opposite, The period of Puritanism and of Quakerism, followed by Vietoriganism and Nonconformity. produced the finest results, Slavery was abolished, white slavery, including sweating' and child Inbour were gradually reduced and subordinated by increasing education and liberty of thought. ° Toleration, long ago allowed by law to religious belief, has swung across with the pendulum to the toleration of any belief and the free expression of it, But public opinion will not tolerate exposition fie lw'not accompanied by'n certain 'We propose therefore to take three novels of the month and argue about them, says 'Tragos' in "Current Literature."
The first, and by far the best novel we have rend thie year, The Secret Fool," by Victor Macclure,.in vhich an extraordinarily non-moval Jconeept ix brought to a moral ea clusion, "Lighten Our Darkness, by Robert Keable, another masterly exposition "of non-moral and religious human thought bearing with it a well-expressed lesson in morality. "Aviane/" by Cloud Anet, reaching the same end without the reticence shown by the best writers of the English school. All the follies shown in these novels heed money and are clearly waste of money. But are the books wanted?
What lesson are we to gather from them? Are we to refuse to read them and to have our children read enough and their attitude, them? Most people lead drab
even in adolescence nowadays, is rather that of one standing in' the gloom unseen who watches the pa: sing of an electric train on the bridge above.
Well lighted, alluring, and adventurous it passes in the' night. Yes alas! a single ticket is the discovery and a season ticket the exposition of another damning disillusion! Life and happiness being not - a bright light without but within; yet secrets suppressed do not ilumine. Men and women, wiser than they were, vicariously obtain life's tableaux at a moderate price, while tableaux without reticences extin-guise the light altogether.
Light is necessary to human be-mys, the mirror of folly, clearly exposing it and leading surely to a seater ssisdom, Birth Control." It is. w eminent doctors and Sir Thomas.
Thomas Horder has contributed an introduction. He has not made up his mind on the matter, but the medical men who write the chapters have definite views on a subject which of immense interest and upon which so many people want guidance., The book costs 6s. To take the opinion of such men at such price is an opportunity,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.