young wife in question found consolation in befriending others, especially
in the love affairs of a Belgian refugee couple, to whom she opens her home
and heart. A very pretty idea, developed with many dainty and amiable
touches. Perhaps (I set down no dogmatic verdict on the point) the cynical
or impatient may find its sweetness something too drawn out. On the other
hand, there are many "gentle readers," probably a vast majority, to whom
its appeal will prove entirely successful. And as they can be trusted to
spread its merits in the right quarters there will be no need for the
publishers to shout, either from the house-top or anywhere else, which (as
I suggested above) is as it should be.

* * * * *

When we are introduced to _Margaret Grenfield_, the heroine of _Fetters on
the Feet_ (ARNOLD), she is living with some Quaker cousins and spending
most of her time in mending stockings. So many people make stockings who
refuse absolutely to mend them that I imagine there must be something
peculiarly unattractive in this work of restoration, and it was a fortunate
day for _Margaret_ when the pedantic young man of the house proposed to
marry her. After this we discover that she has both a history and a will of
her own. She leaves the Quakers, and goes as secretary to a lady who holds
eccentric if broadminded views on every conceivable subject, and the change
of atmosphere, however delightful in various ways, was too much for
_Margaret's_ peace of mind. The young Quaker was an obstinate wooer and
followed her up, but his chances of success, which were never rosy, grew
dimmer and dimmer as _Margaret_, freeing herself of shackles, gradually
began to see life as a whole instead of through the eye of a darning-
needle. In the end MRS. FRED REYNOLDS tells us that "the day dawned. The
whole earth sang and sparkled in the glad light of it," which is her way of
saying that _Margaret_ had found happiness. But all the same I fancy that