* * * * *
I confess at once that _The Uprooters_ (STANLEY PAUL) is a story that
I have found hard to understand. There seems an idea somewhere, but
it constantly eluded me. To begin with, exactly who or what were the
Uprooters, and what did they uproot? At first I thought the answer
was going to name _Major_ and _Mrs. Elton_, who for no very sufficient
reason would go meddling off to Paris, and transporting thence the
brother and sister _Ormsby_ to Ireland. The _Ormsbys_ had been happy
and (apparently) harmless enough hitherto, but once uprooted they
promptly developed the most unfortunate passions--reciprocated,
moreover--for their well-wishers. The obvious and laudable moral
of which is, never remove your neighbour from his chosen landmarks.
Later, however, it became apparent that Mr. J.A.T. LLOYD had a more
subtle interpretation for his title in the activities of a band
of pacifists, headed by a multi-millionaire, who called himself an
American, though somehow his name, _Schwartz_, hardly inspired me
with any feelings of real confidence. On his death-bed, however, this
gentleman reveals blood of the most Prussian blue, confessing that his
wealth has actually been derived from the dividends of Frau BERTHA;
and as the War has by this time resolved the emotional difficulties
of the other characters the story comes to its somewhat procrastinated
finish.
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