The Slaking of the Sword : Tales of the Far
Bast. By Mrs Hugh Fraser. (Methuen and Co. 6s.)—Mrs. Hugh Fraser has chosen a fitting moment to publish these delicate and sympa- thetic idylls of Japan, when Western Europe is turning curious eyes to that surprising country. There is nothing topical, how- ever, about the stories, and the new forces in Japanese life are scarcely indicated. The best, to our mind, is "The Reclaiming of Kokichi," the tale of a grandmother who drags an errant grandson on a pilgrimage to reform his character. Humour and tenderness give the little story a curious charm. The title-story and " Hime," skilful workmanship though they show, seem to be written at too high a pitch of sentiment to be quite successful. Mrs. Fraser is at her best in the idyll pure and simple, like "The Giver of Honour," where the narrative interest is of the slightest and the whole tale a series of finely wrought impressions of landscape. We would mention also the one non-Japanese tale, "The Story of Chagra Barghat," which, though out of tune with the rest of the book, is in itself a strong and spirited piece of romance.
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