account of the
gallantry of one intrepid woman who, when the German Staff entered an
important town (from which the Mayor and Municipal Council had fled),
resisted their demand for a large war ransom. Widow of a former Senator
of the Department, she "alone remained, the sole representative of
officialdom." "We want to see the Mayor," said the invaders. "_Le Maire?
C'est moi!_" was the reply. "Then kindly direct us to some members of
the Municipal Council." "_Le Conseil Municipal? C'est moi!_" We are told
that the Teutonic officials were amazed--and no wonder. But in the end
they were forced to go without the money, and the town and its defender
were left in peace. I commend _A Frenchwoman's Notes on the War_ as a
most inspiriting record of what women can do; though the author
magnanimously admits that, "for the callings of the coal-heaver and the
furniture-remover," men, even in France, are still indispensable.

* * * * *

[Illustration: A PEACE WEDDING.

UNIQUE SOCIAL FUNCTION WHICH TOOK PLACE AT LITTLE PUDDLETHORPE, HERTS,
LAST WEEK.]

* * * * *

For novels which require a guide to conduct me through them I confess
weariness, but in _That Woman from Java_ (HURST AND BLACKETT) I found
the glossary less fatiguing hero. Things were going badly for _Mrs.
Hamilton_ in the divorce case, "_Hamilton v. Hamilton_, co-respondent
_King_," when the judge broke down. That might have happened to any
judge, but, although I can follow the judicial _Bruce_ quite easily to
his sick bed, I cannot believe that he would, on his recovery, have
refrained from finding out how the case ended. Apparently being in love
with _Mrs. Hamilton_, he did not dare to enquire what happened; but a
more plausible explanation of his unenterprising conduct seems to be
that he had only to act like an ordinary man and the rather sandy
foundations on which E. HARDINGHAM QUINN's story are built would have
collapsed. Here in fact we have a tale in which the main complications
are caused by the characters behaving with a total lack of what the
Americans call horse-sense. But if you can get by this difficulty you
will admire, as I did, the reticence with which the troubles of the much
misunderstood heroine are told, and also admit that the colour of Java
has been vividly conveyed.

* * * * *

Save the Mark!

Germany's last word:--

"_Kriegsvermoegenszuwach