Mist of Morning on a Monday Morning

Mist of MorningIsabel Ecclestone MackayToronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1919407 pages"We're piling up fireworks all around — just suppose that some one, with a screw loose, should take a fancy to see them go off?"Isabel Ecclestone Mackay's longest novel, Mist of Morning meanders, but I enjoyed the meandering. It begins with a Dickensian scene. Young David Greig is brave enough to deliver a parcel to the imposing front door of stern Widow Ridley's house. A little girl in bright red turban and Persian shawl answers:“You boy!” said the little girl. “What do you mean by coming to the front door? Go round to the back directly!”David stands his ground; he's been sent by the minister.The boy isn't at the door a minute, but his presence echoes. Frances, the little girl's much older cousin, worries about the disruption it has caused Widow Ridley. The old woman is already calling down from her upstairs room, certain that the mirror in the front parlor has been broken. The little girl's name is…