New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-14
aDIVoRoE.n
-. THE GREATEST OF ALL HUMAN coNTRo
~ ss VERSES

by Margaret Lee.'E VIII q ho'tOw
Gladstone l2mo, pps All. Frank r l"Son
Mr.. Glaastonc's notice Of Margaret Lees novel
g piyo,cep In .The Nineteenth Century mas
,,a,,,,l,u yixen r,ew iAterest to story which, ap
peariug first some six years ago, commends i'Seii
snow n, "a stronger degree TO public attenuon as
contribution to what Dir. Gladstone nmseii .etn.'
= the greatest and deepest OF all human 0on or.
VERSES namely, the marriage controversy. ~.
novel possesses decided merit from hterafs po.n
Of view. Nothing can be simpler more na.
"a r,,sn, thar the style in which it is written.
60 entirely free from the appearance OF enors ?
tY,e narrative that il might be the unvarnlsheo
sbronicJe of actual events. recorded by a sympa-
,,.t;a and clearsighted observer III Is d story OIL
- ,,svv kind. as may be judged from this oescrlp
,so,, ~ 4ts character. The domestic tragedy IL
,e1afes belongs 10 the experience of many. ana is
- o,,c. a gauge and illustration Of SOCIAL ethics
.na the shirt of legislation.N pure-mlndeo
rbr;stian ai-l marries a brilliant egotlst OF ai-
: ,ooetI,cr inferior character. She loves the man
with All the strength and steddfastneSs OIL az
Ideally loyal and fnithfnl nature. tie loves oinS
himself but for several years he succeeds IN phhu
ing her TO his true character-a process
BIZ her own devotion and lofty cohsclenuouSneso
Constance. the fair young vile ana mothcr'
beaut,fui creation She is not by any means weak
fh0uQn
imneyious Will of her unworthy mate. On the
consr.rv she possesses the highest OF all forms
of moral strength the rmness to suffer oil thngs
soooer than lower her idealthe resolution 10 10
right even ct the cost Of heartbreaK
Constance may perhaps be regarded as typify-
,r, a condition of womanhood which some people
try 70 persuade themselves Is passing away anu
which others would be relieved to get rld Oh ohe
is what may be called an old-fashioned Chrlstiah-
one of that never too numerous class VINO hoiu Vuo
Gosnel to be a guide for daily life and conduct
and who endeavor to live ND to the splilt OIL I,'o
thirteenth chapter of Psups first Episoie 70 inc
Cor,nthians. She is sound of Judgment SWEEP Oh
tcyanc,s tender OF conscience. and In al ways
lsvelv. nlre and pleasant model w1fe' surely "a
ever such an one has been drawn In ncuoh' IN
ber views of marriage Constance represents 'no
old school also. She regards 1t as saeralhehC
that Il IN saw size holds its pledges to De sacred
ana aoes not believe in the proprety or expectancy
~ aivorca Her husband. Gilbert IraVers may
: stand Tor that modern school which re9ects al
tradition; which processes, or II not proiesslne'
vet follows. that false Epicnreanlsm. winch Cp',
curus would have been the first TO denouuco ahu y
rapudiate: which is equally cynical scepucai
and sensual: which renounces al ~
!, legations so FAR as posSi"io' "".saS
- 81, honds but those Of pleasure; and proceeds
upon the theory that since 1t is imposSioie 70 vO
tain any knowledge concerning announcer ti.e' ~i.
only practical philosophy is that wh,cn ainS y, o.
oettsnp the utmost enjoyment out OF this one Inc
snn;on between two srch hopelessly dlscoroah'
characters was il is clear, doomed from the nrSC.
AZ Gilbert cynically put it when the crisis nau
coyne bs could not pull her down to his level nor
& conld abe raise him to hers. After she mas pofhe
him fout children he ceases to care Tor her-ne
could not cease to love her. for he had never zone
a. and was incapable of love. Having frlttereo
avnvs his fortune in speculation, and formed a
caurice for a divorced woman, he determines 10
soad Constance into seeking divorce IRON nlin ;
]. but she win not agree to this,
Then he deliberately prepares to take fun ad-
vantage Of her helpless trustfulness' ana haNins
'under various plausible pretexts absented mmsci'
from home more than O. year, during wn'on lini'
he has obtained legal residence In another o'aofi
he then seeks and secures divorce nus 'ic'iiN
being in ignorance of his proceedings unul liz
himself hands her the decree relative-in-iaW
with whom Constance takes counsel expresses INK
opir,iou that Travers is the meanest hound that
ever appeared in human form" "a remark 70 "nlcl
.ob,ection NAV be made that it is libel upon dogs
But there is no help for the situation, ano
railing viii not mend it. Constance Is legally
worst of IL. This is the gist of the story and TIL
the substance Of the questions raised by It, U
course il must be understood that the law EN-
Dioyed BY the author is sound-from the hga
point of view 1t is that is to say, literally tru'
that divorces may be, have been, and are, Cd
. tanned, while one Of the parties remains In lgno
rance of what is being DONE. 1t is literally tru
that almost incredibly base, cruel. and eowardll
!. deserfions of wives and families may be, hav
been. snd are, accomplished and legalized in JUS
the way described by Margaret Lee Perhap
there are not many people possessing an extenslv
acquaintance who do not know personally OF som
such cases No doubt the introduction OF TIL
worst abuse of our discordant and shamefull
loose divorce laws complicates the main problem
The author may be supposed 10 have sought to pu
her arguments as forcibly as possibh-to exhibi
:. the wrongs resulting from divorce in the mos
striking light. 1t may be thought that she woul
have done better to eonfne herself to the iilustra
8 ZION of the main problem. But we think 1t can
shown that her intuition was sound and her metho
right
Gilbart Trayars. symbolizes, be it admitted, a
b. extreme But it must also be admitted, upon II
fisction. that he synbolizcs the natural outcome
chs final anaiysis--of the social and 1egislativ
ethics which have produced the existing eonditio
OF the marriage laws, and which have hithert
hindercd the reform and unifcation Of thot
laws demanded in the name alike OF religion
! social purity and progressive civilization
: Tho mistake must not be made of r
harding the marriage laws as an altogeth'
: isolated question. They are reflections from Il
tsnes. They bear the impress Of the ethical Ell
nents-we win not say which dominate societ
hntwhich End it most easy to influence legslaoo
Il Is because these ethical elements have so stror
= hold upon the machinery of legislation that Il
long-continued efforts to secure National divor'
g kw have 80 Ear been fruitless. The evidence
its need h overwhelming. The wrongs, abuse
atrocities, legsiized by existing marriage Law
are Of kind and an amount to shock and co