New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-07
1NINT1'S ROMANCE.
MR. MEREDITETS TALE OF CONJUGAL
DISSATISFACTION.

Meredith. Emo, pp. NJ 'CnarIes Scribner's
Sons)
There are books that into the world all
labelled. sub-tt!cd and 2refaced. so as to make
their purport and their mission unmistakab!e This
is "a novel" taGt "a social study" the other "a
story Of real life" Sometimes such addenda to
the names are usefu: sometimes they are nisead-
ine. Most often they quite super!luous, being
given books whose character Is obvious; az II one
should write this is a mountain" across the brow
of Mont Blanc Bu; comes volume not thus
heralded with nothing but It's simple name TO in
troduce II. and yet Of all recent books one OF the
most puzzng anc ms. bawllderi1g TO class A
novel doubtless. for s. al works OF fiction claim TO
BE-. And indeed 1t quickly shows that 1t has the one
essential element without which all novel-wrting
is In vain--a story worth tn, telling. There may be
not much plot. or none an. Wilkie Collins
understood the term II YOU not surely see the
end from the beginning that Is not because the
least attempt is mldc to blind or 10 n!sledd you.
You merely wal for things be developed In their
natural course Just they in actual li,e. But
from first last there is no lack Of interest. The
story. the simple narration Of occurrences, lays
holl upon you with the opening page. and never
ooscns 1t until the last ia finished nor even then.
Whatcve: one may tni1k OF its phios )phy, as
simple storytelling It's worth is beyond dispute.
A. for Mr. Me-risths character drawing. 1t Is
hardly necessary to say that II Is the work OF a
master. unsurpassed in this phase OF the noveis;s
art These real people. and are made to revea!
themselves action men and women do In
aciia lie. Lady Charlotte is one u the most vivid
ard origlna! characters on the authors lis and
Or.roni. the victorious soldier crue.y warped by
what he c. ncovcs be his cOIntryi ingrati;ude Is
not FAR behind The readers sympathy VII be most
fixed upon Amln:i "BrowHy." and "Matey.' ana
not often are there to be found IN fiction two crca-
tons TIA; deserve 1t more There IS a asc.nltlns
study in development in "BrCnny." She begins as
-cho gfpfr mat ra he
con- .otr,ncss Of w1nInho3d lfe AMI It's passions
YET fully asserted Soon SO rises before US. the
ass than half-ackno edged wife Of se.fahs ,rbed
and morose thrice her age. who represses her
stunts her. crssles her. making her. II possible.
the mores; puppet The b.o1i that had begun ID
throb In al her pulses swift and hot. flows back 10
the hear; and there conyrais. IT remains blood.
and the heart remains heart. through years OF
dreary waiting Then the tha".ng AMI awakening
begin The Cd schoo. mate. only half-conscous!y
loved In childhood. returns though not 70 speak ~
.ova. Others. !oss honorable. press around. with
words Of admiration and ~ tempting. Lord or
inon,s hard and insulting Indifference the misery
OF her position grows daily less endurable. There
IS long struggle between sense II duty and sense
Of wrong. the former growing weaker. the latter
ever stronger The wheip Morsfed - never dan
gerous but her barrier against him l. scarcely 30
much WHEY duty as smp.e sef-rcspect. or. per-
haps loyalty 70 a halfdretm ~ the vanished past.
That dream "Matey" never strives 20 recall 10 her
He Is too generous. TOO wholesome. ever to pay
the temper Yet tho passive temptation OF his
presence grows stronger every day. And soon We
have this situation that she and he are hopeless'y
In love with each other. and get. remembering her
formal bonds are strong enough II hold their
passion. 5clf-contained. Without much as the
accent ~ syllable 70 reveal q; The plight In which
these TWO through resls;cs' destiny. are paced IL
not 10 be desired yet In such plight let no one say
IL is Impossible to do a they did II Is not only
possible. It ia natural. II we but have regard to
the higher. no, to the lower. nature
The awakening proceeds apace. Aminti at last
percc.ves that with Orrnont her case wthou, hope
Either she mus, be not a woman but slave.
chat;el. a thing. or she must leave him She makes
the choice and she does thinks she does. SIN
cerely for her sake. Her one thought is 10 es-
cape from prison and from worse II - simply that
she fees from him. not that she fees 70 any one
csc The dignity Of womanhood rebe.s against the
degradation forced upon her The purity OF woman
hood revots a; the cause.css Insult which She Il
subjected Had she been more. or Jess than
woman che might remain But she goes straight 70
Weyburn or he 70 her with her consent? That Ia
quite true and that is exactly where legitimate
question Of her begins 1t Is not enough that
she does not actually seek him go TO him by
previous arrangement Above all Csc in the world
she should have avoided him. She meets him. and
they read .ifes meaning IN each Others eyes In
"A Sea Duct'-whlch. for perfect artistic beauty. II
should be said has few r.vas in the realm o, fiction
She tells him-what she should not have told-that
she has left her husband With that the remnants
or his reserve vanish. He claims her "a his own.
with neither divorce from Ormont wedding with
HIM They nng convention 10 the winds. They
that the world VIII be against them yet they
Will not cease 10 try to serve IL. They VIII be
branded as social indicators. but they will never
consider themselves ~ such They will live for
each other ana for the good they can do TO those
Aud bav bolip wh 80 hoy
do offend good citizenship they DO not offend
Divine law. This is common sOphls,ry We may
say love ought be superior 10 al laws; the fact IS
II and cannot be Till human nature gives place
divine In an ideal abstract case we may not Only
pardon but admire Amnia. even in this EXTREMIST
step. In practical. concrete Ne should condemn
her and she would deserve the condemnation
Never was there more disjoiatcd style than
that OF George Meredith. Words and sentences are
simply thrown together. Yet II is not altogether
bad. He Is often obscure; but he is never vague.
lie is formless but his formlessness is that OF the
rock not of the nebula There are those who call
him an impressionist. which is libel upon him.
Imprcssionist he may b., in the higher and truer
sense. but could b. further removed than
he from that school of art which aings paint
pot At canvas and calls 1t symphony In bilious
green, or from that docadent school of literature
which first becomes maudiin and then incoher-
emit and finally habbersastcd with amazement at
It's own indifference. He may throw words to-
gether. but he chooses them with fau!tless preci-
SION and throws then. with unerring purpose. He
may seem lncoherent at times; II is impossible 10
imagine him being maudln.
He has not the faculty OF form; that is the whole
trouble. But that deficiency is not necessarily
fatal Browning suffered from 1t sadly, yet chal-
lenges the admiration OF the world Byron had
similar lack. In less degree but-with apologies to
Mr. Swinburne--must yet rank among the greatest
OF our poets. Matter Is more - manner. spirit
than letter And Ia matter and spirit We shall
have to look far among the fiction writer's OF to-
day to find one who equals Meredith. Ills thoughts
now with the profusion the impetuosty even the
roughness. OF A mountain torrent; they come too
swiftly to be shaped and graced His characters
are livins. breathing. exultins suffering Ills in
cldents are natural sympathetic. Intense, vital
humanity pervades every page and line. and the
air It breathes 4. pure and crisp and bracng He