New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-18
TWO AMERICAN NOVELS.
THE TRAGEDY or HUMAN sELFlshNEsS.

PHILIP AND HIS WIFE. rs Marg'rei Dr'a"h
il mo ~ rs dIough,on. Mif'in < 'o'
LOVE y lpLENEss TEE , Of j'ar airSsr FROM ng
T.. ,,,na. ana Pn,,ographs Macmillan Il co.
Th. .unrrarlai reader u MIR. De.anis novel
.rhri,, ami fls VIE" might easily think nat me
ethical significance - the boob ly .n inc ''"iS ~
Ilyorc. which IT ,Nhiults. "ni b." TIE ""'-F@S 90
The attitude toward this question az '"' '''''9
,.,..,,r.s II the drama. Phi.ip Shore. hs we
r.rn and the.r mutual friend. Roger 'Nt'3' 10
o,,r.,on AZ DO nr.' presents its'li 10 fAlp' h''N'"e
49,, NJ , long .strnnscmcnt in thought motive anu
rinc.,ie from his wife watch had lei TO irritation
AM anAl,y At the opening % IL s'ory' ""' GU
minated n absolute dis!ke. 81 ms Is h"' "''
r o.,.houf o,. as spiritually Illegal ne love Win
our marriage - clsy Illegal H. can ma oh'y q"
Affirmative answer 10 this question. ana h" p"iay
,,.ln,,!os ihe. whcn love has ceased marrAse'
.-lr,,tal'y considered. has ceased, am separation"
sh,t.I b. permitted Cnl.Ir,u. n-.rid "l n' i'S III"
arguinent against such -rp-raion are AN "iF"'''H'
for A. Th, living together oi HUSBAND ana we
divorced In everything but word i'' Dr. 'n''''''"S.
tr,i'. f,r the ch iiren. "Nh'n respect has e'hSei
t L.ye has ceased" be- asks. what sor' Of a
homo d.e. TIA, make f1s thc chliren? Pn'ip
~. with practi,piy the sane note. taxes SUD-
sfartally the sam. view of the df'4iihliiN' " ""'
the necessity. of separation. Indeed SIZE Cos '"'
th,r Than pee docs Il believe she says "ti'rS'i'F
l.r,y .iha word Moud b. much better or II
people have 20 wal, unil they actually come TO
hv.s before they can separate" Duty il no. 10 bt
considered "Ipr.." says Cecil "is as immoral "'
art; you can; TAX about The duty Of iovins and IN
this opinion hsr husband substantially agrees Win
her
Read more carefully, however, MIS- beI'hH
story IS found to 20 FAR deeper into the heart ~
human nature than would be inferred from this ely
animation If the question Of divorce or separation
Its large purpose Is to show how the TRAGEDY 81
human sclfshrcss destroys the fabric OF HE be-
vond rcpair All the principal characters Of the
book contribute each share. some more ana others
.css toward the inculcation Of this '"'on. Even
t,arev who at first argues hot.y against the divorce
theories II both husband and wife basing his con
tentlon upon ones duty 10 maintain, even at per-
sonal sacrifice the moral tone Of society and 10 heip
tho progress OF civilization by holding To the ldea
Of the sanctty Of The marriage rehtIoh'-eVeh
Carey is at last swept into the maeistrom OF selfish
ness and when IT plcases his purpose throws all
his wei. grounded moral principles to the winds
Se,rishness is the dominant trait not only of Philip
shore and Of his WIFE but Of cec's father who lives
abroad ostensiby for his health but really In order
that he may enjoy his freedom and independence.
as far az possible from the society Of an uncongenal
natc The attitude moreover Of Mrs. Drayton. his
second wife. and Cccils step mother. toward the
world al large and her daughter. Alicia. In par
tlcuar IL one OF qucrulous seliishncss due In part
indulgence That the husband Is under any obli-
CATION to regulate his conduct by sense Of duty to
society In the abstract. or to the family idea. or
even 10 the woman who Is his wife or to his child,
does not weigh In the minds OF either Shore or OF
the father Of Shores wife, as compared with the
idea which each OF these men holds of the duty
which he owes to himself to escape az quickly as
possible from "A condition OF things which rritates.
annoys and distrcsscs him
cecil Shore may moreover. be called the lncarna-
tlor sefshncss and the only note that one feels
To be false In Mrs Dclands elaborate and subtle
analysis Of her character Il her nnal rclndulsh-
meni Of her little girl to the care Of Philip, as she
Is on the point Of going TO Europe. her heart stil!
fun OF hatred for her husband. AS she Is drawn,
Cecil Shore IL woman Of no ordinary type.
beautiful animal. che loves rcpose and IL keeny
alive To the sensuous Impressions one can detect
the feline nature in the langud grace OF her move
ments and In the tones OF her low rich voice,
(which had In II the delicious cearness and color
OF dark wine" That such woman should find
NE "A terrible bore with man OF the character ana
temperament OF Philip Shore is, perhaps, no more
unnatural than that when the provocaton comes.
she should turn upon him like Il tigress. innamcd
with hate and anger. The fact that she IL rich and
that the nine years OF their married life he has
done little but dabbe in art. In philanthropy. end