The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-30
1.-THE HERITAGE OF THE HURTS"

This is the new title which the translator
has given Biornstierne Bjornson's great
novel, "Det Flager Byen og paa Havnen"
(''Flags Are Flying in Town and Harbor'')
Like all modern Scandinavian writers
Biornson is terribly in earnest in his work.
The higher education OF women, an equal
standard of sexual morality for men and
women, the influence of heredity upon the
race-these are some of the problems with
hich the novel has to do. The first Sec
ton of the book purports to reprint of an
old manuscript. In diction and substance
it is an exceedingly clever bit of imitation
of the early eigh tenth century Danish.
1t gives the history of the founding of the
house of Kurt in Denmark coast village.
The first Kurt was a typical swashbuckler,
drinking heavily, levying tribute upon
the whole countryside "a swearing,
FOSTERING, overbearing brute, whose pres
ence meant menace to every woman
IN the town. He lived by the sword and
per1sned by the sword, miserably upon a
dung heap. His sons grew up and
walked in his footsteps, and thus genera
ton followed generation, the race growing
more degenerate as the century passed
until job n Kurt, the last of them all, died
insane before he was 40 years of age. Soon
after his death son is born to bis widow.
The latter resumes her maiden name, and
the son grows up as Thomas Rendalen.
The mothers whole life is henceforth de-
voted to the task of wiping out the Kurt
Inheritance. From the beginning the boy
is terrible problem to her, and her whole
system of training has in view the over
coming of hereditary traits in him. She
brings him up among little girls. Her
self educated as girl in England, she is
competent instructor of youth and she
for generations been the oppressors and
outragers of women. This last Kurt is
ruled over, distanced in study. even
beaten, by his girl companions. In ali
things his conduct is made to conform to
the standards required for them. 1t is
impressed upon him that he must never
marry-that the family must end with
a Spartan one. When grown he is sent
abroad to study educational systems and
returns to assume principalship of the now
famous girls school. The study in Morse
life and habits of thought that this expert
ment opens for the reader is exceedingly
interesting: Biornson is by no means fat
draws Of Danish thought and practice
toward women, of Danish morality in the
limited sense of that word, and of the re-
ligious status of the Danes, is terrible
one. A great deal in the book must be
taken as the authors own view Of life. He
has much to say regarding the part woman
must play in the salvation OF the Morse
races. He declares that the good of the
people demands physical culture and scien-
titic training for women. He makes
Thomas Rendalen bring from America a
woman doctor to act as instructor to the
girls in the school. Ali modern educational
ideas are embodied in this institution. but
it is not apparent that they make any not
able Roadway among the older people. 1t
Is with the younger generations that the
hope OF the country lies.
Like lbsen and others among the famous
OF his countrymen, Bjornson IS inclined to
lay greater stress upon heredity than the
revelations of modern science will warrant.