The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-12

cigarette-sm cnums, VINO enter
tanned Princes and gave the best balls in
London, unite in a friendly attack upon
Mr.. Abingdon. The method is simple,
consisting mainly in Judicious combina-
ton of Kit with a marvellous gown from
Worth, developed in scheme of orange
working to her glorious red-gold hair,
full of dusky flames" and accentuated
by string Of rubies on her dazzling
neck
Besides Mr.. Abingdon, Jack and Kit. the
the villain; Miss Murchison, an American
heiress, the angel; Mrs. Murchison, the
Mrs. Malaprop; Toby, Lord Evelyn
Jack and the subsidiary angel.
The novel has two separate themes.
The FIRST is Jacks endeavor to attain
are forced up. up, up; then down; then
up again by Mr.. Alington's skill. The
two stand just ready to reap the profits
and suddenly the whole structure falls
thus been worshiping Mammon. Kit had
been busy with the other part of the his
tory. engaged with Go. that is. the
pomps and vauities of this wicked world
and all the sinful desires of the flesh.
Very eXtravagant, very Jolly, very charm
ing and very audacious, she had never
compromised herself, because people had
got so used to seeing her do eXtraordf-
nary things without meaning any harm
that they never expected any harm Of
her. At last. however, her house on the
sand crashed even more heavily than
Jacks Jack gets into the bankrupt court
and sees his name in the papers. Kit,
after passing through a hell OF fear and
anxiety finds her catastrophe in a shock
that brings her near the gates of death.
The tale ends with Kit and Jack sitting
at the feet Of Lily MurchisOn listening
to her unaffected, simple wisdom, and
striving to set the roots Of new life in
the Garth.
The novel compels attention by it's force
and by the amount of thought put into il.
1t contains brilliantly conceived scenes,
and 1t exhibits a very thorough study Of
some phases Of the life which it repre-
sents.
AS a piece Of the novelist's art. how
ever, it suffers from grave defects. 1t
possesses no central point of interest.
Mr.. Abingdon is the most individual and
powerful figure, while Jack and Kit are
the subjects Of the story. And Jacks
money making and Kits mad dance in
nected: more profound weakness is
that the characters are described they
are made TO act, but do not seem to act
from inward necessity. Alingtons music
and art are merely stuck on him; they
are not part of him. Kits repentance IS
not analysed and made credible. Repen-
tance is always dangerous in a novel.
1t has perilous tendency to weaken the
definite impression produced by q char
acter, to obscure its individuality, often
TO destroy the dignity given 1t by con-
sistency. If a character is allowed to re-
Dent the repentance must be the develop
Inent of latent traits already subtly limited
at. and IT must De IN cndrdcter-nOt
against ii. Kits repentance is feeble. IN
certain, dazed and mild; Kit in her palmy
DAYS has a fine constituencies energy and
brilliance more interesting than her sap
ling virtue.
throughout there is more cleverness
than magma ton. The smart speeches
have no individuality. The whole book
is not one single thing cast from ono
nolIriug grown from one root, or worked
ont from one central thought. It's parts
are assembled" as they say of bicycles
bought in pieces from a half dozen fac
tories and put together Such books can
not possess the consistency of magma
tive works, in which the characters do
what they do because they cannot help
~ not because they are told to. Natur-
aIiv external pecuiarities are insisted on
MIR Alington's look of bad stained
glass saint, "Toby's hair, ''Ted's" face
massage.
with the late Harold Fredercs I'm the
Market" The stern, almost cruel, con-
sistency of that book, its rigid maintenance
Of its single point of view, the thorough
and explicit manner in which it exhibits
The motive force of its one central figure,
give II more impressiveness than Is pos
sessed by this discursive tale. Yet NAM
mon & Co." has a briskness and variety
Of it's own, and IT possesses the remark
able quality of carrying with 1t the stir
and fullness of a life outside of its RACES
Unlike In the Market, 1t Is not abstract
and senarate from the world at large.
The book is disfigured by misprints. Cd.
Appleton & Co., New York. 81 5O)
A whimsical, tender, touching, charm
ing. ray. sad book full of fresh LIE Is
the WeaYers Hearts Dear