The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-05
RIDER HAGGARD PLEADER.

DR.. Theme. BY Rider Haggard.
Longmans, Green & Co.
1t is impossible for Americans to COM
prehend the fierceness of the struggle
which has been waging in England over
the question of vaccination, and has
now been decided by the victory of the
party opposed to vaccination. A ret
rograde movement of this sort is so
at variance with the trend of science
and the results Of experience that it
seems as if only the perversity which
sometimes attacks nations as Wilful-
ness sometimes attacks individuals
could be held answerabe for it,. In
choosing this theme for his latest book,
Mr.. Haggard has left the realms of
fancy for the more prosaic field of a
modern England city and a physician
who, out of professional and social am
bition, perjures himself by supporting
the side of characterization. An able
man, he deliberately sacrifices his con-
victionS that vaccination is an imrur-
tant safeguard of civilization, enters
parliament. and is instrumental in
bringing about the passage of a bill
which destroys at a blow the whole
policy of compulsory vaccination,
which for many years has been in force
in England. Affairs prosper with Or.
Theme for many years, while his
daughter grows into womanly beauty
and becomes the idol of his life. In the
general immunity from smallpox the
characterization party dominates Eng
land vaccination is discouraged, and
honors are thrust upon the man who
so powerfully espoused the popular
cause. Then the contagion is brought to
Dunchester the home of the Themes,
by a tramp; it spreads until 5000 out
of the $4,000 inhabitants Of the place
have been moved down by it. Among
them is Jane Theme the doctors
daughter. Her fiance, who is a ply
stefan, begs to be allowed to Vaccinate
her. for in order to pose as an adj
vertisement of her fathers convictions
she had never been vaccinated. Indig-
nantly she declines. Her father is hor-
rorstricken when he perceives the ca
tastrophe which he has brought uron
her and himself, and curses his own
folly and the weakness of the lover.
But the farce must be carried out. He
is at that moment in the throes of an
election, and is pitted against for
midable opponent Panicstricken for
DIR. Theme is a physical not less than
moral coward, he determines to save
his own life by recourse to that opera
ton which he had denied his daughter,
the denial of which was to bring death
to her and many thousands of unfor-
Inmates. He is waiting for the blood
upon his arm to dry after applying the
lymph when his daughter enters and
sees all. How is it," she asks, that
you have prevented thousands from
doing this very thing, yet do it your
self secretly and at the dead of night?
a you think it safer to vaccinate your
self, why was |, your child, left un-
vaccinated, and taught tnat it is a
wicked superstition
Then Dr. Theme tells his child keep
ing nothing back; a few days later
she dies, but not before she has told
her lover That night later there is
mass meeting of the electors of the
county DR. Theme addresses it,
urging the people to stand by their
great principles of individual freedom
and fearlessly to give their votes on the
morrow to their friend and protector.
II wish to ask DR. Theme whether
he believes in vaccination" spoke up a
voice in the crowd. There was a COM
motion, then Jane Themes lover faced
the trembling coward on the platform
and demanded that he illustrate his
faith by barring his left arm. Naturally
DR.. Theme refused Then the others,
catching him by the throat, gripped his
linen and his garments and at once
wrench ripped them off, leaving naked
his left arm, with the proofs of his in
fanny patent upon it. And with the
roar of the scornful, furious multitude
in his ear, DR.. Theme closes his
story.
other men who felt moved to make
protest against the characterization
craze would have written an article
for the papers or a magazine. Mr.
Haggard has worked his protest out
in fiction. AS may be guessed 1t is
not very pleasant fiction, and the book
is doomed to become a curiosity of lit
erature before long. The characters
are puppets who amiably subserve the
authors purpose, but lack vitality.
While the hero is q base poltroon who
cannot possibly enlist the readers SYM
pathies, one realizes the artistic effect,
so to speak, upon the argument in
making a time server and a perjurer.
OF course the implication is that all
physicians who testify to the injurious
effects of vaccination are vile scoun
dreIs like him. AS a bit Of special
pleading, Or Theme" is powerful but
as a novel it will commend itself only
to the Haggard deVotee.