New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-05

ing with so much animation in London that it's
advent here has been awaited with the kecnost
curiosity? THE Open Question" what does II
mean! II means, We should say, much the same
question that Hamlet addresses 10 the Fatar 10
his famous soliloquy. Are We to shoulder the
burdens OF life, or, being unable to pierce, the
ibscrutabe mandates OF destiny are we "a
throw mp our task with calm despair ana take
ourselves out Of the world. not only for our owr
comfort. but as 4 tacit recognition Of TIE right
ness Of the theory that the world will BE- Just
AZ well off without us? The tale that Miss
Robins has essiyed TO tell in more than five
hundred pages may be- summarized IN few
lines. II concerns the marriage Of a couple who
are cousins Each Is cursed with the seeds %
consumption. and n Miss Robins would 81, m 70
be flying in the face OF Iatter-day science
In assuming the dis aase 10 b. hereditary. she Al
least has taken the precautiOn to give Ethan
ana Valera iano numerous ano estors all az
iiiced as they believe themselves 10 be afflicted.
For the purposes of her story consumption
may be regarded ~ an hereditary disease. The
lovers marry under a profound conviction hat
any child Of theirs would inevitably carry h"
family blight. .Lnd their engagement is a solemn
compact binding them to die together by their
own voGton before an nheritOr comes upon the
scene. As rho time draws near, thu man. who
has done most OF ne thinking Oh this curious
conception Of human responsibility, shrinks from
the consequences 90 his vow The woman with
| intense clingng 10 life. nevertheless IS
goadcd to hrmer resolution by her fears Q,
what life might mean and it is to her chiefly
that is due tho last scene. in " hich husband and
vif- drown thems lives. This scene laid on The
Pacihc Coast with an old boatmar harding tho
two into the ratal uaft. is well suggested
She booked back when sine was in tn, Doat
and smiled II the old sailor.
You needn't come this ,ime" she said. ho
was preparing to follow Ethan 4 can mar
age the tiller.'
Sans doubtful l. ks vanished h, observed
the lady air OF custom.
Where shall gO?" said Ethan
Il think I'll steer for the sunset" she Az
Swer-d i'm the same level voice.
H. paused with the sheet in his hand.
THAT would bring U.s. He looked oT
across the water, far across It. beyond IT, III
his cloudy eyes found the cloud-hung entran""
to the open sea
1T viii bring US out at the Golden Gate" she
said
Yanti seemed TO draw a long joyous breath
the white sail bcllied in the warm wind.
"Goodby," Val called back across the water
"Goodby, niaam."
Sam Cornish filed his pipe He watched
Yanti drop dowl the bay and sail away int"
the sunset
That night the Pacific Coast was strevn with
wreck. But of the Yafft II" spar was ever
found.
To most Of us the question which this
artistic climax pauses will not seem open
question at all. There is noble instinct IN
humanity which, whether II is clothed in the
guise Of Christianity not, eXcites our respect
through its undertaking rcprObation Of suicide
Self-murder. whether IT proceeds from Hamletf
doubling philosophy or from the cOcksure the
orizing OF the man whp thinks h. knows the
scheme OF the universe strikes us as at once
futile and contemplate. This book would seem
TO post it as a thing open to discussion. I'm The
no, elist's DETECTION from the best sense Of hu-
mainly with vhom. then. among the writer's -
the dav. Is she to be classified? unrcsitatingy.
we would reply. with that scandinavian Mumbo-
Jumbo With whose writings we believe she con-
r.s..s herself To I've familiar, hut under whose
hammer sh. does not pretend deliberately 10
scrv. In short "The Open Question is ibser-
lie in it, central motive. We use tn" term
n,ithcr AS q stigma noi badge az honor
/ I'm, rurolv in a descriptive sense WhateVer
Nie. RohinS's personal views ma! be on INC
.t hics Of suicidc-and we have no intention ~
Identifying her with the ideas Of her personases
- the book nevertheless, has that strange sig
nihcanc" which only an ibsenite WORK pos
sesscs the unreal signihcanc" Of an argument
SUSPENDED in midair unrelated to any ot inc
| facts 81 human nature. This means that We
mt down the book We put down a Doh
| Uouse" or The Master-Builder,' with sens"
Of having Witnessed a morbid distortion OF s"cidI
| Questions The effect i not Witheut dramatic
ouaIity but it does not touch our sympa'hi'S |"
any serious issues. The readers impression
ma, ne summed mp as one Of blank surprise
VII, has ne followed this long narrative 10 "@
clos, when the principal figures in ii have shown