The San Francisco call., 1899-12-03
MARION CRAWFORD is a mas
GER oi thc technique or novel writ
llE. and his last novel. Via Cru
. eis. is a pleasant example of his

- t'l "i nc technique or novel writ
ng, and his last novel. Via Cru
ci@. is pleasant example OF his
4 arr The book is noticeable for the
simple oehnitvness of its effects There
are hGi iDH characters. each strongly
MAJ il>oa' ano al Influencing one another
ln simple. easily perceived WAYS. Ouaen
Eleanor ~ France. Sir Gilbert Waf6e
EeatriN ach has definite function TO
ialnl. and each is represented as definite
D. hited :,r that function. The minor
chaEaciore- Dec glld. pious and selfish
NlnE. 1lrhol thc villain. Gnbert's loval
ioIl' "ers, Durstan and Alric-lIkewisa
PLAY the.r allotted specific parts with
Mn'io-nrartod precision The plot in
NI.rh N.e~o tcw easily understood char
actors Fn.E fhoir natures uut IS similarly
o'-nlie and firmly outlined. It's entany.o-
la.ai hpsins promptly. in tho meeting OF
'l-'Ofi mother ana Curboi'-two well
"o .-s'ei 'nfious slnncrs-ard the im-
ll.fn io 't- onward movement is Of the
same 'n rsttlc character. Tor when n
~ man Ah' Elcarrr has n passion for q
man Ifo Gilbert "a whole world Of action
ls in'FltanIf sgt going The plot develops
fmn'ih.h. consistently. with Interesting
variety 1r- N.ih shillfui proportion. and
reaches decided ana satisfying CON
tlh~ion 1na scenes are brilliant and
stand IS na Ht'.y out. Tile style is grace
I
ls .ehfiF touched with an antique tint
3usi enough 90 please without puzzling.
a'n f is .haraCtcrized hv am artistic
power oI ranccetlnr. As piece ~ work
man hip thc novel SIS opeu to almost no
criticism. except that ihe singular op-
portlr.n"s- of the place and r-annc- OF
thf''ls ncath. and the very fortunate
accident of the discovery and rcsuScita-
t"n ~ heatriN ht the stage better than
t1." nt narrative.
What snakes this workmanlike skin the
moro remarkable is that Mr. Craw fard
'r writing of a period which he has never
'.I.fc touched. and. indeed IS venturing
int. hclC which is al but ucv, 10 him
4lf novel .r ID. tale 90 The second crusade
arl tre most important character in II
if ffaf ~ Eleanor OF France. who after
"Hra became the wife of Henry the Sec
orl .f ENGLAND and the mother Of K.7g
Iaohard and King John-a Queen. a
woman 'f heroic energy and Of "A large.
r'1 nature. This type of novel and this
special ttDe of character are. ] believe.
r.N ta Mr. Crawford
ID undertaking the historic-romantic
novel of th, Middle Ages NJ Crawford
cha''. .n-rs comparison with Scott and
Dumas ani "a school OF followers. And in
tlIe scale hc does not weigh down the
balance We miss The eNuherance. the
~e tnat % great nature is Al plav
which -ht elder masters ~ tho romantic
novel ot medieval times afford US Mr.
'rlNIolt describes the feelings Of his
characters too much and hc explains
th'.r relations az too great length His
whole ~nril is simply not hlled up with a
fI~n of ~p.ratior. It's characters. rs
scenes. everything u it. are toned down.
are 1 ttt. misty and uucnerpctic in con-
h..a 'nng-h or brilliant enough.
l.'~e criticisms are not meant 10 deny
t' Ar. 'rawiOrd's book inspiration or
hIE"r They are relative. and they come
simply fn tnIs. tlat the particular kind of
-ur' Hh.gh "Aia CruCis" gives rs ar
t.r.ed In larger measure elsewhere. tThe
Macmillan company New York. 81 5OD
How many Bohomias there are, Thack-
erar Describes I'd Bohemia ~ late hours.
j0.E eool-fenowship. literary labor. pots
Cf porter endless clouds az tobacco smoke
and soda water In the morning. we may
b. sHro fh.- Bohemia is Tar more English.
innocent and mouotouous than the Rohe-
MIA Inark'rav could have described
There is bg Mauri,r's Bohemia gracious
and dyiIe. There is Murger's Bohemia.
beautiful with the beauty of a consump-
tive -lrl. bright ~ eye and check but sad
h..t n NdNNtNN Llhi MflNES the breast. In
al hearts there is az some time the ideal
Cf fho true Bohemia. whore s0rd,dness and
prudence ana cruelty and petty ambition
and alI things that hamper and restrict
The INDEPENDENT energy OF the soul have
ln place. where man can Doe himself 10
The uttermost. where there may be
cracked dishes. but never uglincss: even
hunger, hut never surrender: where all
the conventions by which society keeps sts
broken fOulross from tumbling TO ruin
are thrown away. and generous Impulse
becomes the guide OF life. where. in a
50 .rd. The commonplace does not exist In
such Bohemia the artist the man Of
Thought the man of hope must bv their
very nature an some time dream Of living.
H. El0uard Cucuci has made notes i'm
p'u and pencil of tho reality created by
the dreams OF Bohemia in the artist lie
Dt Paris af the present time. and W q.
Morrow has worked the notes into "a book
entitled bohemian Paris OF To-day"
Naturally we hear "a great deal more
about Bohemia an play than about Bohe-
mia at work. The picture has not the
dcIcacy OF Du Maurlcr or Murger. hut il
IS probably al tho more just. In the un-
restrained horse-play al the art school in