The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-04

Janet Burns had spoken Of dislikine people who's
| eyes were too near together. Samuel Gordon Ia
| afterward reproached her with passing that crit
| cism upon his eyes.
In regard TO his daughter, this was hi
policy:
He dictated her walks, her drives, the hour 70
her retiring. and her attendance at church; bu
| he wanted to know what she was thinking abou
when she looked away over the marshes wher
pa!e dead grass stood motionless above the snow
| He vas irritztod because he could not contro
both her feelings and her thoughts. lie ha'
pardoned her. The somewhat explosive expression
| Of this had been one Of the masterpieces OF hi
histrionic paternity. For days afterNard he ha'
| worn that slightly hurt. but magnanimous eS
| preston that always came TO his face when h
| was conscious Of having done somebody wrong
lie invariably forsaye his victims
This is the scene which took place al
the deathbed of one of those victims:
Those faded eyes seemed to see into som'
| world beyond the high silk hat and the Primo
Albert coat, and the look Of conscious rectitud'
on the philanthrOpist's face. Holy horror crep
into that face now, and pity for this misguldet
woman lie met unhinehingly the look in Jsn
ME Burns eyes. 1t was not his idea Of the iuds
ment day, and he failed to recognize it.
Il am sorry for YOU" he said, very sorry. j
is unspeakahle cfief to me that YOU should
still preserve this deiusion Of your mothers.
never wronged her. What was right for me 20 do
did then, as always. Your mother refused The
aid offered her. You refuse it now, and yet
repeat it. | will do all for You that is in ms
power will take you away from here and buy
you home. will support you in it. WIZ you
scceptg'
And here is one more clever touch:
Mr. Gordon came conRdentiaIly to Benedict
Waren's side and got his new gloves wet grasp
ing the lapel Of that gentlemsn's old brown coat.
Warren he asked in quick whisper. have
you heard anything about an attack young Wor-
thington has made nc in publicf'
Warren looked up at his neighbours shining silk
hat. then at the blue eyes. which turned I'M
easily away. Often. in looking at Mr.. Gordon
hastily, one caught him in an attempt TO arrange
his expression appropriately.
''He hasn't made any attack you, said
Benedict Warren. Ties a gentleman"
Enthusiastically he has" insisted Mr.. Gordon.
His grieved and benevolent expression was there
at last.
Warren. keen and sarcastic old gentle
man, told the successful merchant at the
close of this conversation that he couldn't
set up TO be a saint and use all the tricks
OF a knave, too II is a lamentable fact
that the Pecksniffs have not gone out of
business since Dickens time. and one
proof of this is that most people will see
in the character of Mr.. Samuel Gordon a
whom they know.
The author has evidently made some
study of the laws Of heredity, and her use
Of this material is marked by a certain
in that she recognizes distinct
ly that variations must frequently occur
in which the child, while preserving some
of the fundamental traits OF the parent,
develops along an entirely different line.
In the character of Gordon she shows how
the stern integrity of martyred forefath-
ers degenerates through pride and self
love into mere stubborn Phariseeism in
the descendant. while the conscientiousness
and frmness OF purpose reappear in the
daughter. tempered with her mothers IT,
mildly and softness. In Henry Worthing-
ton we have the son Of a gentle, high
thoroughly individual scholar, de-
veloping into an ardent advocate of GER
tain theories most abhorrent to his father.
This is caused by the influences Of the
time. 1t is strong situation, and the
author seems not to- have made the most
Of It from a dramatic point Of view. An
other complication which might have re-
suited in strong scenes is the episode of
annice's sudden determination to work In
her fathers store The outcome of this
Is rather weak, from n literary point OF
view, and so is the denouement In short,
the book strikes one as being less skill
FULLY put together than the brilliant char
ieterizations would lead the reader TO ex-
Dect. The minor character of Benedict
Warren. the cynical. shrewd, soft-hearted,
eccentric old philosopher, deserves closer
connection with the story than II has. and
he character OF Annice Gordon is disap-
pointing in its weak and wavering soft
hess. But with all these defects. the book
S interesting, and perhaps the faults
would be less apparent were 1t not for the
zeal power OF certain chapters. 1t is. in
hort. so good that it really ought to be ]
,etter; 1t is the old phenomenon Of talent
which is just little less than genius; but
he work is worth reading all the same.
New York.: The Macmillan Company.
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