The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-12

velopments of character. are absolutely per-
feet portraits, not of individuals, but of
types; there is not an eXaggeration or
mannerism. Agatha is a particularly re-
markable achievement, since such girl
is, as rule, incomprehensible to the mas
culine mind. She Is complex to the last
degree; cynical. impulsiye, soft-hearted,
cruel, wise, and utterly foolish, all in
day She gains some of her complexity
from a certain dramatic element in her ma
ture which is not sufficiently marked TO
lead her TO become an actress, on or OFF
the stage. but which. joined with vivid
imagination and keen sensbilities, makes
her an enigma to more simple minded and
easy going souls Agatha is one of those
women born, except in certain rare in
stances, TO a heritage of unhappiness;
cherishipg shy illusions which are certain
TO be destroyed, yet piercing with unmercI-
full truthfulness the Illusions of others;
alone in her grlefs and her merriment;
misunderstood and disliked because beyond
the comprehension of others. II is pa
thetic fate. but its pathos is invisible to
the world in general because such > nature
is incapable of an appeal for mercy.
The conventional woman, represented by
Gertrude Lindsay. and the good natured,
pretty fool, in the person of Jane Car
penter, are equally fine in their way, and
SO is the fourth important female charac-
ter, Henrietta Jansenius, the beautiful
Jewess whom Sidney Trefusis marries and
deserts. The letter in which he informs
her of his intention is the key to the whole
book, and gives the reader to understand
at once that the hero is not like any other
novel-hero who ever loved, fought, sor-
rowed. and become betrothed between the
covers of a book Scott would not have
known what to make of Trefusis; Dick
ems would have caricatured him unmercl-
fully; Thackeray would never have thought
of him at all; and II he had lived in the
world of Dumas he could only have ex-
listed there as frankly crazy man. Mr..
Shaw is probably the only novelist. living
or dead. who could possibly have created
him. This is the letter in which he is, as
a personality. introduced to the reader:
Ny Dearest: am of-surfeted with endear,
ment-to live my own life and do my own work.
/ could only have prepared you for this by
coldness or neglect. which wholly impossible
TO ME when the spell OF your presence Is upon
self.
l am afraid that cannot give you satisfactor--
and ineligible reasons for this step. You are
beautiful and luxurious creature; life is to you
full and complete only when it is carnival O.
love My case is Just the reverse Before three
soft speeches have escaped me rebuke myself Tor
folly and insincerity Before a caress- has had
long 10 rtturn to my old lonely sscetic life; TO
my dry books; my Socialist propagandism; my
voyage Of discovery through the wilderness OF
thought. married in an insane fit of belief that
l had /. share of the natural affection which
carries other men through hfetimes Of matrimony.
Already am dndeceived. You are to me the
loyelicst in the world. Well, for five weeks
/ have walked ana talked and dallied with the
lovelitst woman in the world and the upshot Is
that avn flying from her, and am for hermit's
cave until lie. Love cannot keep possession Of
ire; all my strongest powers rise up against 1t
and viii net endure ii. Forgive me for writing
nonsense that you won't understand and dc not
think too hardly Of Inc. have been as good to
you nv selfish nature allowed. Do not seek to
disturb IN the olseurity which ] desire and
deserve. NJ solicitor Will call upon your father
TO arrange business matters, and you shall be as
happy as wealth ard liberty can make you. We
shall meet again-some day Adeu. my lost love,
SIDNEY TREFUSIS.
When It is understood that this letter is
written 10 a beautiful young wife after six
weeks of married life, it will be easily
seen that the writer is a considerably Gu
rious type OF man. When Henrietta dies
of an illness brought on through an i'm
prudent journey, taken mainly on account
of jealousy, the proceedings in which her
husband involves himself in buying hei
a monument further illustrate his peculiar
temperament. on its sccialistic side:
A literary friend of Mr. Jansenius helped him
to compose epitaph and added to IL couple
OF pretty and touching stanZag, setting forth that
Henrietta's character had been one OF rare sweet
ness and virtue. and that her friends would never
cease 10 SORROW for her loss. tradesnan who
described himself monumental mason" fur
nished book Of tomb designs, and Mr.. Jansenlus
selected a highly ornamental one, and proposed
TO deiTzy halt the cost Of its erection. Trefusis
objected that the epitaph was untrue. and said
that he did not see why tomhstones should be priv
neged 10 publish false statements. IL was re-
ported that he had followed up his former mis-
conduct by calling his iather-in-law liar, and
that he had ordered common tombstone from
some cheap-iack at the East Ind. lie had, III
fact, spoken contemptuously OF the monumental
ITadesmaB as an ''expioiter' Of labor, and had
asked young working mason. member OF the
International Association, TO design monuIaeat
for the qualification of Jansenus.
The mason, with much pains and misgiving,
produced an original design. Treftisis approved
OF II, and resolved to have it executed by the
hands Of the designer. lie hired a sculptor's
studio, purchased blocks Of marble Of the diinen-
sions and quality described 10 MIN by the ma
son, and invited him 10 set to work forthwith.
Trefusis encountered a difficulty lie
wished 10 pay the mason the just value Of his
work, no more and less. But this he could
not ascertain The only available standard was
the market price, and this he rejected as being
fixed by competition among capitalists who could
only secure profit by obtaining from their work
men more products than they paid them for, and
could only tempt customers by offering a share
OF the unpaid for part OF the products
ductiOn in price. Thus he found that the sys-
ten OF Withholding the indispensable materials
for production and subsistence from the lahorers,
except on condition OF their supporting an idle
class while accepting lower standard OF com
fort for themselves than for that idle class rem
deTed the determination OF just ratios Of ex-
change, and consequently Inc practice Of honest
dealing, impossible. He had at last TO ask tile
mason what he would consider fair payment for
the execution Of the design, though he knew that
the map could no more solve the problem than
he, and that, though he would certainly ask as
much he thought he could get, his demand
must be limited by his poverty and by the com
petition Of the monumental tradesinan. Ire
fusis settled the matter By giving double what
was asked, only imposing such conditions az were
work himself and not make a profit by hiring
Other men at the market rate Of wages 10 do it.
And this performance was the least &C.
centric of the hero's behayiors. The book
is q sort OF Alice in Wonderland for grown
people; half the relations OF life are turn
cd upside down, and not the most astuta
noyel-fend can tell what Is going to hap
pen next II is as well done as it can pos
sibly be, and a perfect specimen OF any
particular style is worth a great deal. If
a man spends his time growing fungi in
stead OF roses, he is certainly 10 be COM
mended If he produces the most perfect
fungus on the market That is about what
Mr. Shaw has done. (New York Brenta-
no's.)
A Maine Poet.
up In Maine" Is q new book of verse
by new poet Holman F. Day, and is de-
scribed on the title page as Stories of