The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-11
WOMAN'S
WORLD.


book
Is it advisable for an old man TO marry
No" says Maurus Jokai the dsiin-
guished Hungarians writer, since there
is little chance that any happiness will be
vouchsafed to him.
This may be said 10 be the motto of
Jokars new book, which bears the novel
title "A Man Advanced in Years Is Not
an Old Man" A romance seen in dream,
or rather in a series OF dreams, the au-
thor further styles the book, meaning
thereby that the incidents which he re-
lates TO US are not taken from real life
or from his own personal experience but
are rather Of the nature of vision or ia
bles Four Of these visions he describes
vividly. dropping for the nonce his own
personality and assuming that OF an Old
man who dreams of matrimonial happi-
ness. but whose hopes Of bliss are rudely
disturbed by the unhappy visions that
come 10 him in his dreams.
strange book, 1t may be said, for
Jokai to write since he, too, is an old
man, and it is not so long since he mar
ried charming young woman, not half
his age. The answer is that Jokai does not
consider himself an old man, for, as the
title Of his book shows, he does not con-
slider that every man who is advanced in
years is necessarily an old man, and fur
thermore this book is not about himself
but about another old man, who before
he dies would try TO be young again.
In his first vision. this graybeard sees
himself as a celebrated author, who is
very much in love with a handsome young
widow, Though he is old enough 70 be
her grandfather, he asks her TO marry him
and she consents. Then his troubles begin.
His wife being very wealthy, he is com
PEELED to move in a circle to which he has
not been accustomed. To his studies
which are so dear TO him, he can.deyote no
more time. all his day being spent in look
ing after his wifes property and in play
ing the role Of a highborn aristocrat be-
fore her plutocratic friends. This sort Of
life wearies him intensely and boundless
in his joy when the vision passes away
and Herewith the ntolerable burden is
removed.
The second dream, however is equally
unsatisfactory. No longer is he a ceebrat-
ed writer. but an engineer Of worldwide
reputation. Great works he undertakes,
and the greatest of all is a canal which
he decides to build. At this point his for
tune changes. His wonderful engineering
project ends In q financial catastrophe,
and his wife, a brilliant young &Voman,
whom he loves passiona tely proves ia Sc
20 him. Under the tremendous strain his
mind gives way and he resolves to fight
a duel with the man who has wrecked his
home, though the latter has been dead for
some time. As result he Is locked up In
iunatic asylum Great is the dreamers
sorrow at this denouement but equally
greet is his JOY when this vision also pass
es away. Jokai, it may be said, does not
reveal to us the name of this world re-
nowned engineer, but is is claimed that
the name will readily suggest itself 10 any
student OF contemporary history.
In this third vision the old man Is taken
to the bank Of the River Danube. where
ne has constructed large house of refuge
FOR those who are shipwreeked or WHO
are Otherwise in danger of being drown
ed. To this house is brought one day a
fair woman, who has been saved from the
angry water, and after a brief wooing the
old man marrles her Happiness comes
to him in this new life but it does not last
long, for IL chances that a young man.
whom the lady loved before her marriage,
IS also rescued from the water and very
soon she and he resume their old rela-
tons The result is that her doting old
husband is driven half crazy with jeal-
ousy. But what can he do? This Is the
question which he asks himself, but he
fore he can answer. the fearful vision
passes away and to his JOY he discovers
that 1t was all dream.
A greater afiiction, however. awaits him
In the fourth vision. He appears in IL as a
celebrated painter and among his scho-
ars are two, youth and a maiden who
seem to Have a most pronounced aversion
for each other. The youth after a while
ceases 10 take lessons and goes away and
the master mArries the maiden Some
years pass and then the youth now a full
grown man, returns. whereupon the start
ling discovery is made that IL was not hat
red but love which the two young people
had felt toward each other while they
were studying
The old painter cannot help recognizing
this fact, and, though his wife never gives
him the slightest cause for jealousy and
determines to be true to- her marriage
VOWS. he knows well that she loves mn
other, and he concludes that the best
thing for him to do is to die, as only thus
can the two young people be made perfect
ly happy. He decides to sacrifice himself
In this manner hut before he can carry
out his plan the vision vanlshes, and he
discovers to his joy that 1t, TOO, has been
ell dream. OF the four visions, we are
told, this one is the most true TO life, and
the affiiction portrayed in II is in many re-
spects the hardest which man can be
called upon to bear, No clew is given as
20 the identity of the painter but those
who know the story of the late John
Ruskin's life tragedy viii see Aany points
dents In this vision.
Jokai does not claim that these four vi
elons show all the reasons why old men
should not marry, but he maintains that
the main reasons are apply illustrated in
these visions. Had he so desired he
could have fashioned four complete nov
els out of these four visions, instead of
which he has shaped them into one look.
The warning note, Don marry" is dom
inant throughout il, and, as marriage is a
subject of perennial interest both to old
and young, there is little doubt that this.
the latest work Of the famous Hungarian
novelist, will be widely read and much
criticised. BE 1t ever borne in mind, how
ever. that his warning against marriage IS
addressed only TO old men--to those who
are In the winter of life and yet who can
not be persuaded thar for them SPRING
time and summer have gone by forever
In other words "a man advanced In years
IS not an old man" for those who are real
ly old a. heart do not think of getting