Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-10-11
MISS BELL REVIEWS THE ATTACK.


Daugherty and John H. Sehl.
MISS BELL REVIEWS THE ATTACK.
The Clever Writer who Criticised Our
standards of Art Writes a Strong Novel
Embedding Her Views.
Miss Lillian Bell, whose attack on the
prudery and narrGHnesS OF American
standal ds of art aroused storm of
newspaper controversy some months
ago, has write a novel illustrating
her views. 1t is called 1.-THE Expa-
triates, and is just published.
In Miss Belts much. discussed re-
marks on art she declared that there
was an cle rrnt in America which was
sitting rt and driving American
artists 10 br, adler field aud more
APP rcvin. utnos. here. The secular
press very largely approved the stand
she took, while the religious piess
roundly deu0unc d h,r attitude, none
b ing nero vlu,ent tn n the organ of
her own d nom nation, by whose in
vithton her ad iloss wa m stle and 10
ore ul VIII Sc C urcaes he has belonged
since her ratly gin no d.
She bsca - III c.rte Of an argu-
d thu IA 81 CT ~ riTe Il of drawing
the Ii e vi Il M sm II decree Of di :
ii ttiv-mss q thu If ends and
IN, m Il th6 & usB sire advoca ted,
aud 20 t a r,it. ii G rt ia religious
der he was It onr' ilgited all over
I'll" country b. n an tger1 Of lecture
bur aus IT, male d esses on this
same spEl"cs thIoug, OUT the length
a r. "a n, Al bt,f
pJs8s fla t r.ng huLgh they ere, che
I.oLpt y eclILed
The an no ba. ms with brilliant
description OF the fi,e in the Bazaar de
la Cnarite, nslii.ly using characters
who really eri. he'd in those awful
flames With unswerving fidelity, yet in
Extensively.
Further along she takes the catas-
tropha of the sinking Of La Bourgogne,
describing with biticg sarcasm the
dastardly behavior of that steamer
Gallic crew. Certain tragic events,
certain heroic acts of individual pas
senger she faithfully records. Whis,
this chap er is narrowing, she has at
least done justice to both sides.
This brings US to the cal casus belli.
The whole novel is war to the knife
against that part of the French nation
which comes in contact with the Anglo
Saxon. 1t is fight to finish between
the Anglo-Saxon and the Gaul 1t is
relentless expose illustrated by the
sequence of events in the book, which
pile up on one another with relentless
fidelity of actual life.
The American girl who is an ex-
patria'e against heI will falls victim
to the French CT de of honor in so
simple and natural way that even the
most ardent of French sympathizers
cannot deny that it might actually
have happened. The delicate manner
10 which Ross's reputation was wrecked
in the eyes of the Partisan world cannot
fail to be an eye-opener. to thousands OF
Americans who have never bsen abroad
and who in all probability never will
go, and will be equally efiicacious in
reminding American mothers of the
Daisy Millers who fit to Paris each
| year for mouth or so, to exercise q
| little survei lanos over their daughters,
| the lack OF which is SO deplored by the
| French and the best element of Ameri.
can society.
The author takes exquisite pains
| to lay before the American people
the weakness Of their representatives
abroad, their misGake3, their follies,
and the unfortunate predicament In
which they are placed by our govern.
ment at home. Yet these effects are
made upon ths m nd Of the reader by
incidents in the story. There is q
noticeable lack of the authors style in
her former books. Her story tells itself.
IL there is foundation for her state
ments concerning the unjust dis
orimiration against American girls in
French schoo 81 the shameless greed oI
French husbands for their American
wves' gold; the disgusting habit Of
paying titled French women for mar,
rage contracts and for orders secured
for Partisan shops land we have Mt
doubt that thess incidents are true)-
1t would be an excellent idea to insert
as sub title 10 1.-THE Expatriates, ""A
Text. book for Rich Americans. Il
mi ). hit have been much easier, and GER
tainly pleasanter, for this author tc
have continued a'ong the lines of her
former books--"The Love Affairs of al
Old Maid" "a Little Sister to thu
Wilderness" THE Under Side o.
Things" and "The Instinct of Step
fatherhood, especially as her last bool
Of travels, "As Seen by Me, has only
seemed to increase the appreciation o
her reading public. Yet she deliber
ately atfronts the clientele she has
already acquired, and this leads one tt
question her motive. THE Expa
triates'' is too serious venture, ant
her treatment of her somewhat deli
cate subject is too dignited for tn,
thoughtful critic 10 think that she is,
in vulgar parlance, looking fol-
trouble.'' Her purpose is evidentl,
too honorable, her indignation tot
righteous, and her knowledge of the
Irudery of the American public too
opp sed TO the subject matter If thi:
novel for the thoughtful critic not tt
realize that this authors patriotism
gees deeper tuan most, f,r she ha
dared 10 criti Use the government aut
to hold the mirror up to American
weaknesses as courageJusly as she has
exposed the faults of the French.