New-York tribune., 1900-09-23

12rno. pp. 31I The Macmillan Company
HENRY wORTHINGToN. IDEALIsT. BY Mar
garet Sherwood l2mo, PIP. 81 The Macmillan
Company
People BY John Buchan- l2mO, pp. 2g7. John
Lane
Mr.. Eden PhiIlpotts has a quite phenomenal
faculty for surmouuting obstacles of his own
making. The situation round which Sons of
the Morning is written is unimagina5e as
having any parallel in real life, but the book is
read nevertheless with unfailing interest from
the first page 10 the last. The author asks US
to suppose that a beautiful and thoughtful
young woman of Devon, who is beloved by TWO
men. cannot make up her mind as to which one
she would better marry. This is easy sup
position. There is difficulty, either in accept
ing as true to nature the quarrel between Honor
EndicOtt and one of her lovers, her gradual
surrender to the influence Of his rival and her
happiness in marrying that gentleman after the
man from whom she parted in anger is reported
to have died in Australia But If Mr.. Phiupotrs
had stopped here he would have had no novel;
at any rate Sons of the Morning would have
been too unaventful a story to win popularity.
But the author is inventive, too inventive by
half He brings the missing Christopher back
upon the scene and though the circumstances
of his temperance give Honor terrific mental
shock, thereby increasing her husbands natural
distaste for any resumption Of acquaintance
that was never very cheering to either Of the
men, Mr. PhiIIpotts proceeds with his curious
intention
He keeps Honor and the two men constantly
together and allows the woman to explain the
posture of affairs by candid confession that
she still loves them both To grant her this
privilege under the circumstances is to regard
her as humanity speaking, either disloyal or a
fool Mr.. PhiIlpotts tries TO convince Us that she
Is neither the one thing nor the other, but a
genuine human being. We decline to adopt his
view Of the matter, or his presentation of the
husband as inwardly resentful and outwardly
tolerant Of the three cOrnered arrangement IN
short from the moment Honor begins TO daily
with her two adorers she begins 10 seem the
least bit incredible, and by the time Christopher
has been raised from the dead and returns 70
set going what We suppose Mr. PhiIIpOtts means
Us to consider the wheels Of tragedy. We feel
that Sons Of the Morning is really developing
into farce This impression endUres after the
book is finished, but, on the other hand, We
repeat ii has also demonstrated that the author
has unquestionabIe gifts His characters are
persuasive, when they are not being forced 10
eaIvanize into action an absurd plot the peas
ants who provide a chorus 10 the drama, dimly
after the fashion OF Mr.. Hardys mastery crea-
tiors. are uniformly plausible if their masters
and mistress are not: and the feeling for land
scape beauty which Mr.. Phillpotts everywhere
displays is Enthusiastically sincere and productive
of readable pages. The book is a passing tTi-
unph for him. The falsity Of the man motive
viii ultimately cause sons Of the Morning 10
descend inJo oblivion, but the merits indicated
above viii doubtless keep the work aroat for
some little time The author has grown in
authority as a writer of narrative since he wrote
children of the Mist" though in understanding
Of human nature he hath suffered losses"
Mr. ". PETIT Ridge has gained all along the
line A Breaker Of Laws" is better book
than any of those which have gone before it,
truer in conception juster IN balance, and
showing in every detail that the author has
strengthened his grasp not only on his material.
hut on the Instruments OF the novelist Where
his sentiment has gone near TO mawkshness II
is now wholesome: his humor plays its appointed
part with greater tact, and the evolution Of the
burgIarious hero's character is handled with
vastly more insight and precision. The climax
IS honestly pathetic. It is especially gratifying
to find that while the book is confessedly q
study Of The innately criminal nature, Mr.. Ridge
has the art requisite for a nice subordination Of
sociology TO drama. A Breaker Of Laws gives
the Dortrait Of q man with dishonesty in his
blood 1t is also a story. and one good enough
10 make US feel confident that Mr. Ridge has
found himself and viii do even more impor-
tant work