The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-15


of his days. Perhaps they themselves coul
not honestly say winch seemed the wors
10 them.
Inc love interest in the story is weak IL
comparison with the thought interest, an
one is tempted to say that 1t might bette
have been left out Gabrielle is what on
may call typical Christian woman, intel
ligent, but not logical, loving her religion
too well to enquire into the why's ant
wheretores OF 1t, content to trust her owl
and her lovers destiny to God who, il
spite OF the narrow faith Of the time, he
intutions inevitably conceive as beiri
more merciful than men. There Is a or, a
deal of poetic reflection and description
mingled with the course OF the story. ant
the lover of MIR. Aliens work will f.n'
much TO interest and delight him. Ar
tistioally, this book is not. perhaps. eQua
to "A Kentucky Cardinal" for the reason
that the writer has attempted far great
er task than in that dainty idyl OF birt
and human life. But its scope is wider, ant
1t goes much deeper into motives and SEN
tments. The story of David might be the
story Of hundreds OF other young men o
his day and generation. 1t is the life oil
the free thinker sprung up among 5igotet
and narrow churchmen.
AS for the character drawing 1t is excel
lent. particularly in some Of the minor per-
sonages. The portrait OF David's mother
Is absolutely perfect Mother-love, wher
at its highest is divine; but a woman IL
not necessarily the noblest of all created
things simply because she has borne q
child. This mother was distinctly a re-
tardirg influence. SO far as she was an in
fuence at all, in the life of her son, simply
because she had no ideals and could not
understand his. even by instinct. that saw
ing grace of the ignorant and un.earned.
From the beginning, when she says with
| a sigh that there never was much in Da-
| vid,'' TO the time when he returns to her
h,inute curiosity and fretful Incidence, she
is only trial of his patience and compass
ion. Such women suggest the reflection
| ;!at possibly continual talk of tbs beauty
OF motherhood has obscured the IDEA that
character depends upon effort and thought
es well as on physical experience. This 1.
a part Of the picture:
| She wore. az usual dress Of plain mourning,
although she had not the slightest occasion to
mourIf-at least, from the matter OF death. In
! the throat OF this was caught large, thin oval
shaped breastpin. containing n plat Of her own
and her husbands hair, braided together; and
| through these there silky strand cut from
| Dsvid's head when an infant, and long before
| the parents discovered how unlike their child was
TO themselves. This bregstpn. with the hair OF
| the three heads of the house intertwined the
| only symbol in all the world of their harmony
| or union.
Around her shoulders she had thrown, accord
| ing 10 her wont, home-knit cTewel shawl OF
| black purple. Fer hair. thick and straight and
pasted down over the temples Of her small head,
looked like long-used wiz. Her contracted face
seemed to have accumulated the wrinkles OF the
most drawn-out, careworn life Yet che not
old, and these not the lines of care; for her
| years had been sngularly uneventful ani-for
her~happy. The markings were. perhaps, inherit
ed from the generations Of her weather beaten,
toiling, plain ancestors-with the added creases OF
her personal habits. For she lived in her
house with the regularity and coDtentment Of an
| inject in dei log. And few causes age the
body faster tl.sn such willful Incidence and mo-
no;ony of mini hors-the body, that very
principle of physical ycithfulncss.
One OF the trucst marks of her small. cod mind
the rigid tyranny exercised il by its
own worthless ideas. Had she not sat beside her
ton while he ate, had she not denied herself
the comfort Of the ircside in the adjoining room,
in orcer that she might pour out for him the
coffee that unfit TO be. drunk. she would have
charged herself with being untaithful. unduti-
full mother. But this done. she no further, be-
held nothing of all the neglect the carelessness,
the cruelty Of all the rest part OF which at this
very moment was outspread beneath her eyes.
On all that homely, neglected board one
thin:, only put everything else TO shame \
single candle, in low, brass candiestich In the
middle of the table, scarce threw enough light
to reveal the scene; but its flame shot deep into
the golden. crystalline depths Of jar of honey
standing Close beside it-honey from the bees in
from the food and Housekeeping of the bee to the
food and housekeeping of the woman.
Most OF US have seen women like that,
serene in the consciousness that in giving
what they call their affection tiey have
given enough to merit the most complete
return of filial love and service. But most
writer's have not courage enough to pre-
sent the character exactly as it is
One popularity of this book is that 1t
shnr nf
ton The hero does nothing in pa. ticalar
except bear patiently and steadtastly the
saualid conditions OF his life; and that is
perhaps as fine a touch as the author could
have given to his character; for !. is above
all things difficult for soul newly awaE-
ened to the great things of life to bend it
SELF to the details Of crushing, exhaustins
manual labor amid uncongenial surround
ings.
Not the least fascinating chapter is the
introduction, which is a prose-poem en- the
subject of hemp. Another poetic page &C.
ours in the chapter which deals with Da-
vid's trial before the professors. II is "a
follows:
Old, old scrre in the history of mantle trial
OF his doubt by his faith; strange day OF judg-
rnent when one half OF the human spirit arTaigns
and condemns the other half. Only five persons
sat in that rooHl-four men and boy. The
room was Of four bare walls and blackboard,
with perhaps a map or two oil Palestine, Egypt,
and the Roman Empire in the time OF Paul. The
era was the winter OF the year 1865, the place
was an old town Of the Angio-saSon backwoods-
men. on the bluegrass highlands OF Kentucky
Bin, in how many other places has that scene
been enacted. before what other audiences of TIE
accusing and the accused. under what laws OF
trial with what degrees and rgors Of Judgment
Behind David. sitting solitary there in the fesh
the inIa gination beheld tbroTg countless
as 10 have been summoned AID controlled by the
deep arraigning eye OF Dante alone InawareS,
he stood a; the head of invisible hest, which
stretched backward through time till it could be
traced no farther. Witnesses all TO that sub
lime. indispensable part OF man which is his
Doubt-Doubt respecting his origin. his IN aiming,
night OF his planet mind-thst Swallowed side OF
his orbit life-foreyer attracted and held in place
by the force of Deity. but destined never To re-
ceive its light Yet from that chill. bleak side
what things have not reached round and caught
the sun! And as OF the earth's planets, some
grow best and sweetcs; in darkness, what
strange blossoms Of faith open and are fragrant
in that eternal umbra! Sacred. sacred Doubt OF
him always onward from more Ignorance to less
ignorance, from less truth to more truth; which
is the inspiration Of his mind. the sorrow OF his
heart; which has spoken everywhere in his Sci
ence. philosophy, literature, art-in his religion
itself: which keeps lin humble not vain chang
ing not immu,able, charitable not bigoted; which
attempts 10 solve the universe and knows thar
it does not solve it. but seckr to trace law
to clarity reason, and TO find whatever truth il
can.
Mr.. Aliens novel is. whatever else may
be said of it, an original presentation OF a
subject in which there is wide and grow
ing interest. and cannot fail to appeal par
tirularly to readers who are in some doubt |
as to the exact limits of theology and free
thought The illustrations. by Harry Fem |
and ]. C. Earl will add to it's attractive
ness for many of its readers. (New York: |
The Macmillan Company. s1.50.)