The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-04
ROMANCES or REAL LIFE.

uVWHVuIO VI UIHI Ill Is
THE ARGoNAUTs. by Eliza orzeszke:
In "The Argonauts" Jeremiah Curtin
Introduces TO English reading fiction low
ers new Slav author who writes as
powerfully az ever did sienkiewicz. while
IL ~ likely that many readers Will feel
less reservation in their admiration for
her work than In perhaps not infre-
duently realized in soberiy regarding the
product OF the strenuous writer or Polish
romsnces OF tremendous incident and
amazing wealth of description. Her trans
later informs as that Madame Eliza
and fhisker ~ srsH'Ss say worla ,s ~ rresent
ana, AT least, one OF the first, IN not ths
very iirst. OF literary artists among ihe
Momen OF Europe. " there Is awning
reader 10 begin "rhe Argonauts' with
mlsgivings and an ungenerous Stimulation
OF ihe critical faculty. such q. disposition
VIII be calmed before many chapters are
covered and the reader Will find himselt
carried away by the swift tide OF truly
magnificent story. We guess Nc, cur
TIN Is not over enthusiastic In his JudS-
ment of this. To English readers, new
author
The theme OF "The Argonauts." that OF
a man so lost in accommodating tremen-
dous wealth that he has no time for items
or sane human happiness and proceedlhs
inevitably TO wreck the normal happiness
of everybody about him. is not new. The
example OF Midas ~ often enough dfhWH
upon for the contempt or the sympathy
ot the nOcel reader. But since the SIM
PIE and awful recital Of the sunerings OF
Midas, We do not happen 10 recall u
character Of the sort drawn In fashion
SO thoroughly calculated TO profoundly
excite first disgust and then compassloil
IN the mind Of the reader that OF
Aloysius Darvid the argonaut OF this
aie. III is "a tremendous character study
or a Kind that perhaps especially appeai,s
to Us Americans in this age. when mil
lions are many tinnes multiplied and We
have come to feel however we may decry
stle motion. that AFTER all acpuisition OF
money must sp allowed 70 be the main
thinE- with that All other happiness can
be any time acquired
IN TINS book, at least. Madame. or
zeszke Il essentially modern and reshstlc'
There IA nothing of the doctrine OF So
etarism I'm "Thc Areonatts. That Is not
the theme. No contrasting noverty -
employed 10 show up AloNsius Darvid IN
The light of a man crushing hundreds or
thousands Ia he acquisition of his
wealth His own family II all that SUIT
fers, and the climax OF the illustration y
that he himself H. the most terrible sui
ferer-and that, not because he loses MS
wealth I'm some retributive crash. but. on
the contrary. because he secures all ihal
he strives for, while kith and kan, whom
he has never cared To bother with, are
lost 20 him. Indeed, az the last. DarVld
Is the only sufferer for wife ana chlldren
are enjoying content away from him ana
a.
somehow suggests the immortal MAJ.
pendenniS a figure whose nature is a
perfect antithess TO that of Darvid. may
he believed 20 be reasonably comfortable
i'm his mind. humbly supported by his old
servant when his own fortunes are care
lessly wrecked
There Is never a suspicion of pathos I'm
the working out of the authors puI Itpse.
There are no preachings and the incidents
that lead up 20 the final catastrpphe are
handled with restrained Nlgor, Win an
effectiveness of sequence. that demon
strated the skilled artist. ON the whole
the reader Is never confronted wlth the
suspicion that the lesson Is ging To be
thing and the lesson springs easily, II
with tremendous certainty. from II. The
types of character are not foreign eN-
cept I'm the matter of their names: They
are universally human, II anything. out
Of all the universe they are American
tynes one might say. Everywhere there
* telling contrast. never forced. Inc tWo
daughters. Cara, who In nature ana
looks resembles her mother. and whom
p44Eria- -leees- h. fitaalls comes Ia real
ize more than his Iron toll or the Weaitn
that results from it--lrene. who i'm nature
and looks is "a counterpart of her falhef'
but who takes the mothers part ahu ut-
nes Darvid look for look, word for word,
hatred for hatred-these are telling crea-
tions eminently true 10 nature = frequent
phenomena. thoroughly impressive--so
that you Will long rcmember them among
the effective women Of fiction And III
the portrayal OF the least conspicuous
people i'm the story. there is n touch that
makes them all of consequence and con-
viction IL il brilliant story. lis theme
of profound interest az tnat OF M liie
is reputed 10 be Indeed, this novel is
well nigh consummate production. lPub-
lished by Charles Seribners sons. Price,
$3.50.