New-York tribune., 1901-03-24

Mr. Marriott's leading motive is the familiar
one of rencarnation. but he has given to it a
sufficiently novel turn. In village on the
Cornish coast he has the father of his heroine
a reticent, mildly eccentric man of letters set
up his household gods. after the death of his
wife in foreign lands. Among the impedimenta
of Edward Hastings is a Doric column of white
marble, which he erects on his property and
surrounds with laurel 1t serves as a beacon
for mariners. but this is concern of his. He
cherish,s it a symbol of the old pagan life.
in the study # which most of his years have
been spent. Here. for the reader the matter
ends. MI. Marriott would appear intend
otherwise, since he names his novel from the
ancient marble and his references il are fire.
quent; but though Daphne Hastings. the
heroine is indicated having a vague con-
sciOusness Of some kinship between the column
and herself. the author offers no very plausible
reason for dragging in the relic. What he does
do is To show the girl in possession of a Greek
SOUL which draws her a candid passion for
the simplicities Of nature that her father is
himself Greek enough TO appreciate and foster
She marries a thoroughly modern Englishman
who has some intellect, but not much character
and in due course the two instinctively recog-
nize the anomalous elements in their union; he
returns 10 the feShpots of his natural plane
and she goes back to the great sweet mother
10 the embrace of the sea through which the
voices of the old Greek gods have been calling
to her during all her short life Mr. Marriott
is very happy in his tact ascrption OF Daphne's
end to melodramatic complication with a
fathless husband but To the Irresistible force Of
a longing whose source lies thousands Of years
in the past.
Merely as a story The Column shows ability.
The central idea. as We have said. is treated
with some FRESHNESS. and with a good deal II
feeling. For the rest. Mr.. Marriott discloses
grave faults Possibly this is his first novel.
Al all events, 1t has all the characteristics OF
literary immaturity. Getting ready to 20 out
was an experience unknown TO Daphne and IN
a few seconds sh, was flashing down the drive.
she ran with fearless use az limb from hip 10
usht-falIinE foot. \ memory Of her caught on
an instant poisc would have recalled a figure on
an Etrusoan vase. tho slautiug form from fore
head to knee outlined 10y the wind-rnost daring
~ draughtsmen- the quick hutter Of
drapery the live crumplel llne-behind." Pre-
ciosity like this is on nearly every page. There
are divers persoHIges whose traits should diff
terentIate them from one another; outside the
scholarly circle composed of Hastings and his
daughter Basil Waring-the husband and his
brother. there is "A medical man supposed 10
have some humorous idiosyncrasies there is
an amusing boy with genius for sculpture
lHtTe Is an original sort or SQlnSter, Miss ILL
Jams. who is factotum of the village church
and, for that matter nurse and general man
aCer TO half the village itself. But even poor
unpretentious Miss Williams cannot go without
the sicky cOlors OF the authors incurabIe
culture" We are introduced to her rather rus
tic abode only to find that. after talking like
an almost illterate person. she is still capable
in her surroundings OF tastes which are thus
reported: Chairs and tables were Uttered With
books of every description; here the Imitation
of Christ shOuldcred translation of Balzac:
and Meredith and Newman showed equal
signs of use. We know that style of antithesis;
1t is the sign manual of nexperience, and il
goes far toward squeezing all human nature
out of The Column leaving 1t merely bookish
and affected. However it cannot quite conceal
the authors talent. He is reada BILE for all that
he is artificial and this book holds a promise
which hope may be fulfilled.
The best Of the five stories brought together
in Ouidas --latest volume is The Fig Tree"
brilliant little narrative of Italian superstition
and tragedy. 1t is written around the ancient
belief of the peasants that a tree which has
caused the death of human being should at
once be cut down. One of the OF the
killed by falling from the fig tree commence
The outcome is uncanny in its dramatic force
and human naturalness. street Dust" "Letta"
and "A Little Thief" veraciOus in their de-