The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-23
Another Vteqv of Audrey. j"

m ',Q~l'stendns the flood of Colonial and Revolution
a.? ,es tnat the public have had offered then, of late
80 H OF NARY Johnsons us so fresh and full
% iie mat It can fail to meet with success Tbe 10
youth OF our country fills its pages with its own m
one breathes it from every page smells the
eHS upturncd earth awed by the solitude of foros,
anu mountain thrilled alternately with the horror and he
sgy Oh colonial life, and fancy nseusbly blos out the
centuries that have and gone since the time in which
s'oty Is ald 1t IS drama whose settings are in
Ney slightest detail in keeping with its day In fact there
VOC ucn detail and at times this becomes wearisome as
causes tue action OF the play lag but the actors are
lNng people instinct with life and passion
WIN all its vigor and freshness with its wonderful
LATIN IN tue word painting, the book faulty To make
e story perfect should have ended Wesover when
Audrey and Howard meet there An that comes after Sc
simply an ant-cimax that unnecessary unnatural and
With a license accorded to writer's Of +, more rora,;
period but denied by the reaists today Mary Johnston
taxes gr born Of obscure parentage and reared in sodd
surroundings and makes of her a woman of lofty ideas
poeuc dreams and finally Of wonderful dramatic genius
audrey lie is long dream up point and her
H""henne from IT is part of the tragic ending of
story For Mary Johnston has been ideals and
her contempt of the commonplace giving lis tragedy al
the close TO which Audreys awakening leads MS in that
scene at Westover There weak point as indeed there
here and there in the book where instead Of Audrey
Keeping to the for her turning Marmaduke
that he was longer the OF her dreamshe draes
IN their social inequality. that this child Of the woods
could bear but little weight This is light matter but
eates on ones and after the harmoncs
that fill so many pages this false chord hurts.
The character of Marmadu<e S ably portrayed He as
he says is of his day, but with better foundation
than many and the gradual purifying his soul by love
for good woman is good reading Colonel Byrd is an
other fine type OF the man OF his day and Gideon Darden
rcpusve as he is only too true picture of many clergy
OF the time but that accentuate high
standing OF the priesthood today.
Too much hardly be said Of the beauty OF the word
painting of wood and mountain and river Mary Johnston
not only close observer of but has the gift OF
making her readers with her the beauty of light and
shadowof color and form. But it is evident that she
Of the sentimental school who hold that nateMother
Natureis in sympathy with the of for she tells
that the woods and mountains hold aoof commencing
with the stars" they were kindred" she says "and
house The hilltop cared that he laid thereon the grass
would greeny when he in his All his
tragedies since time began he might reenact below and the
mountains would not bend to look
The illustrations Of the book quite unworthy the
story The artist has caught the spirit character of
those he portrays and has close ones mind to the
figures he gives in order truly enjoy the story.
1t is relief in thinking of the tragedy of the book to
beautiful love story OF Trueove Taberer and the
eurousy attractive Scot Angus Mclean. 1t is pure and
sweet and told with such delicate humor that becomes
delightug memory There is little OF lghtness bright
ness in book but it be read with avidy and
keen from the opening picture OF the little clearing
in the forest invaded by merry oavacade of gentlemen TO
the sad words that finish it, But Audrey al
ready" MARGARET HADLEY FOSTER.