The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-03-09
AUDREY.


Mary Johnston has written three Virginia romances set
OF TO Have and TO Hold Audrey is artistic unity
saying of superstition the third time is charm As
pared with the highly improbable situations and sequences
OF TO Have and To Hold Audrey is artistic unity
For one thing Howard has the advantage Of the hero of the
earlier novel in that he is human possibility
Ever after reading Shakespeares "As You Like It. the
name Audrey associated in the mind with thoughts
rustic simplicity and sweet righteousness. The fragrant
freshness OF Mary Johnstons Audrey clothes about in
ielec OF rare power and soul OF anseendan purity In
the earliest days of their intercourse after Towards
to lind Audrey grown he recognizes the fact that here
pure imaginative spirit strongly yearnng after ideal strength
beauty and goodness"
AS psychological study the character Audrey not
only interesting but highly valuable because of its artistic
truth This is srkingy manifest in the portrayal OF her
mental processes just the horrible shock of
that followed her, going the ball with Howard Her
Sorely bruised and bewdered spirit blndy strives
turn TO the sources OF her life the instructive effort
win her way back to the pure air OF the mountains the
scene Of the memoresof her mothers love touchngy
true to nature And too in he last act when she is
dying the result of wasting disease but when she
has been struck down in full strength and mental health
its way OF world her goes back through the
scene with Howard in the garden Fair View, and she
brokeny quotes the lines from Herrick which her lover
had shown her the sun-dal there Gather the
buds while we may At the very last she is up
in the mountains little child and such she enters the
Kingdom OF Heaven
In this matter Of mental states and Developments it is
Just possible that Miss Johnston "buded better than she
knew As general rule real artists FIRST achieve their
best work and then formulate their theories in accordance
with what they have accomplished
Even in the earliest chapters Of Audrey" the reader
especially if his has ever been in Virginia draws deep
breaths OF delight he follows the writer's vivid descrip
tons of Virginia landscapes and he feels that the charac
portrayed be people having blood in their veins and
moving in atmosphere filed with woodland fragrances
and laughing sunlight.
To tell much about book is nconsderate of those
who have yet read it, will only say of Howard
that he is well worth studying and knowing In the second
chapter while he waits the hilltop for the light his far
reaching thoughts engendered by the solitude OF the forest
night and the mystery Of his surroundings furnish key
his character and plainly suggest how he would conduct
himself under given conditions,
Beginning with the very first encounter and somewhat
fantastic interview between Howard and his sorekeepe the
transported Scotchman, the history Of their association
the highest purpose OF which is uplift the
soul by the contemplation Of noble traits.
And this Scoehman Angus Mclean, conducts to
happy conclusion his courtshp OF Trueove Taberer th
Quakere though they by temperament and tradition
so widely twain The deicousy delicate ovema<ing o
this pair relief for the tragedy in the lives
Howard, Audrey and Evelyn.
Had the story ended happily with the meeting of Howard
and Audrey Evelyn's home many readers doubtless
desired Miss Johnsons would have degenerated int
melodrama. Real is life and truth TO m
is inevitably tragic.
strong point made by Miss Johnston in this book il
having the pesonages who develop her plot SHOW
their characteristics and consistently illustrate then
throughout The portrayal OF the character OF Jean Hugor
the halfbreed, is pretty piece OF work.
WILLIE HUTCHINSON.