The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-09
THE PORTION OF LABOR.
By Mary E. wilkins. Author of 4'.Jcrome.
"a New England Num- c,c.-tisrrer &
Brothers, New York-c!oth, i2me.;
Illustrated; 500 Psges-frlec.
sI2o-At Belts aud at
Hunters.

In her latest novel Miss wilkins has
gwen US q study in sociology, the old but
,vcr varying Qucuon OF The relations OF
capital and Labor.
Tho author III placing The events of the
>.ory in a New England manufacturing
own has secured for her characters the
environment with which she is most IA
sl!liar. Her special forte is III describing
shc stern, represscd. yet warm-hearted
Characters that seem Indigenous TO New
England. and, above all. she excels in
describing certain types Of New England
TomaUhood.
In THE Portion OF Labor tho central
character. tho pivotal point around
which the pcrsonages revolYe, is q girl,
the daughter of workingnlaI. First,
Miss wilkins give us n pen portrait or
Ellen Brewster, tho imaginative little
child Sympathizing with the Norway
spruce trces in her fathers yard because
she thinks they must be homcsick for
their home among the frozen seas. ms
child of the working1nan, with her hover
like face, weird Imagination and tender
heart. vet born with a New England con
science, is placed before the reader with
that skill which is peculiarly the authors
own. Early in life Ellen hears of strikes
End shut-downs and the tragedies incl
dent thereto, and by no will of her own,
her fathers house becomes a rendezvous
Tor the labor agitators.
We follow the child through her school
days, meet her girl friends, Of which the
most loved is Abby. Atkins, who poses
ses "a dark, somewhat grinly little face,
with jungle Of coarse black locks and
an expression fairly in1pish, almost ma
iicious" and whose outburStS5 of friend
ship consisted in pulling Illcn's golden
curis, 'twcal:ing one hair, at time.
Through her first love affair VIC follow
Ellen to n turning point in her life, the
reading of her yaledictor$. Its uIe Is
Equality" and written with a sort of
poetic lire, 1T filings aside all castles with
the arrogance of youth.
All this somewhat by way of introoue-
ton for. charmed by the girls beauty Of
person and gifts OF intellect, the adopted
son of "A wealthy shoe manufacturer falls
in love with Ellen, and thenceforth VIC
have the struggle between capital and
labor carried on in the girls owr heart
Her first sweetheart, a workingman, still
loves her, and her loyalty to her class
inclines her TO him. while her heart has
turned traitor and gone over 10 the enc
my. as personiticd by the rich young
lover.
Ellen dreams Of Tassar. but family re
verses force her to go to work in the
shoe factory. Her sensations on loecoin-
ing one of tho vast number Of tollers are
best described in the authors OVID words
When she felt The vibration of the floor
uu6er her feet, when she saw people
s7nring 10 their stations OF toll, as II TO.
.;tolGinE g1Ins in a battle, she realized
the might and grandeur of ii all. Sud
denly IL seemed to her that the greatest
Thing in the whole world was work and
that this was one OF the greatest forms
OF srork-to cover tire feet of progress OF
the travellers of the earth from the cradle
10 the grave. She saw that these great
factories and the strength OF this army
of the SONS and daughters of toll made
,,ossilkts the advance Of civilization it
self which cannot go barefoot. She rea-
lied all at once and forever the dignity
of labor"
With this vision she combats the asser-
lion Of her wordly-wise friend. ABBY, who
saws: .,No ono Is as good as another.
except III the sight OF the Lord, in any
country on the face OF this earth
Through a fearful time of strikes and
lawlessucss, Ellen Brewster stands forth
as the apostle Of the gospel OF labor,
Ioyal to her class at the sacrifice OF her
hearts love. in the end, employer and
cns,loyes come to a. better understanding
of each other, and Ellen is free to follow
The lcadirgs of her own heart
To E.licn'S father, a man grown oiu az
service is vouchsafed III the emo VISION
of the real purpose Of labor. lie sees mat
labor is not alone for itself, not for what
il accomplishes of the tasks OF the world,
not for its equivalent in silver and geld,
not even for the end OF human happiness
and love but for the growth IN character
OF the iaborer"
While Ellen's personality dominates The
book, the subordinate characters arc
worked out With precision of touch and
4irrnuess. yet delcacy. which make them
Very real individuals TO the reader FL
lens father is a enc character with his
beautiful alteration of lis child Inc
shrewd stern. domircering grandmother
and the aunt with primitive passions ana
lack of seif-resti-aint are characters as
opposite as the poles, and yet their love
FOR Ellen gives them ono point OF SYM
rathy. Cynthia JennoN, also, compared
with The retioubtai,!e Mrs. Zelotes Brew
stcr. is as a 11iecc of Royal Worcester
placed against a bilt OF clay pottery; and
vet each is a fine specimen of its KIND.
Tho men IN the book show us diversity
of characters, but 10 my mind. the aU-
tllor's men are never as ilfeAke as her
women. From another pen, we would
r,trhaps consider them good character
sketches but Miss Wilkins distinctive
renius shows itself at its best IN her
intnitable portrayal Of feminine chaIac-
ters. ~
most important work OF the author. me
s+vIe is tense, the situations at tunes
highly dramatic and the climax We'll SUE
tanned, Mis' y