The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-02

strange place you know you will like the
folks because of the beautiful and well
kept garden that surrounds the house
The novel is Dixonian There isn't
dull line of the $50 pages. There is ac-
-action-action from the opening SEN
tence to the close. The criticism of Miss
jeanette l.. Glider, editor of the Critic,
in the New York Evening Telegram will
be approved by every reader. She writes:
Mr.. Dixon has written a powerful
story. 1t will, 1 hope and believe, make
people stop and think. Blows aimed at
divorce and its accompanying evils should
be strong, and we should not complain
that Mr.. Dixon has used a sledge-ham-
mer. Do not make the Fnistake of think
ing that his novel is merely special plea
against socialism: it is tremendous love
story
Miss Glider has, in these few SEN
fences, created desire to read the book
and when you have taken it up you will
not wish even to close it for a good dinner
until you have come to the words THE
End" Miss Glider is right in calling it
powerful and saying that it is "a ire
mendous love story" She might have
added that it is a brand new love story
: and that it is evolved by the evils of
socialism and the prevalence of divorce
in this decade.
Mr. Dixon has written this book to show
the logical consequences of socialism and
divorce-the twin agencies that threaten
our social edifce The scene is laid in
New York-the centre of American life
and the home of all the "isms' that jeop-
ardize American love for home and the
family The hero is Rev. Frank Gordon
a typical Westerner called to a Congre-
gational church in New York city. He
is in many respects just such a preacher
as Rev. Thomas Dixon when he went to
New York city as pastor of a small Bap-
fist church. AS he relates the experience
of this brilliant divine, ambitious and en-
thusiastic for the uplifting of the people,
with thrilling eloquence that attracted
large crowds and distressed old-fashioned
deacons, you cannot fail to associate him
with Rev. Thomas Dixon, author of '"The
One Woman" You feel that Rev. Frank
Gordon, once impelled on dangerous
course goes onward to his undoing, while
of social problems had enough Of old
fashioned North Carolina horse sense to
stop before he got the ism of socialism.
Undoubtedly in many of the experiences
given us of Rev. Frank Gordon the author
has drawn upon his career in New York
He has perhaps pictured a deacon in exag-
geration with whom he came in conflict
when he wished to break the letters of
the small church and found great peo-
pies church in the metropolis. Those who
have been familiar with the career of Rev
Thomas Dixon will see that his own ex-
perience might have duplicated that of
Rev. Frank Gordon but for three things
1. He had at bottom the North Carolina.
love of home; 2. He loved his wife so
truly that nothing could separate them;
8. He was bottomed on old-lashioned be-
lief that divorce is sin. Some of his North
Carolina friends feared, not that he would
sin in his personal life, but that his modern
preaching which they called sensational,
might carry him away from the old time
faith and the safe traditions. Who shall
say that in this book he does not dis
close the temptation of preaching social
ism that assailed him when he was cry
ing agahst political and social rottenness
of the metropolis? And may not his own
temptstion-(the temptation that comes
to alEaltruistic men who see and feel the
wroags of the despised masses in the