New-York tribune., 1903-06-27
THREE NOFELS.
Dir. Pages Latest Study of South
ern Life.

Charles SCrsbner'S sons
--1IONFPSON'S PROGRESS BY G J, CulcIlme Cc
4yne Emo. pp. vii S5i The Macmillan Com
.-ZpTxT COD AND MAMAfoN. BY William Ed
wards Tfrebuck With Memoir of the ne AuS1el AnnIe
by Hall Caine. l2mo, PIP. AN'i' "i' -
ton & Co.
The natural impulse Of most American iio'ei
lists dealing with Southern life has Of late more
~, ever been toward the exploitation OF the
Civil War The same impulse viii be led DS
writer's now far in the future. But Whlie We are
waiting for the man Of genius VINO VIII mani
.be great conflict the theme of masterpiece
we have a special gratitude for those WHO o@ii
write about the South without putting pa''e
scene into every other chapter MI rage siaio0
s+ tho war in Gordon Keith" He does so, now
ever only in order 10 provide his chaTacleiS
with a starting point. The father OF ms nero
bas baen an officer in the army. After ne mas
s,-,+ i, ,.air for the South he returns TO pains
90 reace TO live out his life as 2 poor man
Thereafter the story has practically nothing u
10 with the war. It has been written Ia'iei'
"a illustrate the difficulties and the resources VI
the Young Southerner left in this way 10 fhaAe
himself a place in the world He mas KNOWN
-o+bire save luxury in his childhood. As he
srovs 10 mans estate he learns hardship ana II
su depends upon himself whether he is to ne
.-o,-arous and hsppy or not. It all depends
,,,or himself vet Mr. Page is one of those VINO
;u not ignore the influence Of heredity, ana
again and again in portraying Gordon he1th'
he contrives to remind us that the TRAITS OF tle
son are the traits of the father Ihere Is aiso
s,,b1lv rervading the book a tacit implication
that the South as the South, has deep slsilih-
canoe in the development Of just such men as
the Keiths The point is no doubt worthy OF
consideration. but in one respect even South
-ner might be inclined to feel that it is unduiy
emphasized. The opening paragraph PROVIDES
an excellent illustration. Says Mr.. Page:
Gordon Keith was the son Of a gentleman:
And this fact like the cat the honest miller iett
70 his Youngest son. was his only pdlrIhloilS'
As in that case also il stood to the possessor IN
r. ~ r1ace Of ? good many other things. It
helped him over many rough places He carried
n with him a devoted RomanlsI wears d
sacred scapuary next to the hearI
We have no quarrel with Mr.. Page for making
his hero a gentleman. But without going into
the metaphysics Of gentlemanhood, we may OBJ
serve that the man who carries patrimony
like Gordon Keith's around with him, as Gordon
Keith carried it. "as devoted Romanist wears
a sacred scapulary next TO the heart" II In sore
peril of turning out anything but gentleman
That is 10 say he is going to be Sc self-con-
scious in his gentleInanhood that merely in
stinctfve gentleman would find him unendura-
HE Something-perhaps it is the interesting
story that Mr.. Page has TO tell-saves Gordon
Keith from this unhappy fate: he is really
ADNAN a.
in some measure at least. the penalty Of his
portrait and at times he strikes US as a prig-
gish individual. Why, wonder, should nov
elist lay such stress upon point OF the sort 10
which we refer? Is it not much better. in nc
,ion as in life to take a mans breeding for
granted? Certainly both in fiction and in life
II is only when see it in action that it inter
ests US. BY a strange mischance. too, General
Mcdowell Keith. of "Elphinstone.'' who is eu-
/ ,1,-,- in
first chapter of this book, behaves in the second
after fashion which makes the reader rub his
ewes in amazenent. General Keith disposes OF
his property TO a capitalist, but remains on the
place as an overseer. The new owner invites
number Of members of the Legislature to visit
.'Flphinstone" General Keith knows who they
are and does not like them. Il will have every
thing in readiness for your-f-for your guests,
he says but 1 must ask you TO excuse me from
meeting them: and when he is good naturedly
rallied by his employer, and told that one of the
visitors is regarded a man of great ability, he
replies: Yes sir: / have heard of him. His
doctrine is from the Wicked Bible; he omits
the not Good morning" Then General Keith
bows himself out, leaving behind him an old ser
want who does not hesitate TO speak with
greater candor, telling Mr.. Wickersham that his
guests are not gentlemen, but scalawags. Would
a gentleman care TO be the hero Of an episode
like this?
We must not however neglect the best part
of Gordon Keith" the story which it contains
of plucky young mans career. Gordon Keith
has hard row to hoe. and it only serves TO
bring out his sterling qualities. He is not only
plucky, but clever, and though ne has to engage
in a long struggle for success. it is obvious all
\ along that he is ultimately going to win it, AS
regards his romance, the author is rather arbi-
trary. Through the greater part of the book it
.,i,, ~,
who enters his life at an early stage of the novel
but in the long run Mr.. Page shows that in fic-
lion some things are not. after all, inevitable.
He has, by doing. weakened his plot Yet
Gordon Keith" remains admira bic piece OF
work. IL is worth reading for the reason which
we indicated al the outset because it gives US
vivid and interesting impression of the way
IN which young man of the South with the
making Of career before him. and little at his
disposal outside Of himself. to use in the MAX
Ing Of H. nevertheless arrives at his goal
selfuade man is likewise the hero of Mr..
Hyne's new novel. ''Thompson's Progress In
this case he IS a Yorkshirenan. the son of q
coal miner. He is born poacher, too. and
when We first meet him he is disreputable as
well as obscure. His gentlemanhood comes out
naturally and unconsciously in his daily life
There is nothing about il TO suggest a sentiment
worn like "a sacred scapulary next TO the
heart" 1t is merely an ingredient of his nature
which is the worse. We may add for
certain other qualities which it embraces. He
Is rough Of speech. when necessary. and he has
q powerful fist. These things, in the end make
Us Ike him the more. Unfortunately Mr. Hyne
has made the mistake Of representing his hero
as too competent by half. He is a mere poacher
al the beginning of the book, and before the
reader can adjust himself to a change in the
situation Mr.. Thompson is acquiring riches as