Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-25

| Early enthusiasm may be of passing in
| .eIest: IN my school days at East
bourne, this lady writes. I'VE used to see
a. good deal of Edna Lyall. She was one
u our heroines. and We We're always de
, ,ighted to catch a glimpse of her either il
the street or at church. One of her fav-
ofite walks was on the sea-front-not on
the central parade, before the big hotels,
1 '.d on me quleter less frequented prone
.iade from the Wish Tower to the loot of
Seauty Head. Here on windy days w1len
the Wnlte, sponSy foam was blowing in
ldrse makes over the shore. she used 10
Wander up and down, wrapped cozily IN "A
long red cloak. She was generally alone.
oul was always interested in all that went
on around her A bright smile would pass
recoghltlon by any of the numerous
schoolgirls of the town. We passed very
frequently the, house in College Road
Where she lived with her sister and brorn-
ef-ln-law, MIR. and Mrs. Jameson. 1t was
there, in the red-roofed home looking over
the downs, that much of her writing was
done"
The opening article in the April number
ter tsf mort t,,d american Review is an in
Mabie OF THE Work of Mrs. Humphrv
wa ward The seriousness OF mood w.,,.,
n mas always iva ;S characterized Mrs. Wards
Sne mas from the first been deeply inter
ested in sociological questions ana condi
t hlnis MrS; Ward AFFINITY has away s
been frankly recognized, but there mas
been disposition on the part of readers
~ general to reserve their judgment AS to
me quailty OF her fiction until it should be
iiade clear that she was writing ncIion
lor It's own sake, and not using it as n
high!Y effective instrument of social
aineiioraton. Mr. Mapie shows, by a de-
tailed examination OF Mrs. Wards works
now, without losing any of her original
force or power, she has gradually per-
gc,G1 f Ease art as n9v els until in
she has reached the point of highest
achievement In no other novel, THINKS
Mr. Mabie. has she given, so many evil
qualities of the hovelist-knowledgc of
HE. dramatic power. sympathy OF lmagl-
l'atlon, humor and the gift of pathcs He
says:
III Lady. Roses Daughter contained
no other characters the portrature Of
julie l.e Breton and Lady Henry would
make it a notable piece of fiction. The
ines of the story are drawn with a skin
at once delicate and firm, which fills them
marked individuality can take on: while
the inevitable conflict between them is
described with an insight into its moral
success which gives it a tragic dignity. If
julie LIE Breton be a modern rendering of
Mile. de l.espinasSe the holiness and sin
cerity of the art which set her moving
among throng of people. attracted OF re-
PEELED by her. but never Indifferent to her.
is as impressive and convincing as if she
had been fashioned out of hand. 70 draw
successfully woman so circumstanCed
was needed the very unusual woman who
is neither afraid OF the paSSional side of
life nor blind TO its tremendous ethical sig
nifIcance. That she was equal to such d
task shows how Well equipped Mrs. Ward
is in clear objective vision as well as in
subjective feeling, how admirably poised
she is between the power Of impulse and
the claims of reason. No woman whose
moral standards We're primarily conven-
tional could have understood the te1npera-
ment of Julie LIE Breton, and no woman
whose perception of moral values
was uncertain or blurred could have
solved the problem of such a tempcrG-
ment. A woman of uncertain moral in
sight might have stated the problems:
only a woman of clear moral insight could
have solved it,