The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-11
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
Susanna, Girl Of Ideals, in a False POSI-
tlon--A Fictitious Engagement to Marry
Which Became GenuIne-story of the
Interviewing of the Life Of the Gold,
Cigarette Case Glass and That Of a.
Little Puritan.

Accept my good wishes, too" said the
occupant OF The Uneasy Chair to Susan +
nah Richland, after he had read e. Maria
Albanesi's Susannah and One Other. 1T
mas been real pleasure to know you
shall count you one of my friends. and,
of course, doing that, could not do
otherwise that wish you and Adrian we'll"
CHS name should not have been Adrian
iput just plain John, or James. or William
ieven.)
You are very good" replied Susannah,-
sWeetiy, and with that confidence in all
new friendships born Of a youthful loves
{I'You Will not find me changed; at least,
you will always know where to find meg
u you really care to come"
(: 4 Doubling me already? I assure you T
can look into the future and see myself
taking pleasure In more half hours with
you, said the occupant,
IS only half hours? One wants more
than that with real friends was her an.
swer. Rs
You will find half-hours all you can
spare after you have assumed the cares
and joys-of married life. Besides,
was thinking of you, not myself, when
fixed the limit
/ 1t was thus the Occupants" fancy ran
after reading the book, which it seemed to
MIN might better have been called Susan
nah and Several Others. OF course. he
recognized the melodramatic elements in
the story, the exaggeration of jealousy
ana or passionate love, of deceit, con-
lrasted with sincerity, Of love Of physical
pleasure and creature comforts contrast
ed with the higher aims Of life. Still, SUI
sannah, simple, guileless, sweetly puri-
tan1cal, sometimes foolish and inconsis-,
tent, won his sympathy, so that when he
was closing the books covers on it's prin-
c e character he wanted to say some
thing more than "Glad to have met you. .,
I'M his haste to be off. One who has fine
Ideals and is willing to make sacrifices
Tor them, even tho seen thru the imper-
feet portraiture of an artist whose skill
leaves good deal to be desired is worth
knowing. worth counting friend where
the friendship may be continued under
such pleasant relationship as exists be-
tween human being and a character in
a book -
susannah lives in the country in Eng
land, tho she is not a farmers daughter
Her sister is the wife of lord This
sister IS utterly selfish and fool as we'll.
Her chief end in life Is to enjoy herself.
ana her rare physical comeliness, her hus-
bands money and her folly place few re-
str1ct1ons upon the manner of that en-
Joyment. Irritation (flirtations are her
laVor1te means Of enjOyment), in her hus-
hands absence, comes to his knowledge,
and disgrace is threatened. In this pre-
dicament the sister conceivcs the wild no
ton of bringing Slsannah, who is unfa-
mlllar with any but the simple life Of
nome, among her associates, and of hav-
ing her play that she is engaged to be
married to the man on whom the lord S
suspicion falls, mistakenly, however. SUI
sannah revolts at the plan, but the sisters
dark portrayal Of her own impending dis
grace, and Susan nahs failure to foresee
the necessity of meeting the man, to
whom she Is supposed, according to the
plan, to be engaged, and whom she be-
l1eves from her sisters story to be I'M
worthy the name of man, leads her to
consent. OF course, she does meet the
man, and-well the consequences are
painful, then complicated, then-(see the
closing chapters). q
The contrast between the characters of
the lords wife and of her sister. and be-
tween the ideals of the circles in which
the two find life almost worth living, are
sharply drawn. Judging from certain re-
cent tendencies in the "stage properties.'
Of fiction, the latter contrast might be
called that Of the life of the gold cigarette
case class versus the life Of the idealists.
But The Uneasy Chair takes pleasure ii
introducing to it's readers Susannah. Ii
the authors picture does not altogether
please, that is the authors fault; the
original is worthy Of your acquaintance