The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-24
NEWS OF TIE BOOK WORLD
THE UNEASY CHAIR

F. Marion Crawford Creates Villain of
Mephlstophellan Ingenuity In His New
Book: a Story OF an Attempt to Commit
Murder by CunnIngy Encouraging Dis
spatlon.-In its Italian setting F. Marion
Crawford's latest story is convincingly
probable, and, therefore, satisfies one Of
the strongest demands of a discrimtnat-
ing reader on serious work Of fiction.
In any other civilization than that of
southern Europe it would need different
treatment, but there it seems a segment
Of life, skillfully sketched.
The plot turns on the effort of a step
father, Folco Corbario, to obtain the for
tune of his stepson. The boy has been
reared by pure and good mother into
a youthful Galahad of virtue and inno-
cence. Folco, while to mother and son
seeming to aid in fostering the finer quail
tiles Of manhood in the boy is, in reality,
with great artfulness sowing seeds which
he knows will bear fruit Of very differ
ent type. Signora Corbarios faith in her
husband is great so great that she de-
crees in her will that her great fortune
shall go to her husband in case her son
should die before him, and then she tells
her husband what she has done. 1t is not
long after that the boys mother dies
mysteriously and the boy disappears. He
is found, however, thru the agency Of a
has been his nurse at a country inn
whittier he has gone, i'll and demanding
shelter. The girl comes to love him,
recognizing their difference in station, yet
willing to make any sacrifice to be near
him. She gets him to Rome and a hos
pital. When he recovers she remains
near him. Folco, instead Of discouraging
encourages the arrangement, and a life
on cigarettes, black coffee and dry cham
viii al in tho hof
the boys delicate constitution will break
under the fast life. This is the offense
covered by the title Of the book-Who-
| soever Shall Offend.
The doom imposed upon those who Of
fend is foreshadowed for Folco in a mo-
ment of tragic intensity later:
and in that immeasurable time which is
nothing, and yet Is Infinite, he remembered his
evil life, his robberies, his murders, and his
most frightful clearness how he had tried to
kill Marcello, how he had corrupted him from
his childhood, with bad counsels very cunningly,
and prepared him to go astray, how he had
thrust evil in his path and laughed away the
good, and had led him on, and had poisoned him
and would have brought him to his death and
damha ton surely, but for SHINING devoted
woman that loved him; for he remembered every
thing then, and from very far away, out of the
memories of his youth, there came voice that
his ears now, like the blast Of the trumpet OF
the last judgment.
| ''Whosoever shall offend one of these little
ones which believe In me, it were better for them
{ that a milestone were hanged about his neck
and that he were drowned in the depth of the
! sea-"
Aside from the dlabolical plot Of Folco
the chief interest lies in Marcellos rela
t1ons with the peasant girl, Regina, and &
girl of his own station, Aurora, and il
the reflection of decadent morals in Italy
ind io n~x III,
book is emphatically not one for. immatur,
minds as the author at least seems t.
give his sanction to some of the stan
dards of decadency.
In his plot Mr.. Crawford has done wei
for the most part, tho there are veal
spots, especially in the early part Of tn
story. Among the characters, Regin.
stands out as the strongest, tho she seem
far too simple sometimes to be so wis
and crafty and masterful at others. Fclc
1s deep Villain, when oil is said, an,
the way in which the light as to his char
acter is made to filter into Marcelo'
mind is a delicate piece of work on tn
authors part. Ercole, Regina's father
lends a touch of grim, cynical humor t
| the story. He had killed a man for hi
relations with Regina's mother, and the
had gone away. One day in MarceIlo'
boyhood he says to the boy: - ..@ a., -
When you know. women. you will wish 20,
were dead. The Lord sent them into the worl
for an afdiction for the punishment of our sins
The incidents in which plot and char
acters are revealed to the reader are onl
the high points, Much takes place ':be
hind the scenes" Mr.. Crawford coul
have made his story longer with safety
had he done so by developing his pic
more openly, and had he done that q
well as he has the rest of the book
However, Mr.. Crawfords book is Ger
tainly one of the strongest Of the seaso
and will add to the interest Of the read
ing public in Mr.. Crawford and in hi
other books.
The Macmillan company, New York.
81 so.