The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-02
Masters Ui0Ein
Tunes q Romance

~ OW unfortunate il IS that even
" authors have human limitations.
So many times the writer that
has ideas pregnant with beauty and
exalted esthetic spirit fails Of the right
form in their presentation. or vice
versa. he usurps a remarkably strik-
ing conveyance for the expression Of
things which merit not a whit Of con-
sideration. In the instance Of Myrtle
Reeds The Masters Violin" we find
thoughts most beautiful springing out
Of a novel that is unwieldy in plot and
weak in construction Delicate seuti-
ment. finely worded reflections upon
life and things. phrases that have al
most the ring Of blank verse in stately
and sonorous diction. here abound. but
the novel-that is nothing. Love
Letters OF a Musician" had all the
beauty Of this last piece of work with
out the failings. Lavender and Old
Lace" was exquisite in its tenderness
and delicate fancy. The Spinster
Book" sparkled with fine Wit. Had
the creator Of these books only been
content 70 remain within the bonds
OF form set by them, The Masters
Violin" would be near perfection.
A novel, then, this is-a novel set to
a theme too poetic for fiction. How
the musicians heart must be fined by
sorrow and bitter strife before it can
be attuned TO a master sense; how
only out of the depths Of despair there
can arise the genius Of true music
this is the theme of The Masters
Violin" Allegorical almost in its ex-
emplif1cation of the theme and too
transcendental to at the requirements
OF fiction is the plot woven by the au-
thor about the struggles of two
musicians to attain the heights Of per-
lection In each instance the great
sorrow that comes to purify and rarely
the artistic sense is that of love dis
appointed; in the case of both the
spirit Of music rises triumphant out Of
the wrecks of fond hopes and tender
passion
But IN these things does the book
fail Of being q good novel: The author
fails 10 establish sufficient ground for
the tremendous wreckage strewn about
the failure Of the love of the young
man in the story and she exaggerates
the effects Of the blasted affections
in the old musician and his sweetheart.
1t is hard 10 imagine young mans
writing imprisoned love letters I'M
der the rose while he shows extreme
indifference to the object of his af-
fections in everyday intercourse.
Equally fanciful is it to conceive Of an
individual. disappointed In his youth
full love for a fair one, carving out
stone cross in a lonely dell of the
woods and visiting it regularly for
twenty-five years with tears and Ia
mentations. Nor, incidentally, is it a
usual thing for an aged gentleman 'of
seyenty-five summers TO make sudden
declaration Of love to faded German
lady Of uncertain age, merely that he
may help a friend achieve his happi-
ness thereby.
A poor story, filed with beautiful
conceits. Had the author incorporated
the incident OF the unique affection be-
tween Aunt Peace, the sweet, aristo-
cratic old spinster. and Iovable old DR..
Brinkerhoff into a short sketch the re-
suit would have been beyond caviI.
Perfectly has she given us the atmos-
phere Of quiet dignity and cheerful old
age WHICH enFeiOpS the silver haired
mistress Of the ancient Field house Of
East Lancaster; with the suggestive
strokes Of a charcoal sketch does she
outline the wholesome, old-time phil
osophy OF her existence. Then the
Wednesday night calls of the doctor,
the little comedy of the cakes and the
port wine at the end Of each visit and
the old lady's stout assertion that he
is a good man, though he has no So
cial position''-these things make this
secondary plot of the story the one Of
the most beauty. In these words does
Myrtle Reed make Aunt Peace review
her life:
When a little pleasure has flashed
FOR a moment against the dark 1 have
made that jewel mine. 1 have hun
dreds Of them, from the time when my
baby fingers clasped my first rose, TO
the night you and Lynn came to bring
more sunshine into my old life. 1 call it
my necklace of perfect joy. When the
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