The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-08
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pr. AIIteheIlIs IExeellent atorr.

Ut NnAGNNliN NlANNueuN NNoFya
A compact and strong answer 10 question
Il given at page 29s Of DR.. 8. Weir MitCheil's
story Of Constance Trescot" Che Century
Company. dor Damn III You can do
nothing says Col. Dudley TO the unhappy
oroyhurst at that point This Is a story
OF Missouri In the days OF reconstruction.
George Trescot OF Massachusetts, who
had been a Federal Major In the war, had
gone 10 81, Ann in Missouri, IN 1870, a. agent
for his fathsr-in-law, an eccentric and
eXasperating person, who owned consldera-
bic Land there. There we're squAtters
on the land, and part Of the land was in
dispute There was a lawsuit, and Grey
hurst was the lawyer on the other side.
He was a man Of violent temper. Trescot
won his case. Sharp words had passed
between him and Greyhurst during the
trial. Trescot, a most kindly and amiable
man, was going to Greyhurst with a magnan-
imous proposition on his smiling lips,
at the conclusion OF the trial, when Grey
hurst levelled pistol at him and shot him
dead.
It IL for the reader to determine for him
self whether Greyhurst was anything more
than a reveng efm murderer. He had his
excuse, which was possibly plausible.
Tbs chief point Of the story Is that Tres
cots wife, young woman Of great beauty,
devoted herself in a deliberate manner to
plan Of revenge. She was from MRssa-
chusetts, and her cold purpose does not
eem perfectly realistic and conformable
to the restrained and admirable point of
view established by Mr.. HoWells. All the
other people in the story thought her pc
culiar; their opinion should be gratifying
to Mr.. Howells. but she gave no heed to
II. Her one thought was 10 be revenged
upon Greyhurst.
Revenged she was. We have spoken Of
her deliberations She went away TO
Europe and recovered her strength. At
the end Of year she returned to st. Ann.
Greyhurst was getting on. He had lived
down the possibly inadequate odlum at
taohing to his homicidRl act. II he had
been a man without sensitiveness he would
probably have remained safe after Mrs.
Tresoot's return. As 1t was, she had no
trouble in making him see ghosts, She
followed him about in her weeds With her
pale face. She sent him one OF two letters
Of reminder-letters that did not hesitate TO
employ the word murderer He thought
TO marry a girl in California Mrs. Tres
girl, who thereupon threw Gree hurst over,
He drank; be could not sleep; his Affairs
went wrong. At last. a desperate man, he
again took up his revolver. He levelled
II at Mrs. Trescot. She stood up with
smile and proclaimed herself glad 10 die.
you fooll' said be. and shot himself dead.
We have remarked at page $50 that Mrs
Trescots sister and the young minister.
whom she married later, Ftalked Of 'the
stormy politics Of tho day. and the last
novel Of Thaokeray, which she had not
read This sounds like those who keep
abreast Of current fiction, saying such
trenchant and comprehensive things in
orihclsm as. 'oh. It Is very good or Il
didn't care much for It." As this young
woman and her minister were talking In
1871, which was nine years after Thackeray's
death, as We remember, We must think that
comment upon a last novel; was less
punctual then than It Is nowadays.
That, however, Is a small and unimportant
matter. This Is the best Of Dr.. Mtchell's
stories that have come to our notice. 1t
Is very readable and IL has an effective
, and strong dramatic quality. The account
Of the trial Is admirable A very good tale.