The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-05
The Glanderers.

In THE Slanderers" (Harpersl Mr.. War
wick Deeping has attempted to unite tho
romanticism OF ford and luxuriant fancy.
fed on the idealism Of Arthurian legends,
with the proeaic reality Of modern life in an
English country neighborhood. The effect
ia theatrical. not TO say grotesque. and
mars a story which is rich in poesy and
original in plot Men do not 90 10 business
masduerading in the velvets and plumes
OF MEDIEVAL courtiers, nor do ordinary
people employ the stately measures Of
blank verse in common conversation.
Moreover. Mr. Deeping rewards his pas
sionate Pilgrims for their misdoings and
brings them ito happy issue ont Of all
their Affections thing which has seldom
been countenanced in literature since Paris
died in Troytown for the rape OF Helen
since Lancelot was dishonored for loving
his Queen.
The hero ot the story WEEDS a woman he
does not love-a splendid. sensuous, soulless
creature-partly to please his father, partly
from certain responsive sensuous instincts
Of his own character, but chiefly from a
lack of sufficient loyalty TO his ideals 70
break an arranged marriage contract
he had already seen the lady Of his desire
before his marriage-.a beautiful vision,
rising Venuslike from her morning bath in
woodland lake. This lady of his desire
IL an ignorant. friendless child Of nature
the sort OF thing one reads about in old
ballads, secs stitched into old tapestries
but doesn't expect 10 encounter in English
lanes. They went often into the fields and
finally find trysting place at the altar Of
an old ruin.
The man conceives the true trouhadour
fancy OF making of his marriage the thing
Of The earth earthly, and Of eIalting this
relation with the lady OF his desire into the
realm Of pure love and poetry. He recon
ciles his conscience by registering a VOW
never to touch her, not 50 much AS to praes
her hand. and the lovers make their solemn
oath beside the ruined altar 10 their own
moral satisfaction. However. this A.
rangoment does not satisfy The SANDER
ers--the village gossi ps-which Mr Deep
ing sketches in with pen dipped in sharp
and biting acid. These oustodians Of the
village virtue, the olergyman's wife, tho
doctors consort and the virtuous spinfters
hold a conclave and forward an anony-
nous report OF the situation 20 the wfe.
The report iustifies her in continuing a
little affair Of her own which she has taken
up 10 relieve the tedium OF married exist
once and enables her 10 procure a much
desired divorce. The lovers are hanshed
from their respective domicies and every"
thing seems proceeding in the regular Wsv.
when suddenly, in wild burst Of rhetoric
n be wilderinR whirlwind Of passion, brilliant
metaphor and fowery phra-inR, the scene
il shifted before the readers dazIled vision.
and the lights are turned on again TO show
the lovers restored to favor. THE S'ar-
derers slenced by the young mans father.
m old tea merchant, who owns half tho Wiz
laEe the wife's admirer eAied. and 'h"
wife herself after an hvsterical attempt ai
suicide quickly removed from the scene
somehow in all the Confusion th' lovers
are married and noboJy has any time rp
inquire into the divorce laws. Certainly
the denouement il novel and in this ca-N
justifable. but will be accepted in tho doc
main Of plain modern prose A. there are
some things that can never be said eIccT'
through the delicate medium Of the Freuc1
language. 50 there are some situations
which may not be presented in Literature.
some oanons that must not be hroken-save
In the realm Of poetry.