New-York tribune., 1906-11-10
MRS. CRAfGIE.
Her Posthwmous NoueI of Modern
English Life.

THE, DREAM AND THE BUSINESS By John
Fisher Unwfn.)
On the cover Of this book, stamped IN black
and yellow upon a white ground. there is a
grotesque figure Of a girl. drawn by the late
Aubrey Beardsley. In its morbid decadent style
II gives subtle hint Of the qualities to be found
in Mrs. Cragie's last novel. The Dream and the
Business leans heavily the side of those
elements IN her character as an author which.
from the very beginning, IN kind Of
friendly rivalry with her sweeter impulses. Tt
shows her cleverness and her artifce weighing
down in the balance that serious purpose which
was always to be discerned IN her work It is
IN the loss Of equilibrium that It illustrates that
the novel implies certain pathos In the early
termination of her career. AS have pre-
vtously remarked. she was never great writer
and never reused expectations of really mo-
mentous contribution to modern fiction; but
those gifts which It has often been a pleasure
to recognize seemed to promise that she would
az least not stand still. that her work would
steadily grow better. 'TThe Dream and the
Business" we regret TO say. confirms the sus-
picion that she had worked out her vein.
II is curious love story. curious in the ar
rangement Of the personages concerned. and IN
the nature Of the transactions in which they are
is there a heroine. In each case there are three
candidates for the leading role. A clergyman's
son falls in love with actress. The clergy
mans daughter falls in love with a musical
composer. Both affairs" fall through but their
| reverberations are heard throughout, and mat
! ters are further complicated by the appearance
/ on the scene Of a noblenan and his wife who
not quite as harmonious as they might be. The
hearts Of all these people are brought very much
sv,~.
/ fessed. with either interesting or luminous
suits. Indeed it is little difficult, when all is
| said, to see just what Mrs. Craigta was driving
: at when she wrote this book She could scarcely
/ have meant TO tell story for the sake of a
story, for in that direction she usually knew
| what she was about, and The Dream and the
Business" is a rather shapeless. inconseouential
! performance If she aimed at the presentation
! OF character she was equally at sea, for not one
! OF the figures in this book is enforced upon US
! with poignant reality. Tt IS more likely that
| Mrs. Craigie wrote in order 10 give her mind
exercise in the play OF ideas. and while. on pre-
! vfous occasions she proved that she could thus
indulge herself and arnuse her readers in the
present instance the result is disappointing
The book brirns over with talk and save when
| IL is placed in the mouth or Mamie Cloots, the
vulgar little actress. It discoses next to nothing
/ OF the characters of those who are supposed 70
| be speaking, Dut saVors or the author alone
| Her men and women meant to be genuine
creatures. genuinely IN love. but their conversa-
| ton suggests only puppets philanderng and
philandering till all is blue. In respect this
unnatural talk is peculiarly disconcertng. TIE
| characters are necessarily discussing among
themselves the troubles of their hearts and
| souls, until one feels that not single member
Of the group has anything approa ching 20 a
| decent sense Of reticence. One would think that
good taste alone would keep these presumably
well bred people from exhibiting the thoughts
and emotions on which the nationally consti-
tuted individual IS accustomed, as a matter of
course, 10 observe certain dignity. The up
shot OF the whole matter is that THE Dream
! and the Business" strikes morbid and arti-
| fetal, not a page from normal life but a
winding and rewinding of forced reflections.
/ Some Of the authors earlier ability survives.
/ The epigrams are occasionally divertng. But
the book as a whole falls far short Of the stand
ard set up by Mrs. Craigie in her best work.