New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-17
p,ocnt Fiction Dealing Scith Psychi-
cal MotiCes.

seen illustrations: by orson Lowell. l2mo, PIP.
--yr vIsION>AT THE SAVOY. BY winifred Ora
ham I2sno pp. $40 Fleming II. Reven Com
- SECRET PASSAGE By Fergus Hume
Win frontispiece illustration. l2mo. pp. $50 @.
" Dillingham; Company
NJ Benson takes another plunge into the
..,arnorual in his latest novel but neither so
A., my so effectively as in The Image in the
60" Tom Merivale the up-to-date English
hs-nit. living in a cosey cottage within easy
-oarh Of London. communing with nature. &C.
.,,,-tng the power TO convey messages TO birds
MS beasts. and dying when he ''sees Pan" is,
,s.e- all merely an illustrative incident of the
-,s,n purpose Of the story. Mr.. Benson believes
a. any rate he assumes-that while Joy and
NJ. do and so must. preponderate in nature,
,u-,an perfection can only be reached or ap-
--oxiraated by a full participation IN natures
,,s,ttable woe and death: and that il is the
Mission OF the Angel OF Pain to bring this COM
-ls.ion q destiny. this rounding out OF char
sc,sr. 10 man. The experience on which this
,bso-y is founded is universal that the con-
,lusiou that what is apparently consistent
,,bsme OF nature must be divinely however
-. nav interpret the world ordered is not
s.aor7. 70 reach Whether the author has
---snr-bered his thesis by the introduction Of
he auego-y OF Tom Merivale may be doubted.
There Is an element OF erotesqueness in his life
s,s taking of that cannot be blinked, how
ever sympathetic one may feel toward the au-
thor and his characters-who take the parable
seriously enough
The story which serves as the framework
,o- NJ Bensou's ideas is OF no marked
originality IN its outlines. though these are
flied in with individualized types. placed
IN strongly emotional and ethical situations,
leading. however, TO a somewhat imping, Il con-
rentiouaI conclusion. As usual. Mr. Benson taxes
hts characters from the Outwardly accepted
tvpes Of British society. The hero is an every
dav young financial magnate, who nevertheless
shows himself capable Of making a noble sac
-tfce for loves sake-when his best friend VINO
has thoughtlessIy eloped with his fancee' is
the victim Of a disabling accident-and in time
resps q modified reward The heroine is high
born GaIatea. suddenly walked 10 life by her
passion for an amiable but irresponsible por-
trait painter, and 50 il goes. The authors
studies Of British social life are keenly true II
sometimes so needlessly minute as TO tend 10
halt the progress Of events. The evident IN
derlytng motive Of the tale is 10 reconcile the
paEanis1n Of modern society with that Of the
Old World and 10 Link both 10 the essential ele-
ments Of Christianity. How far the author has
succeeded must be left TO individual determine
ton Il is a story which at least affords food
for thought while furnishing material for enter
tainmeut
The interesting problems presented by the
known phenomena Of multiple personality sup
ply the basis OF Mr.. Quick's clever comedy en-
titled Double Trouble The case assumed by
The author IS that Of a sedate young American
man Of business who suddenly awakes TO the
realization that there has been a lapse Of I'VE
years in his mental consciousness, and who
discovers through q fascinating young woman
medium and hypnotist that during that period
ne has amassed a fortune in another town IN
der another name, and by methods Numerically
opposed 70 his normal principles. Incidentally
he IS on the verge Of marriage to charming
girl and is mixed UP in a local political cam
psign from which his natural soul revolts. His
efforts 10 adjust himself TO his new environ
rneut and 70 exrricate himself with clean hands
from the bewIIder1ng consequences Of his double
personality involve him in a series Of amusing
complications Of which the fact that he falls
in love with the girl his other self is engaged
to is not the least embarrassing. The action
Is brisk. me Characterization sharp and crisp,
ana she STORY, while not attempting TO throw
any new light on the phenomena Of abnormal
psychology makes use Of them in highly ef-
fective and diverting manner.
Jane Cardigan. OF The Vision at the
Savoy" was Arthur Paris's wicked Aunt.
She wasn't really wicked, only so thoroughly
lcyable and fascinating that all men fell
promptly IN love with her, and she let the nice
ones do il and then kept them as her dear
friends ever after. Very nice for Jane, if little
hard On the men, and II IS 10 be feared that she
was bit heartless; but none Of them would
bel iar-af 81 a--f- adj rod her zTZd a
very strong. as soon as he was old enough he
was her constant companion. She seemed as
perfect 10 him as 10 the others. But sometimes
the wicked like the good. die young; and Jane
went into a rapid decline in the heyday or her
brilliant career, for she was rich beyond the
dreams Of ayarice, and COLD be as brilliant as
she pleased which was dazzling without being
gsrish. Il occurred to Jane in dying-in up-to-
date fashion, IN a motor car-that her life had
not been a success: that she was Kiha OF
prodigal who had wasted her substance ana
who. "in caring chiefly for trifes. had lost her
SELF Having enjoyed her money in her own
way. she hoped that Arthur, 70 whom she LETT
H. might be able TO do some good with It. Use
Il for good" she told him. mot purely Tor sell
Step OUT of the common groove" Her IDEA WAS
70 benefit the great community OF Careless
torgettul worldly men and women" who ARE
never sought" So Arthur devised luxurlous
temple OF an original plan 10 attract the
wealthy. Jane. quite in character as twentieth
century saint, revealed herself TO Arthur IN
Vision at the Savoy. thereby signifying her ap-
provsl Arthur's mission TO the rich 0n the
story, a. leas) was an immense success. They
sat around 81 easy chairs. regaling their eyes
With masterpieces Of art. and listened 10 the ap-
peals Of the Bishop OF London, Torrey and Al
exance-, inspired schoolgirl. Father lgnatius'
and other professional and amateur evangelists.
and were converted in shoals. The suggestion