The San Francisco call., 1906-06-24
I|IE Al

striking title OF a new novel by F. J.
'Stimson, wherein 10 some reasonable
extent the author sticks to his text
Il tells Of the saving OF the soul of a
woman who was of that type OF the
thoughtless lovers of themselves who
at the startout in life would be very
much astonished 2t the suggestion that
they had any need OF being saved at
all Indeed. the Dorothy. who is the
woman in this case. was said by old
Major Brandon. the benevolent Nestor
OF the story, 70 have no serious fault
except that she had no soul Truly
tnen, the story is not so strictly ex-
pressed by calling it the cure of a
Womsn's soul as IL would be By saying
II is the history of how by some bitter
hIe experiences, broughts on mainly
~ her own mistakes. a soul was at
last put into the fair body of a frivo-
lous woman who had never grossly
sinned.
let me give you first some brief
glimpses OF the woman in the case
The artist has pictured her for you,
as she behaved in one Of the important
acts at the very beginning of her max
ing OF her woma MOODS history. The
tair young woman seated on the couch
has up TO this moment only been made
known to the reader as a charming
and much-Sought society girl None
OF her closest friends have as vet seen
deeper into her nature than that She
has recently become engaged to a
wealthy man who Is so notoriouxlv
immoral that all her friends are wish
ing that some one, or some event for.
1unately intervening. viii save Doro-
Shy from the fate of this union The
man IS Gansevoort. and his regard for
Dorothy is described as something
close kin 10 that OF capturing enter
al rsr-cr f,-
a sporting man might feel In adding q
new and very valuable thoroughbred
70 his stable.
As the marriage day draws exceed
1ngly close, Dorothy herself begins 70
wish 70 be rescued from the destiny
toward which her desire for a wealth
supplied social position had drawn her
like the alluring bait in a trap set 10
catch sinners who are wholly unaware
that they are souiiess sinners There
rore. she has sent for an old admfrer
and has deliberately planned that her
mother and the Uaids should be out
OF the way so ehe would have the
scene all clear 70 lead the young man
on 70 a reawakening OF his attachment
and an fmpulsive avOwal Of his love.
He confined his conversation TO a
FORMAL farewell to her maiden life and
a wishing for her welfare, but when
he extended his hand 10 say goodbr
she would not grasp it. Then il is
her shoulders sank TO the arm OF the
her hand.
His face burned. Her other arm
lay nerveless IN her lap. With an
effort he did not grasp ii. Good by
said he.
Then he saw that her slender frame
was shaken with sobs. Miss Somers-
Dorothy
There r.-es -, ,-,,,s.- -. -,
clearly crying. Her white wrist was
burning hot Slowly. slowly he bent
over her, waiting; lower. lower She
turned her face. Their lips met
What beautiful scene as worded
and drawn, that makes--so far as the
surface Of things goes What a beau
uful love romance II would have been
the beginning OF Il the girl had pos
sessed any seriousness of soul under
the surface Of her fair person (for this
man who bent over her was manly
through and through) But tho girl
was so completely a souiless actress
by nature that she simulated an emo
ton that befooled even herself into
believing that she was beginning thus
her womanaood's history with a rich
romance.
The truth OF the matter was that if
she had possessed soul enough 20 have
her act in such scene inspired by
emotion
never would have heen engaged TO this
Gansevoort. whom she was now so
glad TO throw over; and therefore
would have needed no heroic and emer-
sency useful admirer 10 come and play
the rescue act IT seems a pity to so
spoil this pretty picture by revealing
this behind the scenes knowledge Of il;
but the consolation comes by remem-
bering the books title and that the
author stuck 10 his text
The man and woman here pictured
married Immediately after the kissing
act, were very happy for a brief year
OF home JOY, then drifted far apart
mentally and in spirit, and then after
long years OF marital coidness. es-
arrangement and bitter unhappIness, the
soul IN the man is purified and
strengthened by his trials and mis-
"a kes, and gradually a real soul de-
veiops in the heart of his wife II is
represented as having come through
the experiences of herself being so
close TO the brink Of the sin that is
slime, through the observance of sin in
other lives that were intimately known
20 her. and through the agony of self
continuing. Much OF the cure of her
SOIL was due 70 the fact that her hus-
band was honorable throughout all the
estrangement. Then when he saw she
was changed, the good old Major Bran
n.
friendly again Her little baby boy
that she WAS surprised into bearing TO
her half-loved husband did much 10
bridge over the estran cement and
make her hate the idea OF the divorce
which she had once embraced Little
Austin would sometimes say Why
mamma you are crving'-and she
would clasp him passionately IN her
arms. But so, the chrysalis was
broken. She had found her soul"
Some other glinpses OF the woman
IN the case are these: One of the best
men OF the book, John Haviland. talk
ing 20 his wife. thus in one breath both
defended and condemned Dorothy Il
don't for one moment think there was
ever anything really bad about her
But she was worse than wicked, She
was shallow, she had no soul"
On another occasion John Havfland
was defending her In a conversation
with the wise old Major Brandon. who
had himself. with g paternai or avun-
cular affection. adored Dorothy when
she was a girl The major jodg-
ing her as mature woman, thus char
acterized her. she hasn't a noble note
in her register-and her husband would