New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-17
"HEARTS AND CREEDS."
Three Recent NoUeLs Constructed on
Religious MotiUes.


AR tour By By Ae BaBs3 Eg
phens l2mo. pp. 900 Little. Brown Co.
SIX s. BY 2sSt n6 DID, With VIII
407. The Bobbs- Merrill company
THE SACRED CUP BY Vincent Brown. Emo
PIP SSl. g. P. Putnams Sons.
DISPLAY. By r. E. 5. spender 12mo. PIP. SOl
John Lane Company
Anna Chaplin Ray returns again to her favorite
Quebec for the scene of her latest novel.
Hearts and Creeds" marks an advance in the
authors synthetic and narrative powers
over her story. by the Good sainte Anne
The present volume is careful study of re-
ligious, social and political conditions in the
provincial capital with its strongly contrasted
types Of French Catholic and English Protestant
Canadians. The contrast is accumulated in this
instance by the marriage OF a rising young
French Canadian politician Of the best class and
Of irreproachable morals and lineage with fas-
cinating but headstrong young woman of Que
bees most exclusive English social set. The
efforts Of the two, mostly negative on the part Of
the bride, 10 adjust themselves TO the peculiar
conditions imposed by their union form the
basis Of the story and are used by the author
a reflection OF the prevailing political situation
Miss Ray offers no solution Of the problem pre-
scented by the existence Of the two racially and
religiously antithetical elements in the Canadian
poIity but the story, at least. affords truthful
and entertaining picture of the situation as it
stands. In her Interpretation of ii the French
Catholics arc certainly shown in the more favor
able light II only in the graceful courtesy
with which they maintain their convictions and
traditions. The story suffers somewhat from
the unsympathetic nature of the heroine and
from the sometimes too minute particularly
with which the author unfolds the complexities
OF local politics. If there remains an impression
that the two central characters have been TO g.
certain extent artihcially contrived for the pur-
poses Of the novelist. such suggestion can be
entertained In regard TO the other personages,
who are pleasantly natural types.
Religion. business and romance play almost
equal parts in Mr.. Lyndes new novel, THE
Ouickening" The hero, Thomas Jefferson Cor
don is a young who, as boy, has been
dedicated by his mother 10 the ministry. Find
ing that p. cannot fulfil the maternal expecta-
lions without becoming a hypocrite, he breaks
away from the path laid out for him, follows his
own incIinations for a scientific and technical
career, and, returning from college, devotes all
his energies and a rather remarkable financial
ability 10 extricating his fathers affairs from
the wreck in which they had become involved
through too trustful confidence in his treacher-
ous business associates, one Of whom is young
Gordon's rival in love. The scene is laid IN the
Tennessee iron regions. and the evolution of the
new Industrial South forms the background or
the story. The struggle between the opposing
forces Of oldtime conservatism and modern
nrogress is reflected in the character of the
hero Perhaps too much space is given to the
spiritual wrestlings of his boyhood days, but
once he has arrived at mans estate the action
moves rapidly enough. With the revulsion that
comes from a definite casting off Of the bonds
~ q narrow religious discipline Gordon proceeds
70 fight the devil with fire and truth to tell he
7nds II an effective weapon, even If 1t proves as
damaging TO his own self-respect as to the
vaccinations of his rivals How his regeneration
is brought about through his love Tor the
heroine a charming girl, the daughter OF a hre-
caring Southern aristocrat, may be left for the
reader 10 find out A rather sordid and not al
together convincing sub-plot serves to add to
he combinations OF the narrative and to the
,ro,bIes Of the hero without conducting to the
attractiveness Of the book or 10 the strength OF
its fundamental motive.
The novel TO which Vincent Brown has given
the title The Sacred Cup" is a story of English
,,ral life with a wholly religious setting, and
! daa1s with the spiritual struggle of a clergyman
/ Leading 10 his Withholding the sacrament from
On ,,nrepentant Hbertne who is his rival in love
The outcome of the story is more in accordance
/ NTH worldly logic than with poetlca1 1usuce OF
/ The conventions OF romantic fiction. The charac-
! ,a,za+ion Of the Reverend Mr.. Jerred is an able
60 evrnnathetic piece Of writing; and in spite
:. H. c+urcbly machinery of the tale the reader
&C. ,,ot asked to accept the doctrines and conVlc-
! ,to,s of the straightforward, simple minded
! rec,or save as they afford justification for his
wholly disinterested. If misconstrued. actions
rrta various actors In the drama and they are
/ o+ q few are drawn with discrimination ana a
l ,o,g sense of contrast. The story is as IN
&c, as q is entertaining, with it's truthful reve-
! ,a+i,ns of human comedy and tragedy in seem
-, ,,,iet eddy in the swift current Of modern
social life.
/ ~ Snender's rather blindly named volume
/ .,,,,,.,., is an elaborate and ponderous British
! .I1aoo,,, a sort Of twentieth century Canterbury
! - ,r rrose Of a pilgrimage made by number
= no,orietv seeking British types. under The
l,...t,oe NJ a British yellow" journal IN search
. a.. original of ST. Thomas More's Utopia
1 - an enterprise correspondent Of the
,.a,'.g,a,er edtorially Inspired had discovered
I =. c[,,tb Africa The pages of the book are
I ,ara,lv taken UP with philosophc discussions
,a,.ts,rlv interspersed with classical quotations
-, 60, If the participants understand. The
/ -. &c laid on with a whitewash brush ana
/ .ble the author discloses certain cIeFe'l le'S
a, a. rec his art is more distinguished by virt-
uoe,tv than by its power 10 attract ana 70 en-
l