New-York tribune., 1906-08-18

PTitchaTd;. With an IntToduction9 By WILLIAM &
Roscoe Thayer. limo, pp. 1xvhi' 40 e. =
/ Putnam's Sons
T Smith htDf Gstrated 0a SE George % wright Emo
pp. VI. 422 Charles seribneE's Sons.
! Circumstances have combined 70 make Il Pc
culiarly necessary 70 approach signoF BOgaz-
/ zaro's book in dispassiOnate mood. The
Saint has set his countrymen by the ears, the
uproar raised by It has spread beyond the con-
fines OF Italy, and since IL has been placed upon
the Index tt has become object Of curiosity
everywhere, even among readers Indifferent TO
questions Of ecclesiastical reform. It is impor-
| tant 70 distinguish between it's character as a
| contribution 20 debate and it's character as
work OF art. We may say at once that IN neither
| respect does IL Justify the poFtentous fuss that
has been made over f. II is possible we fancy.
that the author himself Is g little astonished at
the sensation he has made. Perhaps IL has oc-
CURED TO him that THE Saint" might prove
more useful If its progress around the world
were accompanied by a less vigorous sounding Of
trumpets and beating Of drums. At all events. it
would appear to have been written with q GER
tain simplicity OF aim. a modest plan. and
with exemplary good temper
The plot is quite without complications
man Of mystical. visionary temperament oscil-
lates for a time between the spirit and the flesh.
The spirit conQuers. and Piero Maironi develops
into q kind Of ecstatic resolute upon the estaD-
lishment Of a new era Of peace and good viii
among men. A faithful Catholic, he neverthe-
less is critical of the Church, and carries his
propaganda so far as 20 talk the matter over
with the Pope freely speaking his mind TO that
august parsonage. Incidentally. he cures him
self Of an old love affair. communicates his en-
thusiasm to divers Others and when all is said.
leaves things pretty much as he found them.
This, Of course, is not to the authors discredt.
On the contrary it shows his fidelity TO truth.
But, on the other hand 1t indicates the limited
appeal Of his book a work Of fiction, and re-
minds more of the danger Of making the
novel vehicle for mere argument Signor Fo-
gazzaro's argument is interesting He himself
Is g true son Of the Church, and his pleadings
with her not only thoughtful. but touched
with poignant feeling. Almost is one moved
by these earnestly written pages, by the warmth
and the delcacy OF their emotion, by the intel
| lectual fairness which marks=4hem throughout
Unfortunately. It is imperative. in work Of
this sort, that the authors skill as q novelist
should keep pace with his energy as 6isputant,
and in this regard 'nThe Saint is somewhat to
seek
In an overwrought preface Mr.. Thayer asks
US 70 accept certain opinions which only excite
amazement Fogazzaro combines in his genius
so many rare and important strands that the
durability Of his literary renown cannot be
questioned" The present volume is "a great
novel-Eo great that, after living with its char
acters cease to regard it as a novel at ALL
One episode in the book is "a masterpiece Of
dramatic climax" another is "a marvel OF psy-
Geological subtlety." and elsewhere Mr. Thayer
finds superb artistic effects" Finally Signor
Fogazzaro is "a great artist and THE Saint" is
"a great fact in the world literature OF
time" It is disconcerting after all this, 10 find
that The Saint is in no wise great novel, that
It IS. as a matter Of fact. a rather feebly con-
structed affair. the interest Of which depends
upon the ethical discussions carried forward in
it and not at all upon those studies Of human
nature for which go to truly great fiction.
The author introduces number Of fairly sig
niicant types and sets them in half dozen
mildly attractive scenes. He never once strikes
fire, never once causes a character a situation
10 seize the reader with the power of life itself.
and more than once he is merely dull The
opening pages, for example. are rambling to the
point Of whinsicality. In saying that ''in Eng
Ish we have only John Inglesant' and Robert
Elsmere' to compare it with and that it sur
passes them both" Mr.. Thayer overlooks the
important fact that both those stories are, as
stories much superior to SignOr Fogazzaro's
piece Of work. The controversial matter in the
book forms question apart. Considered
novel The Saint is grievousIy disappointing.
Mr. Smiths new romance has for It's most
effective figure a young with
charms but no conscience whatever. She comes
| back from school to place by the in which
her family has always been completely re-
spected that the very idea OF associating wicked
ness with any of its members is unthinkable
among the happy villagers But there turks in
the neighborhood a young man with weaknesses
corresponding to her own. and. when presently
the two disappear It is with a certain amount OF
wreckage marking their trail. Lucy Cobdens
sister has to bear a burden not her own anti
must keep the man she loves at arms length
into the bargain A devoted old nurse is made
wretched a father agonizes over the miscon-
duet Of his only son. and the long tale of suffer
ing is finally closed on desperately tragic
scene Obviously the stuff of The Tides Of
Barnegat" is not the stuff of which the average
pretty tale is made. But neither is this
addition TO our stock of rank morbidty. The
truth is that Mr. Smith has put the elements cf
! his novel into so true perspective, he has
handled his material with so wholesome touch,
| that the reader derives genuine pleasure from
| the smooth kindly narrative. There Is much
sentiment in the tale and it is of the unaffected
sort The plot IS well put together, the climax
being so deftIy managed that one scarcely
tices its somewhat adventitious character. In
teresting in motive and workmanlIEe IN its exc
cution The Tides OF Barnegat' will be warmly
| welcomed by Mr.. Smiths readers.
THE DARK ROAD
BY ETHEL CLIFFORD.