The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-17
NEW BOOKS.
the VIc,ssltudes Of an Author.

After reading Atty pages Of a tale va
feel that We have made some acquaintance
with the authors mind IND fancy. In 90
much OF space he allows US to see what
sort Of visions interest him. what pictures
he finds amusing. what he apprehends to
he pathetic pictures. what strokes Of repre-
sentation are Ia his understanding impor-
tant or impressive. In the first hfty Pages
OF Mr.. Justus Miles FormanIs story Of "A
Stumbling Block Harper h Brothers)
We have considerable impressions Of three
Of the chief characters. We find old Robert
Henley living his remainder c. life in a
thoroughly distinguished and stately
fashion in a village in central New York.
A fine old man. and imitation English to
the marrow. He dinsd at 8. in evening
dress. by the light Of candies. We were
sorry that he had a sorrow. He had loved
in his youth a lady who had married another.
Therefore regularly every Wednesday he
inebriated himself with brandy. The story
opens with an account Of n Of these spirit
usl and spirituous celebrations. Full OF
brandy the old man entered his darkened
and shrouded drawing and held
communion with a picture NJ the adored
authoress Of his trouble. Thence he went
to his library. q fine room full Of an abiding
delicate smell Of leather bindings and
sandslwood. where for q space he tried
vsinly to improve upon one OF Moores
renderinGs OF the poet AnAcreon; and when
he had dsspaired Of tbs poetry he got out
an old muskst from . closet. walked to q
real window and uproariously slew .
valuable mae fowl that was parading
handsomely in tho back yard. The story
supplies old Robert with a motive for this
~extravagant deed. IL makes him say IN
observing the fowl. which Was white: AL
batross! Tha's q il. Thought albatross
was dead. Thought Coleridee killed EN-.
He said 20. Colsridge's q isr-har! Where's
my gun?" With the thunder Of the gun
and the slaughter Of the fowl the old mans
ancient servant appeared and carried
old Robert OF TO bed. We thought this
disappearance timely. II is not we'll for a
tale to clamor too boisterously in the index,
sven with 80 rich a humor for the d~etonating
material.
Old Robert felt il to be his duty to the
adored and departed lady to keep her son
David from marrying Rosemary Crewe..
On the Wednesday occasion that We have
remarked he said TO the portrait in the
shrouded drawing room: I'm save him.
Patty, I'll save him. II is made plain that
this was to be no easy task. Rosemary
was perfectly beautiful. She was Greek.
"She had the long. slender. fluent lines Of
body and limb. the round waist, the deep
chest and small bust. the sturdy throat Of
those ancient virgins that the greatest
s~culptors in the world wOrshipped N
wrought into imperishable stone" H9
conversation rather than brilliant was full
OF proof that abe was fond of David. We
made note OF one thing that she said with
her little wall" She said: -Oh, Davie.
Davie, you mustn't always Ne thinking
about my-my looks. Davie! j feel like a
fool" Her language nearly always was
unconsidered and simple, indicating a truth
full and ~uncslculating o 1t is to be
doubted il under any stress she could have
achieved a paradox or an irony. The story
speaks often of her spiritual loveliness.
A beautiful soul looked from Rosemsry's
beautiful eyes" The girl was beyond
words. Something exquisite. virginia..
breathed always from her like a ~palpeble
fragrance. She went clothed in an aura
of perpetual sweetness which language
cannot reproduce" Language 10 indeed
not always to be trusted. We were UNI
willing to believe it. for instance. at page
20, where we found il decls red: Her blue
eyes followed David in his walk and watched
him swing open the Henley gate n turn
for one last survey OF Main street-she
knew well enough what he was looking for
and finally disappeared among the shrub
berry before old Roberts stately home"
Her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes. disap-
peared in the shrubbery! That is what this
language says they did, and Of course il is
incredible. It was really David that dis
appeared in the shrubbery. n not. Rose
mary's eyee. Those windows of the soul
expression not originaD remained in her
lovely ~couDtenance. We are glad to af-
ford the humane correction.
David was a budding novelist. He had
sold a story to q magazine. He had entered
upon a career of art. That is why old
Robert did not want him to marry Rose
mary. That is what he meant when he
promised to save" David. We think that
the solicitous old boy was wrong. We said
to ourselves Immediately on finding out
what old Robert was up 20 hat art would
never be deprived through David's marry
ing Of Rosemary. She was just the ticket
(tnlB D0TdSe war urcu ny Aol, NtNCOint =
exoellent young son. and IL is honorable)
for a novelist like David. She had sym
pathy. apprecistion-quhlities that have
been warmly recommended to critics and
good for wives among other Of that calling,
we should think. After the honeymoon
the pair could have settled down 10 work
together. Rosemary could nave been
David's typewriter, and we are sure she
could AVE written chapters herself-sweet
chapters worthy TO be included in his books.
But old Robert could not see that. He
commanded David to dine with him. David
-tubbed" at Z (the story is full Of English
a~tmosphere) and was on hand in evening
clothes at 3. The pair dined under the
candles in the soft summer night. They
ate and drank out Of heavy old English
glass and heavy old English silver" We
have no idea that anything heavy and
English was omitted. The old dining room
was wainscote1.
When the cloth had been removed old
Robert lighted a black cigar and laid down
his proposition. David was to go TO Europe
for three years. He was to nave 5000 a
year. He was to go OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
is TO give mp Rosemary. He was to have
no milestone around his neck. and mill
stone meant Rosemary. David was bound
to fare up at that. II is act down that he
cried out sin q sort NJ fierce. despairing
rage" What he cried out was: "A mill