New-York tribune., 1907-05-05

Sons
NJ GaIsworthy not only confirms, in 1.-THE
country House." the good impression he left in
.a1,e Man Of Property" but gives the reader
hotter measure a cIeverer and stronger book
lie is stin a satirist handicapped by a system.
= writer committed TO 4 plan, and to that eX-
font he falls short of the power OF the matured
artist But his art is developing, and in this
hook. even more than in its predecessor, he
makes you feel that, whatever his limitations,
ba has. considerable insight into human nature,
ond q gift for writing amusing narrative and
dialogue The objects Of his scorn upon this
occasion are the prosperous English people who
live in country houses according to the fashlon
n his central figure, Mr.. Horace Pendyce, Of
IUorsted Ckevues ''They have strong, meat-fed
instincts" says one of the shrewder men in the
hook. and what with the County Members the
Bishops the Peers. all the hereditary force of
the country. they still rule the roost And
there's a certain disease-to make very poor
Joke. call It Pendycitis'-with which most Of
these people are infected. They're Grass. They
do things but they do them the wrong way"
Nj Pendyce is exhibited 10 us in the character
Of a country squire. devoted to the interests Of
his estate ruling his family with iron hand
sNsthed IN the velvet of gentlemanhood, and
stirred TO q kind Of suffocating fury when his
son falls in love with a woman separated from
her husband. and threatens to place an inef-
faceable stain of scandal upon the name he
bears Squire Pendyce is representative. The
reader Of this novel cannot escape the convic-
ton that there is many a Worsted Skeynts 10
be found in every English county. and that the
masters Of them all are men after Horace Pen
dyce's own heart
Il is this fidelity to nature that is Mr.. Gals
worthy's chiefest virtue He interests Us he
cause his types are so human ana so true Each
one is portrayed with . multitude Of minute
touches. and these are laid on not only accu-
rately but with a sly humor that makes the
effect d1uhIy satisfying There is variety. too.
in spite Of the authors intensely close preoccu-
patton with a definite plan. Though he has
fairly uartistic resolution to expose the foibles
NJ = class. he is learning some Of the secrets of
individuality. and is more sklful in this than
fl his earlier book in distinguishing between
his different persona Ees. Every man or woman
n the book has a character. and some Of them
are untouched ~ "Pendyctis" The story
moves through the interplay Of character.
Here esp ciaIly does Mr., Galsworthy show i'm
movement. HIS little comedy is played out in
an entirely natural manner so that one is very
nearly induced TO forget that the author has a
case 10 establish. The interest is admirably
sustained. u IS impossible TO put the book down
Until Tie taug-e in il has been cleared UP. If
any discomfort remains it Is due in part to the
essentially artificial nature of the authors
scheme and in part 10 his want of the right
temper ard The last touch OF intimate knowl-
edge He Is trying 10 do for this generation
what Anthony Trollope did for his but whore
the author Of the Barsetshire novels treated his
subject from the inside MI Galsworthy treats
his from the outside. and where the older writer
had the unde-st taading that meant qualities Of
heart as vel as of brain the younger writer is
altogether too anxious to show his sardonic
superiority. TroIlopes stories can never grow
old. There Is nothing about '-The Country
House that suggests permanence- But these
are the days Of ephemeral fiction and we need
not worry about the durability Of a novel which,
while il lasts, IS as readable as this one.
There IS something that IS almost uncanny
ab21t the Uniform excellence Of the stories writ
ten hy Mr. W " Jacobs Writers Of infinitely
greater calihre have their ups and downs and
bring forth good or Indifferent work according
to their mood, but this young humorist seems to
h able 20 20 On Indefinitely. producing tales
that never miss their mark. The twelve pieces
in his latest volume, Short Cruises are twelve
examples OF unadulterated fun. They turn as
always upon the urconsciously drolI traits Of
men who follow the sea in small vessels or pur-
types are genial but slippery. always ready for