New-York tribune., 1907-10-05
TWO OLD LOVERS.
Hoo PelIeas and Etarre Kept Their
Romance Aight.

THE LOVES OF PEILBAs pa AND ETARRE, By
pany.
THE FL, GOOD CoMRADE, By Una L. snberrad.
illustrated by Anna Whelan Belts 12mo. PIP.
S6o- Doubleday, Page Co.
SANTA FEs PARTNER. Being Some Memora
BILE events in a New Mexican Track-End Town
BY Thomas a. Janvier Illustrated. 12mo PIP.
Z56. Harper & Bros.
The author of The Loves of Pelleas and
Etarre" has succeeded where It is easy 20 fail.
She has saturated her book from beginning 10
end in sentiment and. although she comes at
more than one point dangerously near TO senti-
mentality, she contrives to steer. on the whole.
a safe course The principal figures IN her sue
cession OF romantic episodes are seventy years
old and have been married for more than half
their lives. They are lovers still, and are in
curaby glad Of II. Indeed, romance burns so
steadily in their hearts that they seem. when all
is said, young the youngest of those with
whose love affairs they delight TO occupy them
selves. They born matchmakers, and ex-
ercise the functions of the type from the nobIest
motive. Happy themselves, they long 10 sec
others happy and with a kind OF innocent in
genUity they go about influencing this or that
situation" True to the atmosphere which
would naturally belong TO such a pair an at
nosphere OF gentleness and delcacy. Miss Gale
is careful TO avoid anything like n violently
dramatic note in the fifteen or twenty scenes
she unfolds. Her comedy is of the mildest de-
scripton. 1t is not seemy that two old lovers
like Pelleas and Etarre should be disturbed in
the placidity OF their walk and demeanor If
they are to have adventures. these must not be
too adventurous. but should be governed always
by a certain sense of measure, SO the various
sentimental affairs in which they take part
reposeful. sweet and sunny. We hear much of
birds and flowers. Religious feeling contributes
its spiritualizing influence The pure emotions
of youth hold sway throughout. 1t is a pretty
book. and perhaps for that very reason it is not
a book to be read through at a sitting. Clever
as it is, it clogs If read in this fashion. But to
read two three OF these stories is to be put in
a pleasantly reflective mood to which one knows
that it viii by and by be agreeable to return.
''The Good Comrade" is one of those odd books
in which modern novellsts OF a certain school
endeavor to show their originality by extract
ing, If they can, romantic effect from totally
unromantic material. They hatter themselves
that triumph over mere unpeasantness is a
triumph indeed. Apparently 1t never occurs to
them that in leaving a bad taste in the readers
mouth they discount all their elaborate clever
ness Miss Silberrad begins her curious task
by introducing US to the most uninteresting.
not to say the most unattractve people in the
world the members OF shabby genteel family
ily Captain Polkington. has a gift for debts and
drink His wife IS engaged in the cheerful job
Of straning every nerve TO make both ends
meet. Incidentally she is very keen marry
ing off her daughters. The brightest of these,
Julia who is the heroine of the book has a
tremendous sense of honor. When her dsrep-
utable old father contracts a debt he cannot
pay, and is much Inundated by a kinsman OF
the young man 10 whom he owes the money
Julia takes a high resolve. She will pay that
debt no matter what happens. About this time
she hears something of the value of a blue daft
fodr developed by a Dutch bulb grower She
proceeds to Holland and enters his household
as a paid companion with view to stealing the
treasure. Under the good influence of her en-
ployer's son she refrans from the theft but
on the other hand when the kinsman of her
fathers creditor turns up and appears to banker
after a secret possessed by neighboring chem
list she takes service with the unsuspecting
scientist his cook and presently makes off
win the thing he values most. 1t NAV be noted
in passing that her transition from the house of
one Dutchman 10 that of another is facilitated
by a glaring indiscretion. She has lost herself
on the dunes with the man who has been cast
ing covetous eyes upon the chemical secret
aforesaid. and after a nights absence returns
unharmed but hopelessy compromised In
short Miss Julia Polkington is about as unsyrn-
pathetic a creature could be devised Her
romance, such as II is, is all streaked with sor-
didness Decidedly 1.-THE Good Comrade" leaves
a bad taste in the mouth.
We have it on the authority of Mr. owen Wis
ter and others that the pcturesqueness of life in