Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-14
THE unrrM,TE. BY May Sinclair. au-

IN many respects This new book of Miss
Sirc'air's-the first new one in point of
composition since The Divine Fire"-!s
more finished. more artistic work than her
former effort. As to whether in all re-
spccts. 1t marks an advance, the verdict
Of the public Will turn upon its attitude to-
ward the central idea, for the new novel
IS an analysis Of certain fundamental re-
lations CO.; men and women.
The study of the character OF Anne
Nejania is marvellous piece of work.
Ann is a good woman, really spiritual
one h'eh-miudcd ana innately pure. There
Is also more than touch of priggtshness
in her composition: she is self-rghtcous;
she Is uaivc!y ego:is:ical. Her virtues are
tho elemental virtues of womanhood; her
nargowu,ss her incapac.ty to understand
complex t,mporamauts, IS q part OF her
austcre purity. When, three days after her
happy marriage, she learns of the scan
cal, seven years back, that had linked her
husbands name with that OF Lady Caylry
tnc foundations OF her life arr shattered.
1t rs the one sin that IS impossible for her
To- forgive or even udgrstand.
While Miss SiucIlir's presentation OF the
personality OF Walter Mcjania is dist nelly
individual. It also IS To degree typical.
Mejanie has the masculine virtues. He is
Ciiyairou@, mdguanimOus, tender. HIS
mind is acute and his Judgments broadly
generous lie is. also, Notwithstanding his
early sin, a pure man. lie does not make
for himself the excuses that, with Justice
j." IN gEt lay claim To- He is capable both
Of so!t-jHdgmcnt and the humor that saves
the Judgment from oeiLg a morbid one
While n" Is too human to dwell in the
realms of abstract spirituality where Anne
hdaltud!ly resides, he rcverenCes her for
the quality he does not possess himself
lie not only allows Anne to remain on
her self-constructed PEDESTAL; ne encOur-
ages her and worships the attitude
of ~,
her own self or from without, to make her
capable Of approaching her husbands fine
nature Anne assumes the position of a
righteous Judge over his sin She broods
upon it, she diStOrts 1t out of all prnpor-
ton; because of it she sees everything in
a false and morbid light; 1t fills her heri-
ION, she is unable to see anything good
where the trace of evil has been She builds
a barrier between her husband and herself
which motherhood only strengthens. To
Mejanie granddaughter. she measures
out life of acutest torture. The almost
tragic outcome of events is of her own
creation. 1t takes most of the rigors that
life can offer-Mejanie is brought to the
very verge of physical and moral and men
tai ru'n-before Anne sees. But when
she does see she makes amends royalty. for
Anne's nature is fundamentally both sweet
and large.
1t is tribute to Miss Snclair's techni-
cal skin that with the almost absurd ex-
aggeratiOn of Annes temperament the
author should still be abe 10 maintain the
&c DIS in making applicable Mejanies de-
votiou and the conviction of his sister Edith
that underneath the self-righteous petrifica-
ton is a real woman, q woman who is
worth winning. Nothing in the book is a
greater achievement than this Not even
the radiant, marvellous personality of
Edith, who, from her sickbed dominates
the affections Of the household. is greater.
One of the most subtle bits of characterize
ton of all is the fact that Edith, through
the tragedy of her own suffering body, has
rrr-h Nf 10. hoo,
physical living that truth which Anne
recognizes finally through the tragedy of
her suffering soul
Anne saw it all. She saw a purity
greater than her own, a strong and tender
virtue, walking in the ways of earth and
cleansing them. She saw love as a di-
vine spirit, going down into the courses
or the blood and into the chambers of the
heart, moving mortal things to Immortality.
She saw that there Is no spirituality worthy
of the name that has not been proven in
the house of flesh. She had failed in
spirituality. She had fixed the spiritual
life away from earth, beyond the ramparts.
She saw that the spiritual life is here. And
seeing that, she saw herself Alright. That
passion of motherhood was not all the love
that in her The love that was in her
had sprung up, full-grown in a single
night"
The small world OF Scale an English pro-
ViEc.al town, Is admirably rendered by Miss
SinCl9irs men and women. with their di-
vergent views of life. 1t is real coherent
epitome of modern life. But the chief ex-
Cel!cncy OF Miss Sinclair's book is that she
has. deiicately and reverently, but with full
FLOODED conviction analysed one of the most
difficult problems of life and pre- scented her
own brave solution.
BY John X. Commons, professor of
political economy, University OF Wis
consin. New York: The Macmillan
Company. Washington: Woodward &
Luthrop.
The present volume is a revised and am
plihed second edition of an earlier work
Mr. Commons begins with the assertion
that American people are fairly content
with their executive and judicial depart
ments Of government. but they feel that
their law-making bodies have painfully
failed The General belief in the corrup-
ton OF local Legislative bodies and the
growing tendency to create constitutional
restrictions on the legislatures and the
steady "H,Tu1chmeut OF the judiciary upon
The hvIa Of legislation is proof of this, as
Is the tendency 10 remove power from the
loCa! legislative bodies and place II in the
hands OF mayor and governor. The author
gives br.et history of the developments
or tAs legislative function Of government
rom Its origin in England. through colo
MAJ times, up 10 the recent abuses of
boss and machine" a chapter on The
DISCREET system at Work shows how rep
resentti.ve government has become per
Commons tic1 proceeds TO pres Mt what he
cCGS.d IS the remedy for this abuse: q me
thud by Which representatives may be
elected ON the basis OF th- entire population
OF tie state or county, instead of being
limited 10 congressional district. The
original usefulness of the congress onal
district, Mr.. Commons states, has been en-
trs.E destroyed by Gcrrymandtr.ng. BY
the system OF proportional representation
each ,lector is entitled to as many votes
th' state is allotted representatives.
Various experiments IN the practical work
ing Uut OF this system have been made in
Australia. IN Switzerland and in Belgium.
In our country Mr.. Commons believes that
the House should be composed of state
delegations elected the proportional
has While the Senate should. as It does
at present, represent the states. But If
the character of the House were changed
by proportional representation, the Senate
would sink To the level OF an advisory
board Ike the house OF lords This, the
author is convinced, is its proper position
IN the government.
THE CREED OF A LAYMAN. Apologize
Pro Eide Mea BY Frederic Harrison.
New York The Macmillan Company.
Washington: Woodward * Lothrop.