New-York tribune., 1907-06-22
An ORIGINAL ROMANCE.
The Ne5c Book by the author of
F'Eizabeth."

FRAULEIN SCHMIDT AND MR.. ANSTRuTHEN
BY the author Of Elizabeth and Her German
Garden" i2no PIP. 332. Charles Scrtbner's Sons
The author of Elizabeth and Her German
Garden" took her readers captive by the simple
process of writing in a way absolutely her own.
Like Mr.. De Morgan in Joseph Vance. she
defe6 convention. and proved, as he has proved
once more that in fiction form is not neces-
sary indispensable. II is the inspiration that
counts. the inspiration bubbling up in the au-
thor's heart and investing his work with purely
personal qualities. Since Elizabeth" appeared
we have had more than one book from the
same pen, and latterly we had begun TO fear
that the magic in the first story was on the
wane We rejoice TO find IL revived in Frau
lein Schmidt and Mr.. Anstruther." a romance
which for delicacy, originality and absolute
genuineness as regards both sentiment and hu-
NOR should take high rank in the fiction or the
year. The plot is simplicity itself but IL is de-
veloped In an ingenious manner. Formless
from a conventional poin- OF view. the book has
an artistic unity rarely discovered in novels OF
much greater pretensions as 10 technique. This
unity is due to the character Of the heroine.
Fraulein Schmidt dominates the tale. holds II
together. and gives 1t all It's beauty.
She il is who writes every one OF the four
score letters of which the tale is composed.
some OF them filling pages and some OF them
running to only four words, The Mr. An
struther Of the title falls in love with her, when
he is student in the mouse or ner 1alneT, All
old scholar in Jena. He has gone back TO his
home in England when the book opens. and
Rose Maries first letter is full Of her rapture
over their romance. That rapture is shortliVe4.
Roger Austruther falls in love q second time,
and poor Rose-Marie must make the best of
cruel disillusiOnment. Does she NOPE? Does
she write the fckle lover in bitter strain? Ftr
from it, Rose-M Marie is, we have indicated. a
girl of character. If she has q heart she has
also brains, and her brave buoyant tempera-
ttr1,r rrIN har rte
She continues the good comrade OF her wise and
humorous father; she goes enduring with
all possible cheerfuness the foibles of her step
mother and, what is more, she rescues some
thing from the wreck of her love- writing the
friendliest letters TO the unworthy Englishman.
They are inmtable letters. poetically ten
der, now sparkling with fun, and always illu-
mined by critical intelligence. There are scores
Of pages from which would like to quote.
but we must be content with these two pas
sages:
Persons who are everiastngly claiming pity,
sympathy. condolences very wearing. Surely
all talk about ones death is selfish and bad? That
IS why, though there Is so much that Is lovely In
them the faint breath of corruption hanging about
Christina Rossettrs poetry makes me turn my
head the other way. What a constant cry II is
that she wants die that she hopes TO die. that
she's going TO die, shall die, can die, must die,
and tbat nobody is TO weep for her but that there
are TO be elaborate and moving arrangements of
lilies and roses and winding sheets. And at least
in one place she gives directions TO the proper
$50 q
erave-inplying that dewdrops sometimes dry.
think the only decent attitude toward ones
death is to be silent. Talk about II puts other
people in such an awkward position what is one
10 say to persons who sigh and tell us that they
will no doubt be in heaven? Ones instinct
is politely to murmur, "Oh, no. and then they
angry
Wen what is one to do? Never be soft? Never
he sad? Or sorry? Or repentant? Always stay
nm at the level of Miltons Time poem. or OF his
AT Solemn Musick,' strung high up 10 an un,
changing pitch OF frigid spendor and nobleness?
II is what 1 try to aim at 1t Is what l would
Ike bcsN Then friend of the red tie.
and in the cool of the day when the world is dim
ana scented shakes a little fugue OF Bachs out of
his fiddle a sparkling sly little fugue, frohcsome
for all its minor key, handful or bright threads
woven together. twisted in and out. playing. 1t
would seem, at some game or hide-and-seek. OF
pretending to want to catch each other into
tanglc but always gayly coming out of the knots:
each distinct and holding on its shining way TIL
the meeting at the end. the final embrace when
the game is over. and they tie themselves con-
tentedly together into one comfortable major chord
-olir friend plays this. this manifestly happy
+bing and my soul listens. and smiles. and signs,
and longs, and ends by being steepeo III wen
muth."
The adorable thing about Rose Marie Is that
she can write like this and in the next moment
he Infinitely amusing the troubles of house,
keeping or the humors of her preposterous Ber-
lin kinsfoik J. is not surprising that Mr.. An
etruther should in due course fall out of love
with his English sweetheart and plead 10 be
reinstated with his Fraulein. 1t would be very
much of a surprise. however, If she were
promptly to fall in with his mood Again we
remind the reader that Rose-Marie is a girl of
character, and only in her own way can she
como m q decision in the new state OF affairs by
which she Is confronted. In its climax. as in all
that goes BEFORE this book is original 1t Ia Q