Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-14

| statement that at no time, vas hts trans
| formation from devCut hereditary mem
| Der of the Church of England into q dis
! Ciple of Comte and fellow of the Posi-
! twist Group in England marked by storm
| or pain. lie progressed from stage of IN
| tClcctual conviction to stage logically and
! inevitably. There We're strong influences
| abroad, during the sensitive and formative
| period of The young mans life, In the di-
! rcction of the religion of humanity. To
| these Influences. a result of honest in
/ Quiry and research. Frederic Harrison
! gradually surrendered himself until he be-
| came identified with the movement with
! which the names of George Eliot and of
| L"wes have been indissOlubly connected
THE Creed of a Layman' will be eagerly
received by a great many men and women.
! 1t is not only of great interest by reason
| Of the fine and sincere personality revealed
| through It's pages and because the dictiOn
is Il model of what such writing should be.
1t is important because of the expos ton
OF the nature and purposes Of one of the
great systems of religious thought of the
past century. n system which has been
little understood. The glimDses Of the rit-
ual of the Positivist Church are especially
! Illuminating. Mr.. Harrison asserts that in
This religion alone he has found rest and
! peace. AS he reveals its principles it be-
comes evident that its austerity and eN-
aited altruism could appeal to none but
great souls. Whatever its value consid-
cred as religious system, there can be
10 doubt that the essential principles
taught by Comte have permeated all phases
of modern endeaVor.
THE SUCCESSOR. A Novel Bv Richard
Fryce. New York: Duffield & Co
This novel. which comes to this country
hard upon the publication of the fifth edi-
ton In England. proves afresh how anti
thetical are the standards of humor in
England and the United States There is
no denying the claim that is made for the
story that it is "a subtle and convincing
treatment of a somewhat risky but strik-
ing theme, involving the production of an
also no doubt that the author shows an
ironiCal humor and an insight into the
folbies of his COuntrymen of no mean de-
gree. The character Of Lady Alton is
masterpiece of unrel9uting observation. But
that such theme should be considered
even IN the struggle to produce something
novel TO catch the popular interest-a fit
theme for fiction reveals a cynical indiffer-
ence not only to moral scruple, but to the
canons of good taste, that is fairly star
Ting. There is no doubt that the book will
be read-such books are always read-espe-
cially when so much ability has gone to
the making of them. The humor is indubi-
table-althOugh there is a somewhat too
evident strain after the whimsical vrtuosty
of Sterne and his school 1t is also true
that the theme--as Is suggested by one of
the characteristics one that Boccaccio or
De Maupassant might have chosen, but
The Successor is written for different
time and for different standards than either
OF the earlier authors had to consider.
Moreover the break In tone between the
first and second parts destroys all sem
blance of the gay carelessness of Boccaccio;
comedy is replaced-f0r time at least-by