New-York tribune., 1908-10-21
Literary Nea0s and Criticism

EvidentIy
paved over before "posterity' has got through
with him, Froude's disclosures, having raised
a verttabie storm over his grave ought to have
been enough to satisfy the most exacting oloS
rapher but as students Of Carlyle's life Wen
remember. the whole subject OF that oornee'A0
interior In London had to be thrashed al o'ei
again only two or three years ago Now II ap
pears that the love letters written py oaiie
Welsh to the dour Thomas are to be printed III
a book We wonder why. Probably IN oroei
that the world may more be regaled oy IN
terminable arguments over the relations between
the writer and his wife. There is. by the way
an amusing note OF Carlyle in the Memories
of My Life" which Mr.. Francis Galton has just
published It runs as follows:
enjoyed interesting visits TO Lord d Ash5Gr a bur
The Grange under the presidency OF me IS MS
was a guest on both occasons On my first meet
Ing him he surprised me by his unexpectedly couIoe
Gus and even polished manner. but he became IloIo
like ordinary self later On the second a ocGe
d sOh hf 70 e me Ssd s story then to
the fore which w. sFgoed % led ,nsE.d E60 was IN s
times thai day already and undeFtOGik 9i1,a that h,c6 ee
he did Then Carlyle raved about the degenera1eey
of the modern English without any facts d IL gg3 Just 10
oh & an9 oF peasuTe Of the society
ys 60sys beh eSSpfed %as e6ed funny By hopping
ayey on one leg up qnd an 6sd a0T9 dscoHered to be
prompt way Of warming himself in the then chilly
weather.
The perversity Of the latter day novelist Is
past finding out He. rather she. will write
a hook that is entirely charming and then VIII
follow II with another that is. to say the least
different Miss May Sinclair gives us unalloyed
pleasure in The Divine Fire" but in THE Help
mate" and THE Immortal Moment" she gives
US no pleasure at all We reJoiced over the
work that Miss Anne Douglas Sedgwtck did IN
"A Fountain Sealed" There truth In that
hook there was wisdom there was sympathy
One naturally expected that its successor would
at anv rate show kindred feeling for human
nature and for art However, we find neither OF
those things in "Amabel Cnannice' (The Century
Company The heroine Of this tale looks, when
we first meet her. much as she looked in her
eirIhood, las pale as g cowslip and as trtpassive
as a young Madonna" But after the fashion
of the heroines who are nowadays always CROP
ping up sne has had sinister past
Married to a man who has not really touched
her heart, she runs away with young novelist
and it is with his that she is exiled by her
husband TO their country home. Sir Hugh Chan
nice. however Is kindness itself In order that
he may pursue his own love affairs in peace, on
his wlfes return from her unholy escapade, he
consents TO have no scandal and agrees to ac-
cept the child as his own. Amabel Is pleased
drafts on her fortune. In fact. she secretly
adores him for what she considers his magma
nimity. She continues in this attitude through
all the years of her sons growth to manhood
but she is not to be allowed 20 live forever In
fools paradise When. after years of aloofness,
her husband suddenly becomes loverlike again,
one Lady Elliston. an old friend Of the two.
amiably intervenes. She informs Amabei that
she must not waste the treasures OF her heart
on Sir Hugh Your husband" she says, was
my lover for twenty years. He
married you for your money. and because you
were sweet, good. simple child who would not
interfere" Of course this is too much.
for Amabel and she duly spurns Sir Hugh. Also.
she resolves to have done with secrecy and to
tell her son, Augustine. all about everything.
1t is a painful job. She is really very fond of
Augustine. Fortunately that young man rises
TO the situation, in a which must quote:
Augustine. do you understand? Do you still love
Oh mother he gaeped, what have been to
you that you should ask me?'
You can forgive me?" Amabel said weeping
They tt5u We're locked IN eaeh tf others ' arms
Ana & ms & head uIion her breast as II It we're her
you. I will make up to you-for everything. You
shall be glad that l was born"
It is a nice fragrant tale. and it is very neatly
put together. The little plot could not have
been more adroftly framed But the whole thing
is factitiCus il is tasteless. and from the
pen of the author Of "A Fountain Sealed" 1t is
peculiarly unwelcome.
MI Hall Caine. in the autobiography which
he has just published repeats a strange anec-
dote which he had from the lips of wike Col
lins. The author of The Woman in White
told him that after the publication of that
story lady 10 him and said:
The great failure of your book is your villain.
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