The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-04


visit Agglo and her husband. Johns
wife was AggIc's sister Susie, a
healthy young woman, whom John
had turned 10 when he failed To- cap
tlro Aggie, The end Is tragic and the
stricken husbands grief Is heart
touching, The story Is told with APP
pealing force ana much that usually
is omitted In variations as to the
marital relations Is given plainly but
With no shadow OF indelicacy The
lesson of solf-denial is clearly brought
ont and in such a way as to suggest
serious thought,
1t Is q short story, handsomely
printed, with wide. marginal floral
decorative work embelllshIng every
page.
IN THE POTTER'S HOUSE. by Georgia
Dyre Eldridge, Doubleday, Page n
Coz New York; $3.50. At ,mdd's.
a book that IL certainly worth while.
The author has grasp ON the thco-
logical situation of the old New Eng
land time Of fifty years ago and pre-
sents a vivid clear cut picture of New
England village life in those lays,
which will lingcr in the memory. The
religion of the young new pastor of
the orthodox old church Is OF the
stern, uncompromising sort which adj
heres strictly to the letter of Gods
law and fails to discern the spirit of
loving kindness, the mcrciful spirit
embodied in the teachings of Christ
Hard, unyiclding, his type is shown at
the start when with cold harshness
he rebukes his kind motherly parish
Toner at whose home he rooms and
boards for her painstaking efforts in
providing for him tempting biscuits
and other specialties in cookery and
requires of her only the simplest fare
that will sustain life. AZ his installa-
! ton feast the various villagers. wait
ing impaticntly for the summons to
the second table. note with disap-
prevail the new pastors rejection OF
every dainty out OF the abundance of
I choice dishes and shake their heads
/ at this evidence OF asceticism. Tho
stubborn view of material comforts
was typical OF the man who, stalwart,
muscular unbending and unsmiling,
stood for all that was hard and mex
orabe in his views of Christian life,
and duty, Even the beautiful daugh-
ter of ono of his leading farmer par
ishioners felt rebuff at his stiff re-
lection of the choicest dishes which
I oh tp,t l,t, i, l,.,.
pacity as one of the walters at the
/ installation feast. Barnaby. an edu-
Gated young man, son OF a wealthy
business man of an adjacent city,
appears on the scene soon after the
installation to visit his friend of his
school days, the new pastor, and is
eoldly received because Barnaby is a
happy spirited joyous fellow, fond of
what Is enjoyable in life. and the aus
terc pastor at once admonishes Barn
ably that life Is a stern. unblissfui real
ity in which hard, unlovely duty must
rule. Amanda, the village maiden,
whose prefer of dainties at the feast
the pastor rejected. was espied Ivy
3arnaby as he approached the village
60 make his visit and Barnaby at
once, struck with her beauty. pro-
nounces her glorious" and straight
way falls in love with her and rests
not until he gets acquainted with her.
Then Barnabys troubles begin.
Amanda has n lover, Ashgravc. a pow
erful, athletic young farmer, who lives
n lonely existence. his home stunned
by the villagers because Of a murder
committed there when his father, in
an oithurst Of anger and passion
wholly uncalled for. killed the mother
jealousy al Amanda's interest in and
awakening love for the handsome
genial, well-bred Barnaby. begins 10
ranklc in Ashgraves heart and stir
the slumbering fires of his evil ma
turc and ungovcrnablc passions Barn
ably, undauntcd. presses his suit an6
the storm of passion in AshgraVe''
broodng nature breaks when, at 9
chance meeting in n lonely spot Will
Barnaby, he discovers that Barnab!
will not retire from his endcaVor e
win the girl. Tragedy follows upor
, tragedy and underlying all in the sue
ceedlng developments is the back
ground of the pastors unlovcly Wow
, of theological requirements and obl
cations and his stern Interpretation o
the Scriptures. Amanda's struggle
between the promptings OF duty ant
, distorted vieys growing out Of NOR
bid conscicntiousncss make her life
, burden and bring her sore trials
which would have broken many spir
, It's less youthful The book develop
a at last the fact that human nature
, the old Adam. has not been obliterat
cd in the obdurate theologian who
, while in vain cndcavor to NOV
q Ashgrave to save his soul, become
enragod nj savage words of Ashgrav
t who curses him and forgetting hi
= cloth. deals Ashgrayc a'stunning hlo'
: and is promptly knocked senseles
. by the latter, all of which occurs jus
g as Barnaby and tho girl happen o
q the scene and luckily, too, to rende
q timely aid to thc PROSTATE clergyman
. Tho closing dcnoncmcnt Is most tragi
= and the direct result OF a violen
q Anti-Popcry sermon by the pasto
Il which starts a riotous throng Of tn
villagers raid to kill young Cath
O Ollie farm hand whom Ashgrayo ha
v taken partly for companionship; an
o arson aud murder follow. The read
Il or must discover for himself the fun
e ther various turns and surprises
~ the plot OF this able novel There Al
# many minor characters and som'
- thing Of the comedy element goes
II cnliven the sombreness of the bool
but the vivid presentation Of and d.
: lineations Of the leading characto
, story both as ominently readable an
! zone of real dramatic power.