New-York tribune., 1908-02-15
Literary NesDs and Criticism.

Morgan's genius He has a way of telling
story. 1t scarcely matters IL the story, as
story, has great intrinsic brilliance.
The dramatic situation posted In this book is
soon subordinated. in the readers mind, to the
Illusion which Mr.. De Morgan creates of human
beings living on from day to day in current
OF ordinary events and pleasing Us by their
characters and their talk. The studies Of men
and women in Somehow Good" are peculiar
They are not elaborated precisely with view to
helping plot There is practically nothing
here of the interplay of character. urging on a
sequence of dramatic episodes and developing
in ever new and Suggestive ways. On the con-
trary, every figure in the book remains much
the same at the end what we find 1t at the be-
ginning But this is not to say that these fig
ures are immobile. that they lack vitality or
fexibility. Mr.. De Morgan makes them live so
that we visualize them. hear them speak. enter
into their feelings. and. in short. accept them
tangible companions. The husband and wife
from the very nature of their impossible situa-
tion threaten every now and then to become
almost if not quite Incredible. but they wake
doubts only to Danish them and you never cease
to feel concerned in their dongs. Sally and her
comrade Tishy Wilson. with the latter's sweet
heart; Sally's DR. Vereker and his f1endishy
selfish old mother: the retired soldiers and the
preoccuped scholar who pass occasionally
across the scene all these are painted with
subtiety that is the persuasive because it
is yelled beneath nominally straightforward
style One might say things of this sort. how
ever, about many novests. What distinguishes
Mr.. De Morgan's work is the saturation Of his
technical method in something that can only be
described as a kind of personal magic--a curious
blend of sympathy. hun1or worldly wisdom. and
above all. loving kindness.
1t is the broad spirit of his art that holds you
Take. for example his incessant shrewd glances
at the foibles of hum manity. He is never epi-
grammatic and quotable as is Meredith, say, nor
are his remarks especially original or profound
There is truth but not anything amazing in a
passage like this:
He was one of those useful people who never
fnesse who let you know pointbiank where You
99nIesling, While others there be who keep YOU
gently and ali IN e we Ma sre searg nsg break a n s
account against you for consderateness.
Isolated, that is not startling deliverance
III is the diffusion throughout the book of the
temper of this paragraph that conveys an i'm
preston. by itself delightful. of homely human
understanding. The touch, too, is always light
Mr. De Morgan is a humorst and, IL you like
a satirist into the bargain, but he has neither
the sheer high spirits the eager moral pur-
pose of Dickens-whom. for some occult rea-
son, he seems to recall to some OF his critics
His portraits have, indeed. nothing Of the full
rich quality which belongs to his great prede-
cessor. His vein is rather one Of gentle, deli
cate playfulness, tinged with certain quality
Of wistfulness. He keeps 1t well in hand There
is something about his story, to consider it
again as q story. which gives the reader pause.
1t has, in view Of all the elements in his char
acter as an author, vague incongruity. But
he is sincere. and. in the exploitation Of that
vein of his. SO sure. that while the spell lasts
you grant him anything.