New-York tribune., 1909-12-11

ia ny alone had authority after fashion
and exerted II after fashion wherever
It's interests were concerned; the second.
the period Of the coming Of law snd
order and tho early settlers. and Of the
railroad which drove before II the
pioneers to live the old. free life on
new selvedge Of civilization further
north. or turned them into peaceful. pro
sale citizens Some of these stories were
written long ago. In the carly days OF
their authors career; others are or
later literary vintage OF his. but. while
all are readable and reproduce in fun
measure the glamour Of strange places
and people that has. after all. been made
quite familiar to us by much telling and
reteliing through many years. none calls
for particular comment They arc char
scterized by a certain technical facility.
by high lights and dark shadows. the
simple. direct contrasts of lives lived in
primitive conditions. Northern Lights
is like good magazine fiction (which Is
sufficiently rare) in that il fully repays
a first reading. but is not likely to de-
msnd a second one.
from the atmosphere OF make-believe In
which his House OF Thousand
Candles" was built and played it's ad-
venturous part cannot be pronounced an
unqualified success. Realism does not
appear to be his field. at least not yet.
For one thing. the setting Of THE Lords
of High Decision" Pittsbure. upon which
considerable stress has been laid by the
publishers i'm announcing the book, Is
handled ineffectively: much more should
have been made and could have been
made of this important centre OF our
industries which has created so much
that is worth while in the world of art.
whose social existence is as yet almost
unknown territory in our fiction. whose
mighty Lords Of High Decision" be-
come better known TO us only after they
have foTsaken il to take up their abode
elsewhere among US. The young hero
one readily recognizes; he is of the
reckless breed that occasionally startles
the country with unexpected escapades.
casting a shadow on Pittsburg's fair
fame but fortunately he rises to the
occasion placed before him by the au-
TALLY this is powerful story. if not al
together an agreeable one: in execution
IL falls far below it's possibilities II
stands in need Of both elaboration and
pulling together" and therefore fails OF
making the impression aimed at.
They are three children. two Of
them young man and a girl nearly
70
father and the narrator of Mr. Jerome's
new story. which is by way Of being
humorous in Mr.. Jeromes well known
manner. The manner consists mainly
OF starting 10 tell a story and then wan
dering Off into "reminiscences, anecdotes
ana comments on things in general The
story begun here. which bobs up every
once I'm a while 10 furnish a new point
OF departure, is concerned with a house
III the country which 81" has bought.
and the improvements that can be made
in 1t TO make il nearer 70 his dreams.
which conflict generally with the views
Of his elder daughter. The younger
one. be II added. is a very modern child
in her own. more childlike way. There
is also Mrs. T." who is greatly inter
ested in the young architect who has
been called in TO look over the house.
interested in him, that is. through and
on behalf Of her elder daughter. Nr
Jerome flows on in his usual way. which
Is amusing here and there but very
obvious and painfully labored most Of
the time. The bits Of philosophy which
he introduces rather freely are neither
profound nor original. However. he
knows his English audience which Is a
large one. and appeals one would think.
with greater frequency and confidence
10 its sense of the ridiculous than to its
sense Of humor.