The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-21
THE LORDS OF HIGH DECISION. 9

Meredith Nicholson Writes strong
Novel with Pittsburg uS Locale.
The glorlfcation Of Pittsburg might be
an appropriate title 90 Meredith Nichol-
sons new novel. 1.-THE Lords Of High
Decision, which has proved 10 be one OF
the interesting books Of the month. Mr..
Nicholson is a strong writer. with unus-
usl powers Of vivid description. Some Of
his metaphorical flights might be COM
pared TO those Of Victor Hugo without
Improperly. but that they lack the sus-
tanned grandeur Of Hugo which is nat
ural enough when we consider that 1t
is only recently that Mr.. Nicholson has
displayed symptoms OF this class Of writ
ing.
The following description of Pennsyl-
vania is. perhaps the most pregnant tN-
ample of the descriptive genius which
forces itself through the surface Of this
book
The iron bones Of the ion0Isbe earth shook
nightly when PENNSYLVANIA vas born No light
DAYS business. ;he bringing forth d this cmpirc
Mountains 10 rear and valleys to cut; broad rivers
20 flowing iu generous channels; forests TO mar
shal and meadows o. unroli, iar and Open and glad
with green things growing. Winter, running before
myriad pockets Of the hills and flies northwaId
across the blue lakes to escape the geeul laughter
a. freed smiugs and singing brooks.
Scratch the crust and you may kiudic the world e
hearth scatter seed and fields were never SD grcCn
A fair prospect fOr the eye. INT greater hope IN the
heart uf man. Fortunate nation this. 60 have SO
socuc keystone n thc src1 of States, The SPIRITS
ot the pioneers. haunting the hilltois gaze down
an pIdc upon The tcgmmg valleys You sober ones
az tine broad brms. the ak has gone deep into the
forests yuu came to ucCplc. and m whose blood the
Scottish pipes skirl and bon whose heads flash the
Wit of Irish mother, no land ever received scundcf
or sansr Cr uobIer pilgrims And you. tDo. Flooding
nutchnicu farfuur drift, ui tac Rhcnish Palail
nate you were mot s1 ,oa and duh after all but
wise n your sowing and rmung. Ard call The Ioh
rf ramcs dear % the Welsh hills and marx ue
lusfy RESPONSE. Tho sourdesi race siocSs M the
world aic sraitCd mere. les us d. Wary q these
tales II plumber and compton Tho soil that
know Fuuklia is NOT s0 Eighth o. De yielded 90 per
ditiCu LIT us have patience. sDt,rug ones; ule
last numbering Conestogg has hardly faded INTO tht
WCst-aud thc making If States is rather more man
q DAYS rostimc, Verify you paid dearly Yer TINS
house u your laW-mal1.rs- marble and bronze ana
lApis lRzuli fOrso1thl But have care that WISDOM
and Honor ar, cuthrOued in those splendid nails
and with pocket, m their t'gas. lhtn it' Nlul
HAT dchleth The temple perish hy the sNoru-
Unfortunately for the appetite OF the
reader. this key Is not maintained
throughout The Lords OF High Decision
a study of Putsburg society life, with
a dabbIing into sociology on the side.
The interest i'm the story is for the most
part precented from languishing by "a
careful analysis OF the leading charac-
ter-Wayne Craighin. the scion OF a rich
house-not. however. at all resemblinS
the commonly accepted type Of PittsburB
millionaire The regeneration Of ne
r1ectod son IS TIT. KEYNOTE of the story,
and this is accomplished in the accepted
method Of introducing the poor but hon
est girl
The marriage Of Waynes father with
his sons former inamorata is rather
startling feature of the book. but there
is no cause Tor alarm on the part OF those
who would place the book I'm the hands
or the very young person, for while
smart the story does not border on the
scnsationalism so ordinarily and nauseat-
ingly practiccd by the latter-day novel
list. Mr.. Nicholson has too much regard
for the career which he is slowly and
surely building himself as an American
novelist To commit the mistake of writ
Ing a purely sensational work. He Is
concerned less in the reputation that
lives for an hour. than In hts permanent
position I'm the world Of letters.
"The Lords of High Decision carries
him a long distance on that road to sue
cess. He represents truly the native
tvpe Of earnest and resourceful writer
While not a great work. Mr.. Nicholson s.
book possesses undeniable literary merit
and reveals an ambition on the author
part. which is a gratifying note in the
field of native fiction New York:
Doubleday, Page & Coz