The San Francisco call., 1909-04-04

one wonders where the author found
her model.
Ernestine Stanley is the child Of an
unhappy marriage. Her father was a
professor of biology and her mother
a dreamer. They never understood each
other and Ernestine, early in life, de-
cided against marriage with scientists.
She was an artist OF even more than
unusual ability. She had pictures in
the salon and was spoken of with
praise whenever she was mentioned.
When she decided to marry DR.. Karl
Hubers, her friends could scarcely be-
lieve their eyes. for she had been
outspoken in her convictions.
Karl Hubers is a remarkable char
acter. He Is engrossed in his work,
but has plenty of time outside OF it
to love his wife as deyotedly as she
loves him. He is an enthusiastic work
er and has turned his back on fame
and fortune in order TO devote his
life to scientific research on the sub
ject of cancer. The story of the mar
riage of these two people is too beau
tiful to be true. He is interested in
her work and constantly encourages
her and she is sympathetic with his
studies and shares his enthusiasm.
They have long honeymoon in Eu-
rope and then come home to settle
down to the serious business of life.
About half of the book is taken up
in so much of the story. then one
night Karl has pain in his eyes and
in a short time he is blind. The chap
ters where this tragedy is told are
heartrending. and. though beautifully
written. are too dreadful. One can not
be reconciled to this dreadful affiiction
coming upon Karl. He is a good man.
a great man and is devoting his life
to science, hoping TO discover some-
thing to benefit humanity: and one of
his own terrible cultures in his lab
oratory gets in his eye and wrecks his
life. His wife is resentful at first. and
who can blame her, but she sees that
she must encourage her husband or
his melancholy will kill him. Love for
each other sustains them; nothing else.
Karl settles down to literary work
and writes textbooks and scientific
treatises and Ernestine works at her
art harder than ever. Then the great
idea comes to her.
with the greatest difficulty she man.
ages to get permission to study the
laboratory work which her husband
has been doing. She keeps 1t secret
from him and when she Is competent
she intends to tell him and then he car
pursue his scientific studies through
her eyes. OF course she has to sacri-
fee her own career. but this she does
through her love for her husband with
much bravely endured suffering. Al
the end of year she Is ready to begin
work with him. but fate and tragedy
spoil all the plans. 1t is too terribly
heartrending, and one reads 1t with
swimming eyes and contracted throat
and a nervous suffering difficult tc
describe.
For so long we have been treated
to novels with a happy ending that II
IL a shock to read this one; the whole
last half OF 1t is sob. When the
final grand climax comes Ernestins
proves that work is the great savior
and manages to get some little salts
faction out of her shattered life. Il
one can find fault with a piece Of work
SO we'll done as this 1t is that the agony
is too long drawn out. It is de-
pressing; too little of lightness ant
humor to help one along. but the au-
thor shows ability of no mean order
She Is an all around student. for she
has tho art patter OF the studios al
much at her finger ends as the scientific
laboratory talk. and the lore story
could not be told better.
This publishing house has been for.
tunate in Its faith in two new writer.
this year. Barr Moses. with his Dream
ing River" and now Susan Glaspell II
THE Glory OF the Conquered"