The sun., 1909-05-22
NEW hooks.
A Tale or Primitive Impulse.

Certain impulses ami manifestation,
Of human nature are considered YER;
frankly by Mr.. John Trevena in his story
Of @Arminel OF the West (Moffat, Yard
and Company. Dartmoor Jack, who
went about in a cart peddling oil--an
agent, we suppose, for Mr. Rockefeller
was Arminel's father. Her mother she
never knew. because that parent ran away
with sergeant in the military shortI;
after the heroine was born.
The story makes no concealment Of
any Of the circumstances of the early
family history. 1t Is related, for instance
that there were two ceremonies on the
occasion when Dartmoor Jack wa,
married. There was the Wedding itself
and immediately afterward the lttlo
Arminel was baptized. When the clone.
ment with the sergeant took place there
was absolutely no fuss about the matter
Jack received the news of his bereave.
ment with "a bland smile" and the wdcw
who came over from Taw Green to supply
the vacant place in the household was
faithful soul with excellent qualifications
The oil agent was rather proud that the
elopement should have been with
sergeant He often mentioned that he
had a relation who was an officer in tho
British army That Arminel should have
grown up to be lady" was due no,
at all 10 those powerful matters 80 fre.
quently insisted upon, heredity and en-.
vironment. but to the fact that she ha1
been axay at school and even for littls
while school teacher.
The story has some very remarkabl,
illustrations OF the power Of primitive
impulse It considers as curious tie
reflection that primitive impulse should
be the least respeotable-thing in social
life 1t calls attention to the fact that
young woman observant OF baby scream
ing for its bottle will speak Of the baby
a. "a sweet angel" but that IL the cir
ctimstances are somewhat changed, II
II is a case of 'an elderly gentleman
screaming for his bottle the gentleman
In question will very likely be described
as "an old DEVIL The story says that Ia,
instinct is the same in both cases. Stl
Il the drink is changed we do not see why
1t is not proper to have change In tAs
Characterization
The story ID pivotal and very explicitly
communicative upon the idea that the
devil IL In US. One OF the characters d
Mona. the rector's daughter. an incredibly
innocent and timid creature, who changes
In an hour into creature incredibly far
from deserving any such description.
The last part OF the chapter entitled two
Maidp' will probably not make in thes,
accustomed. days the commotion tha.
would have rewarded it once upon time.
still 1t is a noticeably bold. unblushins
last part OF a chapter.
We were glad. OF course. that Armnel
should have married Challacombe who
was the ar!sticrat of the neighborhood
and the heir to Stokey and North Beer
She deserved to be repaid for her clever.
meas in becoming lady" At the same
time we do wish that after she was safely
married she could have been saved iron,
being quite so wishywashy. The record
OF conjugal kisses is much too long. Her
playfulness was exoessive; she called her
husband . monkey too persistently
Plainly it was foolish Of her to throw
away her wedding ring and pretend that
she was going to jump into the lake. She
never meant it, There are parts u tn
story that are much moro supportablc
and satisfactory than the parts relatin
the endearments expended by Arimnc
upon her husband. her husbands fatber
her huabapd's aunt and upon the litts
dog obtained at the dog orphanage in
RatterSeA