The San Francisco call., 1909-11-21
!" John Marvel. Assistant"


BY Thomas Nelson Page. Illustrated by James
scribner's Sons. New York. Price $3.50
Thomas Nelson Page has accom-
plished a remarkable. fest in his latest
novel, John Marvel, Assistant" He
has written novel full of action
even of melodrama with sociological
study as its central theme, and yet
there is no excitement. His style is as
placid and leisurely as a May morning,
and so charming that even his descrip-
tions of some of the horrors Of slum
life scarcely ruffie the reader.
Henry Glave. a young southerner, is
the real hero of the novel and tells the
story. He may be considered an aver
age young man of today, slightly con-
ceited, yet possessed of some clever
ness and qualities which adversity
helps to develop. After leaving col
lege he makes too much money too
suddenly and loses his head-also his
money-and decides to go west to be-
gin over again. The city where he
settles is not definitely identified in
the story, but is perhaps Chicago. 1t
Is meant to stand for a typical Amer
ican municipality of today. In this
new city Henry Glave finds it difficult
to set a start in his professionally.
He sinks lower and lower and the
reader is taken along with him and
iHtEOUuCcu 10 each OF society.
Glave finds two of his college mates
who have given themselves TO the
cause of humanity One is John Mar
vel assistant to the rector of ar
established church, slow ploddins
boy never brilliant in college, who
works many years before his worth is
discovered by but the few. The other
is Leo Wolfrert, a brilliant, high mind
ed but almost fanatical young Jew, who
hnS OiVpn his hnr,a nd fo ov,A
rich Inheritance 10 devote himself to
the cause of socialism and help the
poor.
Eleanor Leigh. the heroine. is the
daughter of one of the rich men of the
town. She meets John Marvel and
becomes convert to his humanitarian
teachings and does real things to help.
A strong contrast is shown between
Eleanor and her rich and philanthropic
aunt who owns much slum property
and grinds her tenants through the
agents in order to have more money
for public charity.
The various problems of social con-
ditions, of corruption among the rich.
of the abuse of labor unfonism the
white slave traffic, socialism. the for
eign population. political corruption,
are all handled by these four young
people, each in a different way. One
gathers that socialism, the theories Of
socialism, modified, is a partia! sugges-
tion on the part of the author for a
possible solution. But he does not ap-
pear TO have studied his subject deeply
enough to make strong appeal.
Henry Glave, having renewed his coll
lege friendship with John Marvel and
Leo Wolffert and having met Eleanor
Leigh, joins the band of reformers He
has no very strong convictions, but ad-
mires Marvel and Wolffert immensely
and has fallen in love at once with
Eleanor. For her sake he is ready to
do anything.
To counterbalance this group of
earnest young workers we have IA po-
litical boss who is the most vicious of
his kind; a labor leader too vile to be
classified, who calls a strike for pey: a
vulgar fortune hunting nobleman, who
is so plainly vicious that one wonders
that any one receives him. and a min
lister. Doctor Capon. of a fashionable
church who toadies to his rich parish
toner's and takes all the credit for John
Marvel's hard work.
The book is long one, but is worthy
of careful reading. 1t is sure to cause
its readers to think. and the entire abb
sence of hysteria on the part of the
author makes some of his statements
the more Impressive. The persecution
of the Jew Is powerfully handled and
is one of the strongest parts of the
book. Wolffert advances a system of
philosophy TO which Mr.. Page devotes
a chapter, with the polite hint that 1t
may be skipped by the reader but
the serious reader will not skip 1t and
will find some suggestions therein
worthy of consideration and discussion.
The love story OF Henry and Eleanor
while IL has AT times sordid and de-
pressing background, makes itself out
to a successful climax.