The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-20

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Two English women, both novelists.
one famous and one notorious, visited
America last year. From all that one
accorded all possible courtesies and
both expressed themselves pleased. But
each has written book since her re-
turn; not q travel book exactly. though
Mrs Gyms book was personal impress
sions OF the places she visited, but filed
with opinions and criticisms. Curious
" enough. the two books, though to-
tally unlike, have arrived at the same
ooncIusion-that the divorce evil Is the
one great evil in America which needs
reform
Mrs. Ward has always attracted at
tention by her writings, but never till
this novel appeared has she approached
the sensational One always associates
her name with dignity, and this cheap
purpose novel will not add luster TO
her fame
The first scene OF this tale is in
America. where q certain young Eng
lish Apollo, one Roger Barnes, whose
fortunes are shattered. has come TO
America TO repair them. Roger has
been brought up in the lap Of luxury
and Il Is a great shock TO find on his
fathers death that the family fortunes
are gone. There Is barely enough left
70 give his mother 4 tiny income. and
Roger must 90 TO work or marry
money. BE comes TO America with
many fine letters, few OF which
are 10 bankers and brokers. but he has
spent his time 50 far in doing society
and has not yet tried TO work. One
gathers that bis mother is a querulous,
disappointed woman who wishes him
10 marry money and who is ressntful
al even the thought OF his working.
Roger meets Daphne Floyd and they
fall in love with each other. The pic
ture OF Daphne is not alluring and not
typicaIly American She is an orphan
with a tremendous fortune in her own
right This she manages herself. which
gives her great independence Of man
.er Her father had been a selfTnade
man. an Irishman, and. on a business
trip 10 South America had married a
beautiful Spanish-American Daphne
mad inherited the quick temper OF her
mother and her rather hamboyant
style. and from her father. perhaps, a
kind OF loud vulgarity which hardly
seems 10 1T in with her other charac-
teristics-
In this first meeting between Roger
and Daphne she tells him the story OF
a woman friend who IS Of their party.
Briefly. the woman tired Of a husband
whom society would not take up. The
husband adOred her, and when she was
about 10 secure divorce he went TO
Niagara and drowned himself. The
wife felt very sorry, but Daphne said
that she was quite justified in seeking
the divorce Roger is Mortified, and
particularly because she. q young and
Innocent girl. should even know of the
existence OF such evils. To say nothing
~ having pronounced opinions upon
.he subject However. that question is
dropped ard soon they are married and
fl England
Daphne meets all the old friends OF
the family and quarrels rather un-
necessarily and vulgzrly with ali OF
them from the archdeacon down. a
Mrs. FairmiIe interests her at once
and she learns that she and Roger had
been engaged and that she had
promptly broken it when ne lost his
father and his fortune. She has mar
ried since and is now separated from
her husband. but not divorced; oh, no.
She drifts about England visiting rich
friends and relations and he stays In
India. In a spirit OF mischief she firts
4 bit with Roger and compromises
him enough for the jealous Daphne to
read anything she likes into It. Where
upon Daphne and nursery governess
manufacture case and fiy 10 America
10 sioux Falls and secure q divorce
-i-sch is legal IN America, but not IN
rrlnnd Hence Daphne is free, but