Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-12-12
ny w. HERBERT blake

d1Cap' she was not Ill lne ledst ~
mantle. She thought she was, ana sne
tells us she is, but she really doesn't
understand romance in the least. one
proof of this is that she says she failed
TO find America romantic, because
young men and young women go troop
ing around together, playing tennis ana
picnicking and doing other simple.
healthy, enjoyable things, without any
of the mystery with which some Eu-
ropean countries fancy they shield anu
veil the love instinct. And then, 1T
tie later, Elizabeth meets a real Amer
lean. with whom she tries 10 flirt-
daintily but desperately. lie Tails IN
love with her-she is a married woman
and q marchioness-and when he hndS
out the truth he acts with calm
chivalry. He does not rant, and swear
eternal fidelity, and take his leave in
a purple haze of false sentiment. NO.
He merely acts as her escort during
her western trip-chaperoned, of course
and at the end takes leave of her
very quietly, like a man and a gentle
man.
Elizabeth thinks him splendid, of
course, and hurries right home TO her
own husband, with whom she has mad
a trifiing disagreement, causing her
fight to America. But she does not
think him romantic for moment. IN
her secret heart one fancies she is
bit disappointed in him, and considers
him a noble prig. She has the same
superfor disdain of Petrarch ana MS
Laura because they settled down ana
married quite respectfully, the Wlle
having eleven children in about ntteeh
years and the husband continuing
making sonnets to her, never mindlnS
that a Bit - ~,
"Now. do you believe it, mamma -
writes Elizabeth to her long suffering
parent in England. "A man TO stay
in love for twenty years with woman
who kept on having eleven children, All
the image of the husband, as good as
gold! l don't. Petrarch was propaply
some tiresome prig like all poets anu anu
Thought her a suitable peg to hahg
his verses on $780, ..,,,,
Sow to any sensible. ordinary man
or woman, Petrarch appears to be
Jolly good fellow, whose roihallCe
Doubtless wore as well in ms hosPl-
tahle family circle as IT has III the
slightly larger cycle OF the CeuSul zee.
Elizabeth and Mrs. Glyn simply 40 ~
understand romance, when Is qut'u
naturally a matter of common, happy
tbines such as cows and children ana
doing ones duty but is frighttuliy
strained and SCARED when it IS mace
10 do service as an apology tor intrigue
and r-estheticism. 49,. 90
Queen Elizabeth ruled over one ol
the most romantic eras of the Worlu
history, not forgetting the very 10 To-
mantle present. Men were rounding
.i'' ma ,,ic Horn in those days, as they
6nte todav on discovering the enigmat-
10 noIe And II is the irony or neon
Mt, that Mrs. Glyn should nave
99an,ad her new book after the steer
eonIed old sweetheart of Sir amer
Peleieh Very far indeed is this snlI-
Eng. snobbish little gentleWonlah rum
the rude, pious, profane, tender uolh-
ineering old queen whose lovers
smashed Armadas and ropeo IN as
tant continents as rahcher CoIHul9
a refractory steer.
Modern America is in some respects
Elizabethan. Mrs. Elinor Glyn is APP
parently an extraordinary hybrid OF
early Victorian and later Partisan. Her
Elizabeth is a dutiful child. Like all
Mrs. Gyms exotic muliebrities-one IS
unwilling to call them women-she is
idly fascinated with the taWdry glam-
our her little prurient fancy casts over
vice. without being coarsely in love
with IL. A dilettante in life, as in NOR
ais, and a sampler Of toy emotions, her
naughty criticisms of America sug-
eest rather strikingly the familiar lm-
age Of the gadfy affronted by even as II
stings the stolid fidelity of the mastiH:
with the stings themselves we could
agree heartily, If only they were more
b1nest and less clever The mastiff is
doubtless a stolid fellow, although ac-
tive enough sometimes when reused.
Elizabeth should have looked into ms
ewes. and she would have read romance.
Leaving the figure, she should nave
taken greater pains to meet the real
Americans. AS 1t was she rlcocheted
about the country, right through the
and railway trains. Sometimes she
found il interesting, and frequently IN
Conceivably dull. OF course. II she
had only taken the trouble to study
that dullnesS she would nave seen Il
Great light. She would have found at
its heart the sane and humble chlValry
of Petrarch and his Laura, the sense
of honor keen and clear, and a certain
fundamental scorn Of the fatuous toIK
aT1ong whose devious ways the mine
inc marchioness ambled from ocean to
ocean. She would find these Ideals mil
liant and Overborne sometimes by the
measure of bourgeois eXpediency ana
sheer getting on In the WoFlu. ne
legend of her country's own hlng Ar
thur is the story of heroic defeat. but
the legend lives, as does romance IN
America. Those who seek IT, ma H.
such foreign visitors as pass tnelr
time here i'm Summing trips ana IAN
ouid mink teas may come upon IL uh-
91yares. Such will think 1t unklhu OF
etupid in American men not 10 tlrt
With them, which, perhaps, IS what
the gadhy thinks of the masuH'
Rut no doubt the mastin Is oosesse'l
with the hope that the gadfy VIII grow
nm And such must be cur parting eN-
h6rtation to Mrs. Gyms Elizabeth.
Txcept for repeated instances OF
CARELESS proof reading, the book is W
ECONOMICALLY attractive. its style
strains hard to be scintillating, ana oc-
casionally succeeds. -,,,---.
I,Iizabeth Visits America. BY Elhor
Glvn. Duffield & Co, New YORK
HThe Young Mans Affairs"
4 unique tribute has been paid TO
.vThe Young Mans Affairs" by CharleH
| REYNOLDS Brown, pastor OF the flIS'
| Congregational church of OAKLAND Cal'
| A california woman has asked that
/ ronv of the book be forwarded, NJ hei
! exnense. to every prominent college IL
| brarv i'm the United States. Inc pooh
| is an earnest and frequently helpIul
! discussion of the problems OF youth,
,,nder tEe chapter titles, purpose
@I,,tir,ates." Books" Money" "Rec-
,aations," "Wife" and Church. me
! LANGUAGE is simple ana the trealnenS
direct The tone is notably sane anu
Tho advice given, for the most part
Nybot fathers of every creed ana poiHl
Of view would wish to have written Iol
The guidance of their sons. 70,
the young Mans Atfalrs' ny
Charles Reynolds Brown" New YORK
Thomas Y. CroWel & CO.