New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-10-12
a Glance at Samuel Butler and
lis Novels.

lis Novels.
THE WAY OF ALL FLESH BY Samuel
Butler. 12mo. pp. 80 Z. p. Dutton d
Co.
EREwHoN: OR. OVER THE RANGE.
BY samuel Bu3ier. i2mo. PIP S24- L. T.
DUtton & Co.
EREwHON REVISITED: TWENTY
YEARS LATER. BY Samuel Butter
l2rno. pp. SSS. = p. Dutton q Co
If ever a posthumous edition Of the
works Of an author neglected in mis- life
time deserved and needed an introduc-
ton. it is that Of the three novels Of the
late Samuel Butler. They fairly clamor
for a PREDATORY inJerpretatire study and
for a brief outline Of his life. especially
The Way Of All Flesh" which is con-
fessedly largely autobiographicaL IN
stead Mr. Z. A Streatfield, who has lost
an en1-iable opportunity. furnishes US
with a few unimportant data concerning
the period OF the writing and the year
Of publication OF the book. 'E9ewhon'
and its seoael are issued with no intro
ductorv matter whatever except the
authors own, which is insufficient for
present day purposes. It is more than
Buffers novels-'-The Way Of All Flesh"
now appears for the first time-to Mr..
George Bernard Shaw. who acknowl-
edged his Indebtedness TO their author in
the introduction to Major Barbara,
and thus drew attention TO them. That
''Erewhon," at least WAS not altogether
without honor in its own day and gene
ration which are. after ALL not SO very
remote-lS72 being the date Of its first
publications. proved by a quotation
from review by Mr.. Birreil in the
Speaker" reprinted here on the fly leaf.
Samuel Butter was born in 1880. OF a
clerical family. and. like Ernest Pontifex.
the hero of The Way Of All FLESH was
destined for the Church. His own wishes
in the choice Of a career were not con-
suited and. again like his hero. he &C
guessed. for il was still the age Of ab-
solute parental authority, which was hut
rarely disputed because the whole edu-
cational system Of the period. religious
and secular. had for its chief aim the in
culcation Of a belief in the infallible
wisdom Of parents and Of a realization of
the overwhelming burden Of obligation
toward them of their children. whose
chief duty was blind obedience. and their
greatest virtue a consciousness of their
own unworthinesS. inferiority and sin
fulness II was still the age when father
always knew what was best: the study
Of child psychology was as yet unborn.
It is somewhat difficult for the rising
generation TO look back Understandings
from the present era of parental abdica-
ton OF all authority into the hands of
school boards, busy maiden ladies and
theoretical experimenters- across the in
terregnum Of the Apologize attitude Of
parents" TO that day when parents never
knew a doubt and children obeyed. often
with rebellion in their hearts and oftener
stin with smouldering hatred. The Way
|. Of All Flesh" boils with this reminiscent
u bitterness against a narrow, often unin-
telligent hut nearly always well meant
domestic tyranny.
Butler. like Ernest Pontifex, went to
Cambridge. but here the careers OF the
author and his hero begin to diverge, for
Butler having religious doubts. re-
nounced the Church and emigrated to
New Zealand whereas Pontifex, cowed
10 the point Of non-resistance at home
and public school. took orders and began
his rlinistrations among the poor in Lon
don. Butler carries his story through
three generations The first PoHtifeX
was a publisher Of religious books.
money grubber, hard as a flint and am
bilious who destined his son Theobald
Tor the Church and forced him into il
against his questionings Of conscience. !
Theobald became resigned, then smug,
in the course Of his life, an honored
nonentity abroad. tyrant n his home
and. like his father. a lover OF money.
His son. Ernest, follows the same course
UP to certain point. then modern in
huences begin 10 make themselves felt
religious doubts from Germany. Darwin.
the turmoil within the Church. Ernest
Is destined TO find himself with their aid.
While he. twenty-five years old.
ignorant Of life and the world, is taking
himself with all the supernatural seri-
BUSINESS Of the young cleric, and finally
blUnders into a scrape that sends him
10 prison for six months-he who would
cure human weakness had ut under
stood his own. carefully hidden from
him by his parents-while al this is
taking place in London Butler was
making failure of sheep raising in New
Zealand. He read The Origin Of
Species IL his abundant leisure, and
the book gave him an idea-that of
''Erewhon.' Returning TO England IN
the following year, he identified his
hero's lie again with his own, and be
gan TO write for publication. Ernest
Pontifex's eyes were open now TO the
narrow inCspacity OF his father, the
acquiescent futiiity OF his mother, the
fundamental errors Of the whole system
under which he had been educated. and
Of the social conventions, pretences and
insinoerifies that formed its base. lie
had his period OF storm and stress. learn
ing what his parents would not have
taught him even If they had known it
their worldliness was confined TO money
and position alone-paying the price OF
experience. and emerging at last. in the
possession Of ample means left him by
q wise maiden aunt Then he began his
career as a writer. The turmoil within
the Church 81 England. the uncertain
Ties engendered by the aggressive sci