New-York tribune., 1910-01-09
Gbe Nelu'Dork GribmMe.
SUNDAY. JANUARY Q, 1910.

Novel indeed is the sensation of c0ngra tulat-
Ing an American writer on having twice beaten
Mr.. Kipling on his own ground. and this within
the limits of single brief composition. That
Mrs. Edith Wharton has achieved the feat no
one can doubt who tliSinterestedly compares
her story, called "Afterward," in The Cen
tury." with two stories in Mr.. Kiplng's latest
volume. In An IIabitation Enforced" the Eng
lish author makes effective play with the ex
perieuce of American and his wife, newly
settled in an ancient English country house.
The tale is one OF the best Mr.. Kipling has
written in recent years, but somehow Mrs.
Wharton'S handling of the same motive seems
natural, more faithful to life as it Is
actually lived When she turns to the fantastic
side of her theme she simply ObliterateS 1.-The
House Surgeon" Mr.. Kipling's ghost story.
Indeed. cheerfuly assert that "Afterward
is of the best studies in the supernatural
to be found in contemporary fiction. 1t has the
true ''shudder.' Ii is almost if not quite,
perfect work Of art The single flaw relates to
what might be described. in the familiar lugu-
briouS phrase. as 1.-THE disposition of the body"
As a matter Of fact, Mrs. Wharton does not
dispose of it at all. but, having allowed it mys
teriously TO disappear leaves the reader to
choose his own hypothesis, and that, if hatter
ing. nevertheless seems to lis an error of arts-
tic Judgment. But it is slight flaw,
The labor of those who strive to belittle
Thackeray is thrown away, for, year by year.
his memory is more and more beloved.
writer i'll recent number of the London
Saturday Review" is spokesman for a multi
tude. CHANGING at the always stimulating ques
ton of his character, character by no means
easy TO read, this penetrating critic says:
The Thackeray the world knew was himself
q A combined
humor of ripe judgment with boyish zeSt in
life was likely to charm and dominate and mys-
tfy his generation. Viewed from outside. he
appeared, partly account Of that very shy
ness that hid the real man, as q bundle of
contradictions. He was Il man who could say
n savage thing because of the very tenderness
of his senSibility. who could wound friend
because of the very carneStneSs of his desire to
please. who could appear Self-cOnSCiOuS and
awkward because of the very naturaneSs of his
heart. Then. in access of health spirits,
he could leap all barriers and appeal unerringly
to friends and listeners.
Abiding to the fact that TO man ever en-
joyed his fame more than Thackeray did. but
that no mans head was ever less turned than
his, the wise lover of the novelist goes on to
repeat the familiar story of Charlotte BrontG.
WorShipping her hero across the dinner table
and suffering agOnies as she saw him take his
fifth potato. With tears i'll her eyes she muir
INJURED: "Oh. Mr.. Thackeray. DON'T" The
great enjoyed the situation. but as this
commentator says. criticised it implicitly as he
enjoyed it. A hero. perhapS-but there were
the five potatoes 1t takes man of humor to
the two things together without laughing
stupidity unkndy cynically self-con-
sciousy. either at his admirer or ut himself