New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-19
Literary NetUs and Criticism,

strength, beauty and SO on. which are
described but which otherwise We must
take upon faith. and. moreover, On ord
HAMS oase tho validity OF his clsira 20
the kind OF Importance assigned 20 him
by the author does not really concern Us.
IL Is true that We wish there were more
IN him 90 gustify the admiration We are
told OF his inspiring in the people he
meets. but. on the other hans, our In
terest In him lies in a side OF his career
with which qualities % mind have next
20 nothing 90 do. His one poignant ap-
peal Is that Of the pampered young aris-
tOcrat. selfish. indolent. helpless. but
possessed Of a lOvable personality. who.
from the cradle 20 the grave. is taken
care OF by others than himself. In this
character OF insinuating youthfulness
and charm OrGham amuses and. into the
bargain. steadily holds our attention.
The very pink OF haughtiness. he Is new
ertheless egresiOusly managed" by his
women folk. and we look On-with per-
haps a little satirieal scorn en- our inter
est-at proceedings which carry him
along like a stick drifting with the tide
The figure. we fear. comes with only too
/ cruel an aptness TO the iiFs. NJ. ord
ham Is, indeed. something Of a stick.
something OF a prig. and one proof OF
this comes In the moment Of his nnai
choice. This leaves us unstirred- He
+ does not really make tire eheaee himself
as a being Of flesh and blood. The hand
Of Mrs. AthertOn Is visible. pulling the
strings. But very neatly she pulls them.
with the practised nOvelist's feeling for
the effective denOuement. Though we
may not be taken out o. ourselves by
Tower OF Ivory" We read Il with a GER
tain lulling appreciation and read on, en-
tertained 20 the end.
Anna Katharine Green IS a depend
/ able writer OF the kind OF fiction In
which the mysterious commission OF
crime throws seemingly fatal suspicion
upon the wrong person. In THE House
Of the whispering Pines she shows all
OF the adrOitness which long ago. in The
LeavenwOrth Case" established her re-
pute. Her opening scene is good. IL is
aid in IT, house % a country club. sup
POSED 20 he empty and locked. when IL Is
visited one winters night by the sup
pOsititiOus narrator. Having gained an
entrance. he observes. 20 his astOnish-
ment. the exit % the woman he loves.
and a moment later. upstairs. he finds
the dead body Of her sister. 20 whom he
had engaged himself 20 be married. |
Who killed Miss Cumberland? We know |
that her faithless lover Is innocent. but |
we can see also that he Is the person
naturally 20 be suspected. Since he Is
willing 20 60 20 Jail rather than tell OF
the third person in the house on the !
tragic night. the arm Of the law Is I'M !
mistakably destined 10 grOpe about
through a maddening tangle. The
author is ingenious. Page after page we
turn, and the book Is practically finished I
before We begin 20 guess the truth. Per
haps il is hardly fair 90 say that We
guess il then. II Is put before us. rather.
with startling suddenness. The reader
with a taste for detective stories win In
this book he well rewarded.
Mrs Martin has again made a praise
Aorthy excursion into the field OF Penn
4 sylvania Dutch character. wherein as an
I expOsitor she Is thoroughly az home and
quite alone. Again she dwells upon the
hard money greed and domestic tyranny
Of the men and the slavish meekness OF
their drudeing women folk. Her skilful
use Of their quaint dialect gives a singu-
lar vitality and yividness 20 the story,
whose incidents are simple and obvious
enough II is a theme OF dOmesticities.
something approaching a mild drama OF
broom. dustpan and dishclOth. A Penn
sylvania Dutehman Of brilliant powers.
the eldest son whom a stingy farmer
has consented 20 educate. becomes a sue
oessful doctor in a great metropolitan
hospital. There he falls IN love with a
patient an accomplished girl OF gentle
breeding from the South. and she re-
spends 20 his ardor. a prosperous prac-
tice in his native village opens before the
. Young man; the pair marry at once. and
they settle down In a sordid environ
ment which is strange. indeed. in the
eyes 81 the bride. whose life has been
. sheltered and care free. The doctor has
been brought up 90 regard women as
accessarily the serVitOrs OF man. and
Vhile in his urban life ne has learned 20
appreciate the charm OF feminine refine
mcnt and intellect. he still sees no rea-
son why his wife should not 90 all the
work II his house. rough and otherwise.
and thus enable him 90 save money as