New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-03-11
New Spring Novels by Robert
HiChenS and Others.
OCCULTISM.

THE DwELLER ON THE THRESS2HsoLLhp ~
BY Robert Hichens. Emo PIP go Inc
Century Company.
From time 10 time a writer arises 10
retell in terms OF the life, experience ana
interest. of his own generation the age
old parable Of the struggle between goou
end evil, light and darkness, strength
and weakness Mary Shelley refash-
toned IL by the light OF her day IN
"Frankenstein." Stevenson set II in the
eypectant scientific atmosphere OF the
SOS Of the last century. and produced a
remarkable book in "Dr. Jekyll ana MI
HYDE" Mr.. Hichens gives il new turn
an ultra-modern se-.ing. in this tale'
which reflects alike the confident hopes
Of occutism and the cropping advance OF
scientific psychology.
In these successive adaptations OF the
old theme and its eternal significance II
is only the outward circumstance the
image. that changes. The great en-
bodied protagonists remain. 1t IS no
wonder, then. that Mr.. Hichens's YER
sion resembles that OF Stevenson IN many
ways. since both belong 10 different
stages of the same era Of human prog
ress. Stevenson presented the struggle
between the two principles, the duaiity
OF our nature. within one human soul,
whose good dallied with evil and made
compromises with it until the evil got
the upper hand and destroyed the good.
His is the more direct parable. Mr..
problem unsolved. shading light into
cleaning. darkness into dawn and light
again. More intent on the situation from
us metapsychical and psychological point
OF view than on the dramatic success OF
his story. he yet-and probably for that
very reaSon-tells an exceptionally en-
crossing tale. II is so markedly Of the
moment In both its metempirical and its
experientisl aspect.
The struggle in this book IS between
two English clergymen, the one the
rector OF a fashionable London church.
IN able administrator. brilliant
preacher, a man Of ambition and will
power but a skeptic at heart, and an
occasional secret sinner. after the man.
ner of DR.. Jekyll. The other. his curate.
Is sincere, but weak OF will and char
scter: an ardent admirer OF his masterful
ecclesiastical superior. The stronger will
persuades the weaker one 70 occult ex-
periments for hidden reasons OF its
own. but under the double pretext that
the ultimate proof Of the faith on which
religion is based may be found by that
means, and that the ruling will may
strengthen the weaker one by mental
treatment.
A man Of leisure. a dilettante in occult
ism and q scientific psychologist are the
spectators Of and commentators upon
the tragedy that follows. And here Mr.
Hichens introduces a touch that is
characteristic Of his work. Watch the
link" the scientist counsels the ANA
ieur The link" is the rector's wife
and in the end the tragedy IS hers most
Of all II is in this that lies the vast
divergence between Stevenson and
IIichens.
The story Is less directly dramatic
than stevenson's-the comparison con-
tinues 70 suggest itself-it is more toll
Grant in its shadings Of good and evil. It
makes IN experiment rather than draws
? moral. but IL is Just in ell this that il
gives the old problem Of our dual nature
setting and significance that are Of
the very moment in the dim. slow dawn
q psychological advance.