New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-30
A New Romance, Written by a
Man of Genius.

THE SONG OF RENNY. BY Maurice
Hewlett. 12mo, PIP. VIII, 4i9. Charles
Scribner's Sons.
Mr.. Hewlett has done an extraordl-
nary thing. Several years ago his In
spiration appeared TO have left him. and
though he went on writing with energy
and skill, the very fact that ne could be-
stow so much ability upon the mere
routine of literary composition made the
revival Of his old charm seem doubly
doubtful And yet all the time as was
repeatedly stated in these columns, one
could not forget that 1t was a man Of
genius who had written The Forest
Lovers" and Little Novels Of Italy"
and the reader loyal to those beautiful
books could not abandon the wistful
hone that that man Of genius would
some day come into his own again. Mr..
Hewlett has done this usually impossible
thing in The Song OF Kenny" 1t Is
better book even than THE Forest
Lovers" and It is peculiarly interesting,
while noting that fact to testify to
certain fine freshness about the work,
such as one would scarcely think Of as
sociating with It considering Its date.
The authors first and most popular
novel was published thirteen years ago.
and since then he has brought out about
a dozen volumes. In these rapid days or
ours he counts, We suppose, as some
thing of q veteran of letters. But, as
matter of fact, the arts Of maturity are
used in this new book Of HIS as the true
artist always uses them-only as
means to an end. In its spontaneity, IN
its swift elastic movement, in It's fra
grant atmosphere, 1.-THE Song Of Kenny
might be the work Of q young master
lust arrived 10 take the town by storm.
The romance is well named. It is a
troubadour's CANON, written in the form
Of prose, but burning from beginning TO
end with poetic fervor. And what a
story II tells! When Earl Gernulf de
salas comes home to his stronghold of
speir, in the county Of PikpoyntZ, IN the
FIRST chapter, we face him on scene
foreshadowing in its dour picturesque
ness the grim stuff Of thrilling nara
tive. The landscape painting here is
superb and the dramatic fire latent in II
almost instantly bursts forth in action.
From his bleak picture Mr. Hewlett thus
turns to the introduction of an even
bleaker motive:
Now. 10 spier came the Earl in haste
one frosty autumn morning, scantiiy at
tended as his custom was, and bringing
with him a girl-child set before nm on
the saddle bow. She seemed to be some
twelve wears old; she neither crled mol
showed traces OF tears, neither spoke moi
was surprised at anything; had no rear
and never ceased watching. The great
man dismounted in the courtyard and sci
the child on her feet on the flags. Then M
called for Clotilda, the housekeeper.
81 am here my lord said she, VINO nae
watched him up from the valley. HI
passed the child over 10 her; ID
'She is a dead mans daughter he SAID
The dead man was Kenny of Cold
scaur. the chief Of a house second In
power only to the King and yielding not
even 10 royalty in its pride. Sabine dc
Kenny knows in Gernulf the assassin OF
her people. and though as a captive
Child she IS helplessness itself, the sou
Of her IS set unflinching upon future
i'm which vengeance shall be hers. The
poor little figure is more than patti etc
the mark Of tragedy rests upon heI
brow. For a moment, as 1t happens VIC
are little anxious about what Mr.
Hewlett may propose 70 do with his
heroine. We dread a mechanical repe-
tition Of the touching sentiment envel-
h oping the maid in THE Forest Lovers
. But it is not long before we are reas-
~ sured and confidence comes not only
from the drift of the story but from th'
wholesome throb at its heart No writer
tending TO repeat himself could preserve
the splendid gusto Of these pages.
They unfold a sngularly Intricate
plot. The aim Of Gernulf, or Of Pix
poyntz, as he is more often called, il
obvious enough. Having Sabine undo
his hand the odds are all in favor Of hi
ultimately fixing himself IN her father
seat. for the Kings writ Of outlaw!
against the Red Earl may easily enough
be disposed Of in an age Of turbulenc
and intrigue. But the murders at Cold
scaur have not left Sabine utterly with
out kinsfolk, and. indeed, two youn
women Of her line, Mabilla and Hold
with men Of more or less might behin'
them. have 10 he reckoned with in tn
game now 70 be played with a grea
domain for its prize. The captive Of tn
first chapter is, perhaps, more OF paw
than a player in that game, and, con
sidering her I'm the former role, we ar
hound 10 admit that Mr. Hewlett seems
et any rate. 10 make an artistic slip. III
begins with Sabine, for a long time tn
interest lies very largely with Sabine
vet in the long run It is Mabilla who, II
Affirmative force, seems to claim tn
centre of the stage. on the other hand
we may also admit that these things
are only Of q seeming for Sabine domi
mates the book, despite the various turns
of her fortune We cannot reveal those
turns To do so would be TO anticipate
the readers enjoyment in the pursui
Of a story as complicated as any evel
devised by a dealer in mysteries. Th'
hook is packed with incident The actor!
in this drama are numerous, and every
one Of them has something to do, some
thing Of positive importance in the work
Ing out Of the grand climax. They %
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