The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-09-03
THE BOHEMIAN LIFE

The Common Law. By Rober, W.
Chamhcrs With Illustrations by
Charles Dana Gibson. Published by II.
Appleton and Company, New YORK
This Is one of Chamber IS great sto-
rics, and is dedicated 10 Charles Dana
Gibson. "a friend of many years.
who has profusely illustrated the work
The theme considered is tho free, uu'
conventional life of artists in New
York The chief of those concerned rs
Louis Neville. brilliant artist, great
in drawing, courageous in coloring,
splendid in Imagination. fertile IN
fancy, and tireless in execution. Ic
him comes beyond all barriers y
''grccn girl ms IA model. She has
had no child hfc, no cnIoymeu,s, and
she Graves the association with life.
light and the beautiful. She has de-
voted her wears 10 the care of her IN
valid mother, who WAS a highly cdu-
Gated woman, and who had done great
things in the education OF her daugh.
ter the heroine. Valerie West. This
daughter. on appearing before Neville,
is shy and reserved. and on being or
dcred 10 pose in the altogether. cx,
hibits a timorousncss chat he fails 10
understand until he learns that it is
her first effort. He Is extremely con.
sidcratc with her, and she goes out
iuto the world of artists posing for
others as well as for him. There are
those who have faith in her. aud those
who would intrude upon her. those who
trust and those who suspect. II must
he confessed that she is made 10 live
rather free life cuioving carcsses,
kisses. and treats of many kinds aud
associations that are extremely risky.
But Ill it all she is made to preserve
her purity, her frankncss. her child
like ingenuousncss, and even. loving
him very dcvotedly, she engages
herself to become Neville 5 mistress,
refusing TO become his wife because of
her horror at the annoyance such a
union would cause him. with his
family and among his social class,
Neville acts as her confcsscr and
grandmother in way. but still
with all of the promptings of humanity
in him, and at times giving way 10
sentiment that is perilous to both lt
is Il very long story, full of dcscrip-
ton, of analysis. of characterization
and Of vivid description of artist life.
Mr.. Chambers rcstraips himself III
nothing in the way of telling criti'
cism, AS half Of society has cX-
changed husbands, md half of the re,
mainder don't bother to- He is "A
master ole vivid word painting. and in
all this hS is at his best in this novel
Nowhere else is the Bohemian life
more freely portrayed. That ii is a
somewhat startling life which he de
picts. and that II Is possible to pass
through succession Of seasons with a
reserve of modcsty and purity that will
serve, he fully demonstrates But he
does not avoid showing the pitfalls, and
demonstrating that they are ready for
those who risk the fall. 1t is a power
fully written story, conceived and
wrought out in Chambers S best vein.
He is great novelist. and in this
story, as in others, he abundantly
proves IT. The common law marriage is
what Valerie West was determined TO
have with Neville; but the author has
with great skill and high purpose shown
the peril of that, particularly to the
woman. And in the end all is well,
The free artistic life, mostly manly
and clean. is depicted even more fine
~ than Du Mauricr depicted it. aud
the black sheep are clearly and en-.
pha;ically shown 10 be black sheep.
Intelligence, honesty. and courage
count here as in life, and it is all
very fine.