The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-28
SBlinds Down.

n. OOTan company, or NEW DIX, pup
fishers. $40 net.
'How things have altered" is the
cry of an older generation. to many OF
whom change and progress. the one an
outgrowth of tne other, mean Il new
ness In environment. In social needs
and conditions which they are deter
mined not to recognize, because 1t
means also n disturbance of the peace
ful placidlty they hold in such es-
TEEN.
Horace Annesley Vachcll has drawn
q fine picture OF real life in his novel,
and has succeeded in making his
meaning entirely clear without preaca-
ment or problem Instead. he has
used the honorable Misses Maulcvercr.
Jacqueline and Prudence, daughters OF
tho seventeenth English Lord Maulc-
verer, ana mistrcsscs OF Mauleverer
Court, an old English Georgian Dover
house. in the village of Charminstcr.
England, as illustrations.
These highly rsdned eentlewomen
look out upon life with ha!f-veiled
eyes. rarely raising ;helr lids, for fear
OF seeing too much. They, instead.
only sec what they choose but they
have young stepsster, Rosetta. who
desires passonately, not only to see
what naturally comes within the range
OF normal vision. but what lies be-
You'd It.
The book characters associated with
the Misses Maulevercr in working out
the purpose of the book. present in
torestinE varieties OF personality
There IS n medical practitioner Dr..
PoEgany. who in callow youth had
the incredible audacity to lift his eyes
TO Jacqueline. but who has long since
bcon made to feel the fooishncss OF
his early passion and has subsidized in
to the confidential post OF medical ad =
wiser. There is Crump. parlormaid
and faithful servitor To the maiden
sisters; the vicar and his wife Mrs.
Iovibond. and then' son. Septimus, n
young man Of radical tendencies. dis
approved OF by the Misses Maulcvcrer,
and beloved by Rosetta. Important
and llkable people are Lord Maulc-
vercr and his Wife. Mary. by whom
Rosetta Is presented at court. I'm
portant also. because OF his influence
upon the life of Rosetta, Is Sir Rod
ncy BrouCh. who marries her.
Later into the group of book peo-
pie come Mir. and Mrs. Easter and a
daughter. We're; Rose Brough. the
child of Rosetta Mauleverer: Derek
Devenish and Mrs. Devenish occupants
Of n pretty cottage in Charminstcr,
and Victor Maulevercr. heir to tho title
and entitled estates of the house OF
Naulevcrer.
Jacquelino and Prudence Maulevcr-
er feel, subconsciously perhaps. that
tho roses OF this world Eiavc not
bloomed for them. But exquisite and
fragile and delicate, as they are. they
rule tho little world which pays its
court to them, a world Joined in a
mistaken conspiracy for shielding the
sisters from the seamy side OF life
AS they jealousy keep the blinds Of
their house down on the side that
faces a mean street, known rs Hog
Lane: as the walls around their pref
ty garden, bristling with glass, are
cunningly concealed by masses of
trees and shrubbery. so arc things and
people deliberately ignored. wnen tho
sister sprefer not to take cosnizance OF
them.
In Charminster they have an i'm
mcnse influence. They keep them
selves and young girls under their
charge in cotton wool. Progress is
thrust aside by them and reform class
cd as radicalism. Although they dear
~ love youth and beauty as embodied
In their half-sistcr. Rosetta. they are
tne indirect cause of separation be-
tween her and her young lover. They
bring about tho ruin and unhappiness
Of her whole life. And when they are
about TO repeat tragic history by
standing between Rosctta's daughter
and the man of her choice. the sisters
probably hear for the first time the
truth about themselves. They hear 1t
because Rosetta rends the Well of 81
lcnce and makes of tradition and con-
vcation empty words, when she says
to JacQueline and Prudence: you be-
iieve that You have acted according 10
Your lights. but you forget that you
never allowed Your light to shine
properly l remember the day waon
7 realized the symbolism of those
1r1t = IND u.
remained down? Because YOU loath
Hog Lane a!pd all it represents l was
brought UP by yGt In innocence and
ignorance I was taught TO set an
extravaCant value upon refinement,
upon things of secondary importance
In life Those things may suffice some
women. but | am not one OF them.
am only half Mauleverer. In ono
sense. YOU were so kind TO nc. SO de-
voted, that used TO think my debt
could never be paid: in another sense.
you We're terribly cruel. because YOU
kept me in the twilight which YOU
loved. and then thrust me into blaz-
ing sunshine. Abominating evn. YOU
brought yourself TO believe that evil
hardly existed for the NIauleverers
know YOU were warned by "a kindly
soul before 1 rlarrted Lord Brough
You turned aside eyes and cars. You
taught me what love was Won kent
me in absolute ignorance of what hat,
might be. TIN l was fifteen that WA.
the right upbringiug. After fifteen a
girl ought to he taught what cvil IL
90 that she may recognize it. eve!
when disguised as good Should
nave been less Of saint slime,
greatly, and Goa knows that hay,
been punished. Women are not HAPPY
s you taught me, because they ar,
good; thcy are good, capable of cN