Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1912-12-03

than fact, and making the men and
women who fit across the mental
vision seem, for a time, more real
than the actors in the drama of the
day who fill the pages of our morn
ing and evening newspapers.
Such a. tale is 1.-THE Green Devil, a
Romance of Thornton Abbey in the
Days of John Wyclif'-by Arthur
Metcalf
On learning that the author is an
| American and former resident Of
Des Moines, the readers first sur
prise will be to find the touch SO
firm, the scenes so wildly pictured,
the atmosphere of the fourteenth
century so gripping. But to those
who happen to know that the auth
or himself was born and reared I'M
der the shadow of Thornton abbey,
and is as familiar with it's history
and traditions as was Scott with
Melrose, or Dryburgh, and has made
an exhaustive study of the literature
and folk lore of medieval England
and, withal, to those who know the
rare mental equipment of the auth
or for the work, the miracle of the
book is explained in part.
The first impression Of the reader
might easily be that the author had
given the book an unduly sensation
al title. But, the further one prog
resses toward the denouement, the
more inevitable seems the title chos-
en-. And yet there is a degree of in
justice to the. reader in the selec-
ton. As one reads the idyllic chap
tiers, scents the fragrance of poesy
and old romance, feels the womanly
charm of the heroine and the pure
passion of her lovers, he must find
himself grieving, just a little, that
'The Romance of Thornton Abbey
had not been made the sole title of
the book.
It is not possible to outline in
few words story of five hundred
pages; nor would it be fair to the
author or the reader to make the
attempt The story has its founda-
ton in the resentment of the peas
ants because of the large land hold
ings of the abbeys and the land lust
of certain abbots.
The estate of the mannor house
adjoining Thornton abbey is about
to be absorbed by the abbey. The
abbot, who is private tutor of Hell
Disc of the manor house, is the vic
tim of a seditious majority of the
monks, who are led on by their
dean. The frolics and superstitions
of the peasantry; the abbot's pure.
we'll nigh fatal love for Heloise;
the charge Of the dean that his su-
perior has been unfaithful to his
VOW of chastity; the mockery of the
trial; the predetermined condemna-
ton; the peasants uprising; the
siege of the abbey; the battle and
the retreat; the trial of the chival-
rous leader of the besiegers; the
mystery play in which the Green
Devil is the central figure; the an
tics and tragic fate of very gen.
uine witch: mystery of the abbot's
unaccountable disappearance, and
the wonder of his new conservation
to the cause of Wyclif and 1.-The poor
priests" and the idyllic course OF
true love running through the story,
relieving the reader from the din
of arms and from the villanies of
men in high places-all together
make the tale we'll worth the tel
ling, interesting even the jaded
reader of many books, and fascinat-
ing and at the same time instruct
ing the reader of few books. This
romance of Thornton abbey may
prove too worthy of large reading
to find it's way into the list OF the
best sellers; but. inasmuch as few
of the best books have been known
to reach that doubtful eminence,
there are in Mr.. Metcaf's Green
Devil'' possibilities of large sale
which may surprise even the author.