Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-27
A Novel of Genius.

| IneSe inspired words OF the ApOcd-
lypse suggest the refrain which signs
through the pages of Robert HIGH
ens's novel, THE Way of Ambition. !"
Their portent. their solemn, awful
warning, weigh upon the mind as
one breathlessly rushes through this
but of many years. Professor Saints
bury says that It is not easy to see
what new country there is for the
novel TO conquer
But" he adds. "as with other
kinds of literature, there is practical
~ no limit to its power of working
its actual domains"
This expresses the feeling that one
has after reading 1.-THE Way of Am
bition." Mr.. Hichens has found a
new, or nearly new. country, and he
has produced a work of fiction which,
for strength of situations. absorbing
interest, psychological power, at
| mosphere and local coloring has not
been equalled since the days Of
Thackeray or Balzac.
A clergyman in this city of great
prominence, who met Mr.. Kitchens in
| Damascus not many years ago, told
me li4dl ne greatly Tie INV
elist, but" he said, while ! cannot
but acknowledge the brilliancy of his
perception, his inventive and his de-
scriptive power. I cannot feel that he
ever aims at high or worthy pur-
pose" Then he added this comment:
Il fear that the intent of much of
this authors work is unclean."
! venture to say that this Newark
minister win reconsider his estimate
of Robert Hichens after he reads
THE Way of Ambition
Claude Heath, a composer, is dis
covered as a genius by q lover Of
art in all forms. who speaks of him
to group of friends in a London
drawing room. One of this group.
Mrs. Mansfield. calls upon Claude
Heath. and he plays for her some OF
his compositions. These are musical
expressions of words in Revelations
They have never been heard in public
and the composer admits that he con-
siders them unsuitable for publicity.
Mrs. Mansfield has a daughter, Char
milan, who had been impressed by
Claude Heath when he was introduced
in the salon of Max Elliot, a man
always on the alert to find men of
genius.
Another woman. Mrs. Shiffney, had
also been struck by the appearance
of Claude. This woman was engouee
of sensations. of pleasure of novelty
and sensuous. exciting episodes. The
group of the drawing-room attends a
production of a new opera, and Char
milan. child of the London art and
society world. watches with envy the
triumphant wife of the composer. who
has won a complete success. Her
heart is fired. and as she leaves the
opera house she says to Claude. love
burning in her eyes: This triumph
should be for youi' That night
Claude sends her a letter of passion
and they are married.
Here the real story opens. The
trend of Claude's genius had been to
set forth in music the sublime words
of Scripture. He was a Cornishman
and had some of the strange charac-
teristics of his race. Above all. there
enshrouded him an invincible reserve
and timidity of mind and purpose. He
had also all the sensitiveness of gen
ius." But Chairman. a beautiful
strong-willed woman. highly bred anc
at home among the lions of London
had always desired that her life
should be something else than thai
of one who was only an atom in the
social vortex and she saw in Claude
her husband, a means of accomplish
ing her ambition. Therefore 81 u
once determines that he shall
an opera, and she. his wife
share his triumph and shine in the ~.
hected glory of the success he will
achieve through her efforts to aic
him.
Then comes the struggle of the mar
who, to please a woman, to satisfy hel
devouring ambition, prostitutes his
God-given inspiration and genius Il
gain the applause of the world. TIL,
2 conflict in the soul of Claude. hi.
fierce opposition. are painted with ex
e traordinary power, but even NOR,
marvellous is the delineation of tn,
/ woman. who seeks the allurement O
worldly notoriety.
! She procures a wonderful librettt
from a French man, half Algerian
4 and to obtain the necessary musica
! oriental coloring for the opera sh.
e compels Claude to go to North Africa
. There they live in the earthly para
5 disc which Mr.. Hichens so beautiful,
. describes and there Is brought Il
= them by friend. singer, an i'm
= presario who will be at once recog
: nized as that unconquerable Ameri
(; can operate entrepreneur who's
name is not for long out of the. col
/ umns of daily newspapers, either il
/ London or New York. The opera ha
been written and the manager ap
proves and accepts it.
The composers blood boils as h
surrenders his will to the all-con
quering impresario and transforms
the child of his genius to suit the de
mands of the experienced Snowman
But his wife's will Is still the chail
that binds him and he STILES his de
spair.
! At last the work is done and tn
! premiere is nearly ready for New
5 York. The day comes. the compose
!, had given way at last to the desir
for fame and Chairman believes tina
her hour of victory had struck
Alas The opera is fiasco.
In this moment of despair the un
: happy Claude finds his mental free
dom and CHAIRMAN the dawning O
contentment in the discovery that sh
!, loved, not the genius. but the hus
n band who proved his manhood in tn
!, dark day of worldly failure.
:. This is the story of The Way o
: Ambition" | have briefly outline,
: its merits, but l cannot leave ii with
out devoting moment to its won
derful. lifelike description of New
: York and its operate life or a motto
VI tllt Nlildli VI Tire iON NlTs
: Shiffney, whose worldly selfishnes
u and feminine malignity would not dis
credit the creator of Becky Sharp.
!. The production of the opera take
= place at a time when the Metropoli
g tan. as now. is engaged in a bite
: war with the impresario who ha
& come to the aid of Claude. Just as a
i this time in New York. the Broadwa,
! Opera House was lighting to foil tn
triumph of their rival; just as tn
Metropolitan today is secretly back
= ing the Aborns to 'cut out" Mr.. Ham
r merstein. the wealthy directors striv
, 10 ruin the debut of poor Claude
= creation and their Willirf. agent /