The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-16
MANY FIELDS AND
VIEWPOINTS SHOWN
IN WEEKS OUTPUT
Mr.. Johnson Pictures What New York Girls May
Come To--Threc Novels About Women.
Western Africa the Yukon. Mexico. Labrador and
Lombardy Described and Discussed.
The Greek Ideal Reborn--More About Dancing
Witches Languages and Miscellany.

In long preface to THE Saamander"
CThe BobbsMerrill Company. Indian
apolis) owen johnson explains that he
is not holding up his heroine for emula =
ton, neither is he preaching a sermon,
but simply exhibiting what he believes
TO be new type of girl that has APP
peared In city life. After reading the
book there can be no doubt about MIR.
Johnson's sincerity, whether or no We
agree that he has described the kind OF
girl he had in mind or that the type he
does describe Is a new one. Any youn;
woman who undertakes to initiate his
heroine Is sure to get into hot water
even II she does not land in the police
station.
The new young womans curiosity or
spirit of adventure, ii seems. has cast
aside all conventions or limitations of
sex; she Is bound to see and to do every
thing that is going on just as a young
man might. She subjects her mind and
her soul to any kind of experience. but
not her body, and II is the body alone
that remains unscathed. as the title i'm
piles. In the cases where the girl es-
capes the consequences Of her behavior.
That is all that distinguishes tho Ameri-
can type. for history is fun Of women
whose spirit of adventure led them into
trouble from Eve and Helen Of Troy
down. To carry out their ideas fully
they must be free from the restraint of
family or social ties, and so Mr.. johnson
picks his salamanderS out If the women
who arc trying to support themselves
tho "baChClor girls" In all professions,
thereby casting an undeSrrNcd slur on a
class that has hard enough work as 1t Is.
What the heroiue's occupation rs out
side of Irritation is not very clear She
IL charming and lively young creature
product of the middle West. an ener-
Gctic climber Notwithstanding her pur-
suit of amusement When she has
wrung all she wants out of people she
drops item. Mrs. Wharton gives a
different view Of "A girl like her in The
Custom Of the Country" Mr.. Johnson's
girl has tried her hand at several occu-
pations and has stuck to none long
During the period of the story she seems
to be at leisure. unless systematic spong-
Ing on men for entertainment, presents
and money be an occupation, though she
talks OF going on the stage. She is hard
at work, however, at hor favorite pur.
suit, which is 10 lead men on.
Here is where Mr. johnson disappoint.
expectation. The girl meets half "a dozcr
men OF higher social standing than she
has been accustomed to- The story
thereupon drifts away from description
OF the gay life of New York to sue.
cession of interviews In the parlor o'
her boarding house or in her bedroom. in
which. with great spr!ghtlncss. she
plies all the arts of the oldest profCs-
sion In the world on each in turn IL
order to make them lose control Oh mem.
selves. This grows somewhat monoto
nous for the reader, as the Young woman
shows very little versatility In hcl
methods. Strangely enough. the men
even those who are coarse and brutal
setain the conventional American chiv,
airy toward woman and do not force hel
hand. one only lets what the iictior
writer's agree to call primitive instinct.
get the better of him, and he alon,
makes marked impression ON her. a,
fiction demands. It suggests that
crude, primitive spanking administered
early would stop all the Salamanca
business
The conventonally proper ending 4
the most immoral thing in the story
IT the kind hearted reader feels relic
at the girls escaping the consequence
or her folly, her epigrammatic discus
sion of tn" situation shows in wha
class she belongs.