New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-09
PARASITES.


,,.NANDER. BY owen John
EHb Illustrations by Everett Shinn
son IN Sc. Indianapolis: The Booos-
y.ssii COMPANY
-. authors portentously sociology
.,orevord "-portentous word itself
.- overweights the significance
-. novel, which,. after all is said
.,,,g more than a picture Of one
.Sa many phases of the life of
f., 1way. long familiar to all observ-
:, the kaleidoscope Of our large
L.. but certainly a novelty in our
T. Mr.. Johnson chooses to see IN
f.. sslamander," as he calls her,
.,op, hrst product Of the economic
{-,.oendence OF women. destined to
-. great influence upon the next
.-.,,on. In reality she is nothing
T., new sort Of parasite. more In
[. ...,y and deliberately parasitic, eco
4 ,,,,oally more debasingly dependent
non man than any other variety Of
!. species the earlier social order has
=, PRODUCED. She is a sort Of female
krcl;sr d'induStrie, ready 10 accept,
The sake Of the luxuries Of life or
advancement of her interest, many
unn,a,ions and insults; ready, also.
oractice any sort Of duplicity. to
misunderstood and suspected. re-
lived only 20 remain technically an
korest woman" as the English have
Her acquaintance with men almost
.s-.ably begins with a misconception
their part, set right with a great
low Of offended dignity on hers. There
,sr T. is all more or less plain sailing.
- manages 10 pay her room rent and
meagre breakfasts, and for the
81 relies upon the men she knows for
,cheons, dinners and suppers. the
-s the use Of automobiles with
fvances from the chauffeurs); and,
fSeep herself in pretty clothes, she
8sens the costly presents she receives
shopkeepers for fraction Of their
L. II is part Of the Salamander's
10 never 10 accept presents Of
oney.
Sometimes this parasitism tides her
|er lean days 10 the beginnings OF a
Sreer; occasionally, but rarely, she
kes her head; far more seldom still.
kcording TO Mr.. Johnson. does she
pss the danger line and is lost.
,enest she marries, more or less
ksely and well. for throughout she
Images 10 retain her self-respect and
belief in her own better possibili-
liz II is a new dcmi-mOnde, using
j word in Dumas's original sense,
bought into being to some extent no
ubt. by woman's emancipation, but
more by the american mans atti-
de toward women. ITO EURO
an" saws Mr.. Johnson, the Saia-
hinder is incomrehensible."
frhe tyne as the author presents IT in
Eeral Of his minor characters and in
own comment, is more interesting
rial study than Is the individual case
his heroine. which, Of course, runs
whole gamut Of this new variety OF
ninine parasitisn. Her adventures
almost too many and too am
ious. one never quite sees why this
cially raw and intellectually un-
med girl from q small town excr-
es so potent an influence over so
1S men Of achievement, culture and
kwer. 1t is over her that is waged
is time the great Wall Street war
at has become part and parcel of
r more or less authentic fictional his
ry Of the maltfactions of great
talth-a battle between a multi
Millionaire and a great newspaper pro-
Setor. A city magistrate, man OF
bexceptionable Standing and prin-
pies. is all but ready to defy the
frld for her and with her: she re-
BINS a wreck Of Well-born dissipation
ll the dangers. temptations and OPP
lrtunities Of the life present them
ves to her until, distracted, utterly