The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-10-31

Perhaps the England ~ King James
was not So gloomy nor 50 fun of sus-
picion as Miss Mary Johnston mikes
out In "rhe witch" Giuughtou Miil'n
Company. but IL certainly was time
when religion Vas taken very seriously,
as politics we've ip he taken before org.
and when there was physical FISK IN
differing with the people about you. To
begin with queen Elizabeth uu her death
bed may bc bt theatrical. Wtt 1t IS
one way of bidding farewell to the Merry
England Of tradition. \ man with the
tolerant twentieth century views on re-
ligion. who could not Keep his mouth
shut. would surely be I'm constant peril
az she represents; he might iird % very
unpleasant even nowadays To TAX roo
freely IN the wrong company ON mat
tiers about which feeling runs high For
a deluslon rs senselcss as the bcIef IN
witches On asc wh,Sh is exempt from
credulity can have no sympathy. II g
kind OF Miss Johnston. nevertheless. to
select an English instance instead or
the unpleasant Salem experience
The heroine is a lovely, sensible coun-
try girl, who IL left alone and Ills
her garden quietly. She incurs the dis
pleasure OF fanatic preacher and
arouses the passions OF Puritan bigot,
The witch fever reaches the town, ana
trivial, innocent actions are misinter-
preted by thoughtless, stupid or malevo-
lent neighbors til the community IS
convinced that she Is a witch The hero
81 n physician who. after publishing n
philosophical pamphlet and being con-
dcmncd for hercsy, has escaped from
France and found shelter in the same
village. lie lives by himself does good
20 all. risks his life In an epidemic o.
plague. acts IN every way as primitive
Christian might, but arouses the preach
cr's wrath The two rarely meet I'll
they are put in Jail, charged with sor-
Gerry. the evidence against them being
the good deeds they have done They
have this IN common, that each holds
80 the truth az each sees 1t. The whole
account of the growing suspicious, OF
tho behavior Of the accused and or the
trial is as brilliant work as Miss John-
ston has done. It is narrowing, but II
IS a simple. straightforward story. al
the more effective on that account.
After they have been condemned &c
he burned NJ tho stake the author saves
their lives in order TO torment them still
more \ frecth!nk.nC noh'eman ar
ranges for their escape ana mas tnen
nut on a ship bound TO Virginia. The
vessel is becalmed till some one recog
rli2es the witch and the two are Sc
adrirt in rowhoat They reach AZ
island presumably one Of the Bahamas
and are well treated by the Indians; by
that time they are In love. They live
happily for few years. when 'th'
Spanards come and STAY their child an'
their friends; they escape TO another
island and from that arc rescued by M
English shin homcward bound. on ar
irving they are recognized NJ once
taken back to the village and 70 tn
Jail and We leave them as they ar
about 20 he hanged. Their assurance
that they are right sustains them.
u can hardly I've called cheerful ta'
and tho assumption that twentieth cen
fury ideals would have been deadly Il
the seventeenth century g hardly war
rantcd There were clear headed think
ers and decent men even in the witc
hunting days, some OF whom left
name in history, and their views ar
acceptable to-day. perhaps with som
slight change of language. Vet Il -
well told and effective story, the mos
artistic that Miss Johnston has wrltte'
even II she allows III fortune 10 heap u
too heavily on her unlucky victims