The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-17
"lho saInmnnder.n

she comes rowing from somewhere
out or tho immense reaches OF tho ma
lion, revolving against tho common
place OF an Inherited narrowness. pas
sionateiy adventurous, eager and UNI
AFRAID. neither sure OF what she seeks
nor conscious OF what forces .mpel
or check her. She brings no
letters OF Introduction. but she comes
resolved to know whom she chooses.
She meets them all. tho men of New
norh. the mediocre, tho interesting,
the powerful, the flesh hunters. the
brutes and those who sock only an
amused mental relaxation"
Thus and at great length, In an
analytical, psychological and discur-
aIve "foreword" to "The Salamander,"
writes Owen Johnson of the type Of
"jugsler who eats IRE" that he has
chosen for his heroine He ascribes
tho growth OF this salamander type
to tho emancipation Of woman, TO her
development, In n word TO fcminism.
And. II he ia right. he haze laid at the
door of the New Woman more vicious
result OF her mental activ!tios than
any of us had even feared would ever
be- brought back 10 her.
For, while there liz much about the
inherent right Of woman TO explore"
what man may "cxperience" In SIR.
Johnaons heavy foreword. ths book
Itself ~ but tho record OF young
the path OF amorous dall!arco True,
hhh manages. largely by accident to
retain her technical Innocence" but
u liz no innate morality nor even
inodesty that restrains her She is an
exceedingly VOL drawn and there
fore unpieaaantiy pictured specimen.
Tho ugl!ress OF her constant and bar
rem tri1!ng with tho emotions OF men
Is Intensified by tho fact that she does
not indulge In II merely for purposes
OF experience and exploration, but
chiefly for material gain She has no
occupa tiou-this particular uala,nander
save occasionally, but lives upon
what she can exact as tribute from her
adores and hunters. II reenis that
sho will not accent money-though
even that ruie ig not inviolate--but
everything else that she can whecdle
out OF tho men who pursue her. by
means Of hints, suggestions or lies.
goes to sustain hcr existence. Or, to
put II BADLY, TO pay her room rent md
to buy clothes and silk stockings.
Shn manages TO prepare her own
Continental breakfasts. but for the rest
she depends upon tho men whose in
tercst and desires she can arouse and
excite Automobiles arc lent 10 her
flowers and iewelry are given TO be
pswned or sold back to the ehopkcep-
ers. with whom she and her kind. &c
cordinS 10 M. Johnson, have a work
Ing reemcn;-luncheons. dinners and
Jumpers. advanced b. way of prepay
lnent, keep her young. fresh and glow
Ing with vitality.
1t Is apparently only this youth,
freshness and vitality that constitute
the appeal of Mr.. Johnson's saiamander
she has come TO Now York from Il small
town In Ohio--this Dorc Baxter-with-
on; education and without graces. save
those that arc purely physical. and al
most Immediately every man, married
- L.,
her falls victim to her C!rcean wiles.
She lies, tricks. naunts the physical.
yet great editor. a middle-aged mil
lionaire OF national fame and bound
less power, 4 distinguished magistrate,
to say nothing Of countless numbers OF
the merely gided. danyle helplessly
from her bag Of game.
For she, too. IS a hunter. She must
i've. and she wants 20 1.-Two we'll: there
fore she places herself In the way Of
rich men. and dances before them tan
talizlngly. She trips ahead. waits for
them TO como nearly up 10 her. and
then dashes of again. Rarely she Is
cornered and is compelled TO fight She
does lose her head completely once and
only the most fortu!tous of circum-
stances iDtervencs 10 save her from
what what she most richly deserved
Incident after Incident in the sport
that OF the hunter and the hunted. In
which the one Is frequently ind.stin-
gu!shable from the other. Is set out In
detail In this rather audacious story.
and with each. the woman In tho case
becomes more unlovely. The author
seems to fancy her immensely. hut the
average reader VIII detcst her
AS indicated In his foreword. Mr..
Johnson's Intent seems to have been
to present a manifes tation OF the social
unrest. which has produced various
changes In the old order OF women,
but the result has been only an inter
esting and daring study OF a keen
little adventures OF the tako-all-give-
nothing type.
GA Lady md Her Husbend.n
BY Amber Reeves. G. p Putnan.'s