Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-07-03
peW Books in ReuielD
~
The Marryers' :
Gay Fantastic,
Shrewdly True

lnefe was never more Benldi
critic of human follies than Socrates
Potter-that shrewd, surprisingly up
to-date and perversely old-fashioned
Yankee lawyer whom Irving Bachel-
Ter introduced to the world In Keep
ing I'D With Lizzie" Aud Socrates
has never talked better than in Mr..
Bachelors latest story, The Mar
ryers.s one of the Harpers's publica-
tons. The tale flows irrepressibly on.
bubbling with quiet glee--the pic
turesque, self-expressive discourse Of
a man who has enjoyed his recent
novel experience and observations Of
life far too well not to want to tell
somebody about them. Socrates is
pungent in his Characterization be-
cause he can't help 1t, and his
witty remarks seem happy. discover
les of the moment.
Neither in fiction nor in life does
one often meet a man SO richly gifted
with the rare knack of expressing in
dividuality, or with such an individ-
uality to express. Socrates INDUCES
freely in the luxury of character;
he dissipates in goodness and COM
mon sense in a way to shock con-
sentative sinners and faddists Ho
abandons himself to the mad excite>
ment of a career of virtues and sim
certify. with the result that he dis
covers unlooked-for treasures of good
ness and humor.
In the present instance he is
plunged into the midst of an interest
ing situation by his friend, Whitfield
Norris. the ulti-millionaire Now,
Norris long ago had served a term In
urison. shouldering the guilt of a
forgery committed by his father when
driven half mad by money troubles.
Norris has never dared tell his family,
preferring to be bled for years by a
blackmailer of an unusually SNUG ana
dangerous type.
His wife is apparently of rather
prideful sort; his daughter, Gwendo-
lyn. has, been shielded from all tne
rough blasts of the world and couldn't
bear the suggestion of disgrace. Be-
sides, her mother wants to marry her
to an Italian count-almost any ltal-
ian count Socrates has a good deal
on his hands. First. he has to look
out for that smoothest of sentimental
rascaIs. Lysander Wilton, who pur-
sues the Norrises to Italy, where
Socrates manages to arrive little
ahead of him.
Next Socrates has to persuade Nor
ris that he has moderated his women
folks. Finally he has to use all ms
tact and impudence to dispel the
count mania from the minds OF GWEN
dolyn's mother and Gwendolyn, whose
manly American sutton doesn't under
stand the art of picturesque wooing
The adventures of Socrates are highly
celebrating; a duel with pitchforks is
but part of the days work, and he has
to deal at every step with title-mad,
travel-spoiled people who de-
velon an unexpected and amusing hu-
manity under his ministrations.
The story is gaily fantastic, whole
somely satiric and shrewdly true
The Last Shrine.
Not all my treasure hath the bandit
Time
Locked in his glimmering caverns
of the past:
Fair women dead, ana friendships
of old rhyme,
And noble dreams that had to end
All. these indeed, and from youths
sacristy
Full many a holy relic hath he
torn.
vessels of mystic faith God filed
for me.
: Holding them up to Him in life's
young morn.
All these are mine no more; Time
hath them all
Time and his adamantine Jaller
Death. ~
Despoilure vast! yet seemeth it'll
but small
When unto thee 1 turn, thy bloom
and breath
Filling with light and incense the
last shrine,
Innermost, inaccesslpie-Se"'
thinei
LIE Gallienne, in the June
Century.