New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-20
THE FREELANDS.
THE FREELANDs. BY John Gslsvorthy. I'm

pp. az. Charles scrbners sons
There is a grim, an impressive time
illness about this study of the Land and
its disinherited children in England
The war is not even mentioned in its
pages, and yet the whole book is an
approach to, and an Interpretation OF
the conditions which it has brought to
light. The Freelands are four broth
ers-John, the oldest, an official in the
Home Office; Stanley, the head Of
great manufacturing establishment,
both extremely correct, good form and
conservative to the backbone, uneasily
conscious of the unrest in the realm,
tut determinedly clinging to tradition,
TO the old ways. The third brother,
Felix, is a novelist, with radical in
clnations and inherited inhibitions OF
class and conformity Mt var within
him; while, finally, the fourth brother
Tod, has escaped the mould of English
education of his class by expulsion
from public school for a prank. He
has gone back to the land, the friend Of
the peasant, but, above all, a lover of
nature and the simple life. 1t is his
ife who is the real revolutionary, in
constant revolt against the medieval
ism of the English land system-a
benevolent despotism often abused with
the best Of intentions. Her children, a
boy and girl, follow in her footsteps,
young frebrands in arms against the
Injustice involved in the system. Then
there is the mother of all the Free
lands, a gentlewoman Of the old school,
loving and lovable, inmovable in her
faith in the social, political and relig-
ious upper class tradition, understand
ing nothing of the unrest only con-
vlrced that it cannot be good form for
members of her family to champion
the cause of the peasant against their
neighbors and friends. Her son Felix's
wife takes nothing seriously except her
husband and her own verses; Mrs. STAN
ley Freeland entertains politico-eco-
nomic weekend parties, at which the
Land question is comfortably and
futilely discussed amid much good
cheer. She aims at the House of Com
mons and a peerage. And finally, there
is Lady Mallory, who evicts a laborer
on her husbands estate because he, a
vidower with three young children,
would marry his deceased wifes sister.
Lady Mallory has the extreme convic-
ton of her Church on the subject,
whatever the law may say. And is It
rot her right, as well as her duty, to
look after the morals of the villagers
The man must 60, and no farmer on
her husbands lands must give him
work.
The book is admirably we'll planned
for its purpose-three generations face
to face with the Land, from Hodges
howell to the Mallory manor house, from
the blackened, barren site of Stanley's
factory to his stately country seat
the Land dedicate to the weekend"
with that fellow Tod" and his family
& constant element of revolt among the
submissive peasantry. And with Felix,
the sociological novelist of London, and
his daughter, active in charitable work
in its slums, to link together the probi
lens of the submerged in city and
country.
What is the measure of Mr.. Gals
worthy's influence among his own peo-
pie it were hard to tell Certain it is
that it should be great and deep. He
himself evidently doubts it, however.
1t is to indicate this doubt, among
other reasons, that he has made Felix
Freeland a novelist like himself. The
conservative weekend parties tolerate
the mans radical speeches for that rea-
son alone. He is writing fellow and
need not be taken seriously. His irony
is beyond them Yet only he Of them
all perceives that all their wellmeant
planning for a regenerated peasantry
is futile because they persistently seek
10 make the omelet without breaking
even one of their own landlordy, priv
LEGGED eggs.
And so Tryst, who would marry his
deceased wife's sister, is evicted and
must leave the neighborhood in search
Of sustenance for himself and his three
children-and the woman-because the
farmers under the Mallory control are
forbidden to employ him. There is
revolt-violence-instigated by the fire.
brand children of Tod; the press
press writes sapiently Of the agraran
unrest and its stern suppression; John
Freeland, at the Home Office, thinks OF
the constabulary force available in the
district. And he and Stanley send for
Felix to reason with Tod. II is such
extremely bad form to have the family
mixed up in this disgraceful affair!
Mr.. Galsworthy is thinker who
gives others rich food for thought.
His very moderation, the careful sup
preston of his own feelings, makes
his message, his most serious message
to his own class, all the more impress
sive But he is also and always an
artist. The characters in this novel OF
his, significant though they be as types,
never cease TO be individuals. And
through his picture of the English
Land and the people on it there IS
woven a delicate, a searching study OF