The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05
John ~GalswOrthy.

Jonn nIsWOrt
A novel from the pen of JOHN GALS
WORTHY Is an event of particular mo-
ment Just now: II is no wonder that
readers were alert when The Free
lands tScribners) began to run in an
American magazine. There was a
time when a novel from Wells or from
Bennett awakened the same interest.
When Wells had just published "Tono-
Bungay" and THE New M%achiavelli,"
when Arnold Bennett had just pub
lished "Old Wives Tales and CLAY
hanger" readers tingled to their finger
tips. Were these men great enough
to hold the standard they themselves
had set? Ann Veronica" Marriage"
Passionate Friends and last and
least "Sir Isaac Harmon's wife" were
a progressive deterioration. As to
Arnold Bennett. "Hilda Lesways,"
The Card" The Regent" and 1.-The
Price OF Love" showed plainly enough
that he had reached high water mark
In his art and the rest was what he
tad left over.
OF he same generation and almost
the same age, John Galsworthy had
his annus mirabilis in 1913. THE Inn
OF Tranquility" gave hope OF a n
OF beauty to equal Pater's gift; and
THE Dark Flower" an entirely new
type Of novel, was held almost
throughort at point Of lyric rapture.
Could he go on? IL he could 20 on,
which turn would he take? For John
Galsworthy's work from the begin
ming has been twofold. on the one
hand. he was a stern moralist con-
cerned with the injustices and cruel
ties OF life. as all his plays. excepting
that soul adventure THE Little
Dream would prove. On the other
hand he was a pure aesthetic impress
sionist. culling the flush Of beauty
from the fleeing moments: staying
them In a form as lovely as their orig
inal essence Which was to survive.
John Galsworthy a member OF the
great band OF modern reformers. OF
John Galsworthy the greatest literary
impressionist since Pater?
The Little Man and Other Satires'
were clever but rather obvious char
acterizations. "a Bit o. Love" was
charming but slight. Our eyes were
fixed for the next major work to show
the nature OF the third period.
IL was especially important in the
case OF John Galsworthy because he
IL a writer whom no external destiny
threatens. Born In Surrey Of a father
whose people had bee established in
Dew since the Saxon invasion: with
"a "nnF GftI hnn rtn4 I,. Y.-.t
zery"; Of a mother whose ancestors
mad been land owners in Worcester
shire at least since the fifteenth cen
fury. the three loveliest shires of Eng
land contributed to his aesthetic per-
ceptions. Moreover. John Galsworthy
entered the world with all the mate
rial circumstances of life prearranged.
He had good blood. family, position,
ample means. He went through the
usual educational mill. He was all but
head boy at Harrow M progressed
TO Christ Church. Oxford. after the
usual manner. where he interested
himself In horses. sport. fine ra!ment
and doubtless his fellow man. His
sensitive perceptions OF social distinc-
tons. his understanding OF the funda-
mental fneness OF the patrician class.
were doubtless sharpened i'm these
years. Whether TO please himself or
others, or merely TO show that he was
one of those rare beings who do as
they please with themselves. he
dropped these university preoccupa-
tons neatly and de~cisively In his third
year At oxford and he took an honors
lna.Aa tn lna. H. @ i
the Temple and discovered that he
hated his profession. Such was his
parents confidence In him and his
judgment that when he decided that
he would rather travel than be a bar
rister no obstacles were put in his
way and he proceeded to survey man
kind in New Zealand. Australia, Can
ada. the FIJI Islands. Russia, France,
Germany, Austria, the United States
and elsewhere. Destiny lowered him
with the thing Stevenson yearned
for. an income: An income that will
come in; instead OF having TO 90 to
fish for II with the immortal mind of
man. | mean al income that would
come In all of itself while all I'd have
TO do would he to exist and blossom
and sit around on chairs. Then I'd
write ome works hat would make
your hair curl"
This income that left the author free
to sit on chairs and blossom Galswor-
thy's ancestors, like those Of Swim
burne and Shelley, attended I o before
his birth. and il is a profound lesson
to those intending to beget geniuses
GeniuSes lose th~ree-fourths of their vi
tality in dull dealings with impervious
editors, publishers and the public. The
only possible way to arrange to get
the best out OF "A genius is for the
prospective ones grandfather to pre-.
arrange an income that will come in
OF Itself"
Whether il was during his term In
the Temple or later, II is quite evident
that some time In his career John Gals
worthy frequented police courts. and
hence we have not only THE Silver
Box and Justice" but innumerahle
sketches in "a Motley" and "A Com
mentary." Like Bernard Shaw and
like Wells, he was totally dissatisfied
with the rough and ready justice OF
this world, Unlike Shaw. he did not
meet II with rldicule and scathing sat
ire; IKE Wells, he did not moralize on
theories; but ne pointed out all the ter.