The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-30

George Bronson Towards story OF
Gods Man THE Bobbs- Merrill Com
pany. ~Indianapolis) has a consider
able area Of genealogy. II Is curious
to read of the varied European ances-
try Of this company of New Workers..
The work of making us acquainted
with the more or less remote back
ward of the characters in the tale In
fiashingly accomplished. though per-
haps n little mysteriously. II Is plain.
however, as WI get into the story that
heredity, flowing inevitably from the
sources that somewhat bewildered US
in the beginning. Is powerfully at
work.
For the most part this novel In a
picturing-and. NJ course, a scathing-
Of that wild and whirling element Of
metropolitan life which the cautious
and the scrupulous avoid and the
police watch. The story conducts us
amid indicate and baneful scenes. II
exhibits vice. corruption. brutal tyr
amy. Opium joints, drinking and
tango palaces. the discreetly curtained
premises Of a 'fence"-these places
glitter or abide darkling in the ale.
We go to "A police court. where the
novelist lashes an unjust n hypo-
critical Magistrate: the name given to
this character a~pproximates very
closely TO the name OF a Magistrate
nov sitting In this city: the change
OF a single letter would spell h real
name.
The hero OF the story-his translated
name gives the story its title-joins
! the forces OF evil after suffering UNI
believable persecution, after a thor
ough crushing by powers and COM
binations that exist only In novels OF
exposure and reform. He accepts
pay from a dishonest "magnate" and
Statesman: he lives with a mistress
In Beeckman place In a house that
backs picturesquely on the East River:
he goes to all the gay and wicked
places. He laughed recklessly. He'd
enjoy life while he had the chance:
all hat foolishness he had mucked
around with before-let other fools try
that. For him. one Of Bobby's pretty
,show girl friends-a pink kimono
hanging in the room next door-her
wearing 4, sometimes with the coffee
~percolatur between them on fine sunny
mornings. That was life. II $50 d
week was too little he'd find a way TO
get more. A clever fellow like him
self could get money easily enough In
"A town where half the fools were rich.
To hell with all that foolishness about
bein. given brains to help make a
better world" That was the hero AT
/ the beginning Of his rebellious
cynical period. lie was the descend
ant Of "a long line OF Huguenot min
listers. Heredity was powerful in him
II took persecution and the direst
pangs OF poverty 10 effect the change
But he flung of the trammels at last
The detail OF the story Is 80 ample
as 10 he a little formidable. AS To the
style Of a good deal of the ialogu II
mas be Illuminating to listen Tor a
m to the character called RINK
He is speaking Of h unworthy ioi!ce
Magistrate. What a Judge he says
you see him in the joints every night
in CIeary's and the Kids. sporting
girls "A, his table and all-and he says
he's investigating Nice business
n Judge with "a sporting girl on MS zap
He got stuck on Kitty Conroy once
and she took his dough and give nm
the ha -ha. and when he heard M TELL
for "A honkatonk box heater at Bilys
he had Billy's raided Just on purpose
TO send that piano player to the Island
-'vagrancy,' mind you, 'vagrancy'-so
he could Git Kitty back. Amt II W
mi To think sich tramps sit around
in black Mother Hubbards and look
cause a dame stole "A can OF
milk for the baby" links feelings
were 40 stirred as he drew this shock
ing picture that he clenched his hands
and wondered why somebody didn't
brain that guy.
WHY are We so wicked as we are?
WHY did the hero of this having
in him the powerful impression OF ms
long line OF evangelical
hackslide? II he, with his deterring
qualifications, sucCumbed to the lure
that unhappily Is abroad, what chanc'
is there for the unfortitod, the eN-
posed rest Of us? a philosopher enters
he tale. Hear him for "A moment
I'VE are not so free as we think y
gigantic Purpose il behind all we are
forced TO do--a Purpose that has never
tbtteu, never uesPhi''N' Wv
never been unsuccessful in the end
Thanks TO this Purpose. we suppose
these partly glamorous pictures arc
presented to us, these bitter warnings
I'm sugar coats. Here Is youth, new
eyed. new seeing, holding mp to MS Il
picture THAI liz intended To repel us
II is monitory. but particularly II is
photographic. Let us trust that IT Is
full of good intention and that 1t viii
have a good result.