New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-11
THE HIGH PRIESTESS.
The high PRIESTESs. BY Robert Grant l2m'
Do t80. Charles ScriUuer sons


The high PRIEsTESs. BY Robert Grant l2mo.
~. $50 Charles Scritners sons
1t is likely that Judge Grants new
novel will attract even more attention,
and cause more discussion, than did his
"Unleavened Bread nearly twenty
years ago. "The High PTiestess" is, in
fact, a sequel to that story, which, II
will be remembered, was a pltiless
study Of a then predominant type OF
the New Woman in her raw beginnings.
The author now takes up the woman
who has since evolved, in many ways
an admirable. an idealistic type, eager
for perfect future, but, be holds,
rather fatuously contented with what
has already been achieved, or seems TO
have been achieved, and altogether too
sure of herself and o. the path upon
which she has entered. The type,
Judge Grant holds, is drifting away
from poor human nature as it persists,
and probably always will persist, in
what, reversing the old meaning OF the
term. our zealously reforming women
have come to consider as the weaker
vessel to be reshaped by their infalh-
bic hands according to their conception
of a higher life. 1t is with modern
marriage entered upon according to
the New Woman latest theories of the
institution that this story deais-and
the venture, which looked IN no way
EXPERIMENTAL. comes 10 grief. you ask
me how il happened says one OF me
weaker vessels 10 the outraged hlgh
Pr,cstess. III men ere different, 1t
doesn't make them otherwise by saying
what they ought TO do. You encour-
aged Ollie TO make friends with a bar
rel Of runpowder. Now that he hasn't
any hair or eyebrows, guess he wishes
that he hadn't
1t began rs an ideal union, from the
High Priestess's point of view. she
really loved him deeply, nObly, accord,
ing TO the Modern Woman's beautltul
conception Of the passion; and she was
an efficient homemaker. She knew eX-
actly the daily allowance Of protelds
and calories that was good for her
husband. but, as he had assimiIated
considerably more than that during ms
bachelor days, he was always hungry
He offended her fastidiousness by feed
mo ON "snacks" between meals in her
prescnce. Slowly. tactfully she dis
courared his most moderate indulgence
in sDir,tuoLs beverages, but allowed
him to smoke in his demo mean
concession. She had not expected per-
lection when she married him, but
she knew that by gentle frmness she
could raise him TO her own superior
level. Fmotionally, too, she was true
70 her ideal Of marriage, but only when
she Judged the mood suihclently eH-
alted Culturally she looked down upon
him a little in secret. lie was & young
LAWYER, whose active participation III
politics must be discouraged, as inter
fering with the performance OF his
duty toward her and their children. A
steady. reliable, plodding, lovable man,
hut in no sense genius like herself.
For she became a landscape architect,
/ eouobt after by the rich leaders OF the
B Woman Movement; and when her ousl-
ness began 10 grow she engaged
childhood friend to run the mouse uh-
der her own competent supervision
This friend, an attractive young WON
an. had been brought up in Europe ana
was hopelessly behind the times. She
began by meddling with the ealopleS
and nrotcids on the sly, showed nat
tering interest in the caucuses ana p,l-
4 maries that were the breath OF the
bueband's nostrils and the beginning OF
his true career, though they seemed
waste Of time 20 the High Priestess'
and. as the friend of all concerned eN-
messed il. Ollie singed his eyebrows.
No more than that, but IL was enough
II was sacrilege in momentary lnteh-
ton, but not in deed.
Since Judge Grant has seen NJ 70 IN,
troduce into his story what Is Tor all
practical purposes European woman
i il allowable 70 wonder here what
tho European man will think OF the
meekness of the husband cast into
utter darkness. Of his patient bearing
~ his punishment through six years
of loneliness. and of his ultimate CRATE
full return to the High Priestess, who'
/ to be sure, has learned IN the mean
while that her exalted stand has oeen
condemned by even her best frlends'
/ leaders in the cause like herself. Even
when her husbands election to the
| Governorship Of his state had been I'M
perilled by whispered stories OF their
/ separation she had refused to return to
I him for appearances sake, but when
political danger threatened him sec
ond time and the other woman had be-
come an alluring and rich widow she
melted. Thus did this Modern Woman
become again a simple daughter OF Eve.
And the other woman commented:
To-day we think we can all pick
and choose our husbands, but when
we begin 10 prescribe the type OF
woman a man ought TO fall in love
with, and which he must accept or
70 without, some artful hussy is
sure 70 cut under. II remains TO
be seen whether in the long run
the Marys can survive the COM
petition. It's in every woman's
mouth that the men must change.
Hers--and yours-was
real modern attempt at something
better. Every woman who Is
worth her salt 10 prospecting in
that direction. and those Of us who
are not dixie mel are watching 70
see whether the men really like the
new method. II they do, we shal!
have TO monform-thats all. II
,hov don" marriage will scarcely