New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-04
GOD

II. l. y
,.,rzERvooD COZ BY p wii,is'H i p1sS
70 riusfrsrvns by VIC
49, ~ Celtuy Company
ntbe Middle West, claimed by IT
of 10. greatest gifts to American
'..,gr., Mr.. HOvslls has through
=. long and fruitful career been OF
r.,,. Of Boston most Of all and
:, New York. As a young man
We -. from the simple. plain Amer-
- Of bis birthplace TO the culture
.. graces Of BOston's patrieiate'
n .I,r i,s charm and celebrated ii
~ =. ,,ylier books. lie saw it reeede
,-.nv before the onslaught OF a
, uder. more vital generation
,,,onieled lis retreat in The
'a1 u.,1 A. Lions Head" New York
-. -. citadel Of plutoeracy, OF the
80. Of money so different in their
80. and methods from the old
-. .lf.msde man Of siias Lapham's
- That was Mr.. Howells's "Haz-
',.f New Fortunes" The new state
" ,h,,rs repulsed him. the lack OF
=. - consideration, the relentless
80 n wealth at the cost Of others.
80, his following after TolstOy. his
'.,,.,nsl ss well as his artistic mas
,;,b the resultant rebuilding OF
,,..i.s But through the greater part
-. literary career Mr.. Howells has
W, within the limits Of his habitats'
..,i.I historian historical novel
-. the sense in which he once &C
- Jane Austen as the greatest
- novelist Of England. The
,,.,, social historian Of America IN
,'r.,eenth century will do we'll to
..,..l, the long row Of his novels.
And now. in his old age. Mr.. Howells
,,,nees the long path he has trav-
,r,5 back 10 his birthplace, far into
=, past. 70 add another picture Of our
~. n the list. "The Leatherwood
c,s- II is sufficiently well known by
,sw is based largely on an actual oe-
,,,,epss-tho rise and fall Of one OF
hose impostors whose names dot the
ar, Of our religious history. The
- ,omss with striking timelincss az
al, moment. which has seen the last
rsse OF rcvivalism in is commercial
,stion. Us conversion INTO amazingly
rrof,sble big business
Tbe story 81 the Leatherwood God
n, rsvivalist who ended by claiming to
10 the Deity. has been told by Judge,
T,r,ahil in the "Ohio Valley series.
NJ Howells has retained the facts ms
.i.-e se- down. added 10 them whatever
n tradition came down 20 him IN his
osr hoyhood. and turned il all INTO
s.s-y which irterprets alike the emo
.,-sl processes Of the man and ms
sgrss. and the environment when
b,erad end fostered the self-deception'
aiiysteria OF both An isolated com
-r'tv. It's pioneer struggle for sur
rl'l won. prosperous In modest way
without contact with the outer world
ri,bout wider interests. without amuse-
~erts. the meeting house its oniE
,.,-rs from the humdrum daily round.
here was fertile soil for an awakenlnB'
6 new interest. a thrill, an outlet LOT
emotional energies, for pent-up hys-
.srss. The Leatherwood God came. an
rpostor az first. then the convinced
victim OF his own imposture, led 10
i,th IN bis own false claims by the
,ith placed in them By others.
The story is. above all else. a STUDY
ND Interpretation Of the collective re
lrious hysterias which have endured
10 the days Of Dowie and Billie sun
Day study Of mob psychology. In
this study due Importance Is given 10
environment. factor Of the utmost i'm
'or,ance In the rise Of such outbreaks
I not always in their subsistence or
But the book more
han that, for IL is, Of course, admirably
veil written. II has an individual as
veil IS collective human interest
squire Brsile, the sgnostic OF Leather
GOD al s time when the word had not
Fs, been invented, full of the intel
se,ual pride Of the early agnosticism'
ready 10 parade it and to scott, IS a
living figure. And his dry humor IS
ypiesl Of Us all His wife, so tellingIy
'ks,ehsd, is a woman such as, fortu-
isisly, we all know and recognize; the
'shifless" couple are a constant de-
igh,, and the tragic love story grips.
There Is dignity about its simple trag-
,dy. beautiful submission TO duty as