New-York tribune., 1917-11-25
The Dwelling Place of Light

way, finds the story as full of deaths and
cases of girls "going wrong" as typical
Hardy novel, though free from the "pessl-
mism" which TO some seems to color less
Of the D'Urbervilles" and "Jude the OD-
scure," notes that "some of the cold and
representative will perhaps accuse
Churchill of playing up the sex element
too strongly" But the unbeatable obser-
walton follows: IN modern life, where men
and women mingle on terms of equality as
never before the sex problem has become
vital ISSUE" A familiar problem, The
Chicago Daily News" calls 1.-THE question
"as to whether heaven will protect the
working girl" However, as writer In
"The Boston Herald and Journal insists,
Mr.. Churchill's story is "free from what
angry Huxley styled 'sensualistic cater
wauling."
PRECISELY what it is Mr. Churchill
wishes to teach, number of scribes
admit, does not seem clear. And this raises
legitimate question-What is the au-
thor's purpose?
"The story, entertaining as it is, and
vigorous in its Interpretation OF human re-
lations to-day, leaves unanswered the in
quiry as to where is the dwelling place of
light" declared "The Missourian." And in
"The New York Herald" again one comes
upon the admission that the titles app!ica-
ton is obscure. The dwelling place of
light, suggests "The Herald" cannot be
the scene of the story, for most OF the ac-
tion takes place in manufacturing town
in Massachusetts, and the heroine dwells
amid the forlornest and most dismal of
surroundings" "The Grand Rapids Press"
found another way of putting the same
doubt-"He leaves us guessing at the
moral"
But "The Publishers Publicity Bulletin"
comes to the rescue with this contribution
toward solution:
at receives it's title from the farreaching
reply of Mrs Maturin to Janets question,
DO you believe in God? She responds: 4
like to think Of Him as light, Janet, and that
we are plants seeking to grow toward Him
no matter from what dark crevice we may
spring Even in our mistakes and our sins
we are seeking Him. for these are our igno-
RANGES; and as the world learns more we shall
know him better"
"The Nation" after discussing the fact
that Mr. Churchill permits his heroine to
die when her problem looms biggest, just
as he leaves unsolved the perplexing in
dustrial problem, writes
zone closes the record with the impression
that as Mr. Churchill has solved Janets
knot by cutting it, he is fain to dispose OF
the industrial problem by retiring from it,
as Janet has done, to some kindlier, mellower
atmosphere, some sheltered Silliston Of the
soul. some favored dwelling place Of sweet
ness and of light"
60 MUCH for uncertainty as to the
~ books drift.
"The Philadelphia Public Ledger" sums
it up as "a powerful arraignment of the
social system under which certain condi- |
tions of hardship exist that render possible
the utter decentralization of human beings
who, under more favorable conditions, had
in them every element of decency and re-
spectability," while "The Providence Jour
nal" calls this "a powerful book, marred
by occasional Observation-Disclosures of
"both ethical and intellectual snobbery."
"Not a great story" is the verdict of "The