New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-04-14
LIES Comedy and Tragedy
Portrayed in Current Fiction

commanding figure OF Silas Wright.
but so far as he does portray him he
does so with what We believe to be
the greatest practicable accuracy.
Wisely. too, he refrains from essay
ing an analysis. either critical or eu-
logistic. of Wrights political policy
and career, which must be regarded
as among the most controversial in
the history of this state and as quite
defying general agreement Instead
while by no means ignoring the polit-
ical issues OF those times. he gives
his chief attention 10 the domestic
and social personality of the Demo
cratic chieftain. which all are agreed
WIS personality of exceptional
charm. AS a portrait of Wright the
man. on his North Country farm ard
among his rural neighbors, we shall
gladly accept Mr.. Bachelors work as
IN authentic masterpiece.
Wright is not. however. the hero Of
the book. though he is the guide,
philosopher and friend" of its hero.
Perhaps, though, we should recognize
a triad of heroes. Bart Baynes may
stand first, and a most attractive
young hero he is. all the way from
early childhood TO young manhood.
But surely the patient. quizz!cal,
sympathetic Uncle Peabody is a hero,
if ever there was one in the world :;
with the tenderness of a woman, and
also. on occasion, with the wrath OF
Berserk. As for Aunt Deel, II
Grammatical purists would call her
heroine. we prefer the masculine
term, for in ali st. Lawrence there
was no manlier figure than she, nor
more womanly. To have drawn these
three with such vital and compelling
truth is an achievement worthy of
immortality. o.,
The auxiliary figures are also well
delineated and are instinct with the
breath Of life. though perhaps Van
Buren, is the least satisfactory OF all.
The plot of the story is somewhat
more dramatically constructed than
that of any other Of Mr.. Bachelor s
writings. and il is entirely credible
and coherent. as are all the incidents,
triAing or grave. through which Il ls
DEVELOPED. There is no exaggerahon
of motives. acts or speech. There Is
not line which might not have been
nm actual chronicle Of actual doings
OF actual people. Wlthal, there Is
enough imagination and romance 20
invest the book with an irresistible
charm as pure fiction.
II is not free from faults, of course
what book is? Like many otper
writers of imaginary Autobiography
NJ Racheller now and then makes
HE hero describe incidents OF ms
nbiIdbood as thew would have been
described by the child at the time IN
etead IF as the aged man would dc-
scr;be them as he recalled them IN
memory Of the long ago. In at leaS,
ono nlaca we wonder if there is n0t
a., anachronism. II seems scarcely
credible that in Van Buren's time IN?
Snseches of Webster had already. be,
emo classic and were being declalmee.
by schoolbovs along with those o.
Uorrv and Otis. There is also lack
of bumor. that buoyant. ro!hcElnt
bumor which is inseparable from Do
hood even amid the pathos ana we
nr;vations Of poverty. These lmnel,
Soct;ons however. are slight wneh
con,nared with the great merits q
tbn work. which is to our NM ~"
oidodIv the best that Mr. Bache,le
has done. and one OF the PES 'r 20.
anv American writer mas do"e ."
cent wears.