The Washington herald., 1919-08-09


bswilderment Of a dusty thread
bare peddler thus addressed was
speedily converted into a majestic
pride upon learning that he, John
Durbeyheld Of Marriott, was aC-
tualIy a lineal descendant Of the
noble family Of D'Urberville-
And no sooner had Joan. his
handsome. shallow minded wife.
easy-going mother OF his many
children. heard Of her exalted
estate. than her romantic soul be-
gan secretly to devise a brilliant
and fttinE alliance for her beautiful
young daughter. To which end Tess
was artfully prevailed upon to seek
work in a wealthy upstart family
Of the same illustrious name
And so the innocent child. whose
single-rniuded desire was to mend
the broken fortunes OF her family.
became poultry keeper for a blind
old woman OF spurious title and
ultimate prey for her son. disso-
Lutte wretch. young Alec. D'Urber-
vile. After a while back to Mar
lott came the disillusiOned girl,
where she lived in a gray seclu-
sion until her weazened little
baby's death
heart searching. Tess determined
to leave home again-this time to be
dairymaid at Talbothays. a large,
fertile farm in the valley Of the
Great Diaries. And here, too, was
a young man, the youngest son OF
a stern and Jealous divine Of the
old school Angel Clare had sadly
disappointed his father, first by
nOn-conformist views and then by
sincere scruples against taking
orders So now, in process Of be-
coming gentleman farmer, he was
specializing at various farms. Gull
rured. idealistic. sympathetic, he
seemed to Tess a demi-gOd. and
though she had sworn herself
20 ceIibacy. the enforced pro-
pInquity ripened into intimacy and
drifted into love. Together they
vent afeld in the wOndrOus dewy
dawns and the warm summer af-
ternOons found them making but
Ter and cheese in the cool, white
dairy house. The birds sang for
them and for them the stars shone
and the whole verdant valley, teem-
ing with richness and increase,
gave up its OdorOu5 vapors. Young,
happy. pagan-hearted. the universe
=
in contact with his. and her warm
rich voice lost its country speech
and unconsciOusly adopted his Cul-
tured accents.
Tess spectre doomed but vaguely
now, until loves honest declaration
brought her to poignant realization
Of her situation in the man-made
world. But all Withdrawals were
overcome by Clare's gentle insist
enCe; all attempts at revelation
were lightly thwarted. Finally,
within a week Of the wedding day
which she had reluctantly set, her
resolution takes shape in writing
a four-page confession is breath
IessIy thrust under his door. Iron
iCaIIy concealed under the carpet it
lies until Tess, with a sudden lat
intuition on her wedding morn, dis
covers its hiding place and tears it
up. In a numbering old relic OF
coach days Csymbolic of an ancient
DUrberviIe legend Of crime) Tess
and Angel are carried to church.
end upon their final departure a
white cock crows thrice. An after
noon crow" and the dairy folk
shake their heads at the evil omen.
To an old farmhouse derelict
Of an ancient D'Urberyille mansion
in ready range of a model mill,
clare. with a sense OF the practical
and the romantic, takes his lovely
bride. From the panelled wall out
side her door. two old D'Urberville
portraits gleam evilly and Glare and
Tess shiver as they trace a subtle
likeness to her own IN the malig-
nant yet noble features. Before
the glowing fire the adoring bride
i9 r1a in
his, tells the story of his one aber-
ration, Of his forty eight hours dis
sipatiOn with a Scarlet Woman, and
confidently Graves her pardon,
which Tess is only too delighted to
grant; and. with the first real gleam
of hope, unfolds her own sad story.
The wantOn action Of a man of
maturity-the deceived innocence of
an ignorant childl And yet, the
man cannot forgive the woman! All
the rigid rule of his forebears, all
the domination Of an unjust social
order grip him. Angel Glare. the
prophet OF emancipation, no longer
oXists For several days they lead
a formal. isolated existence. Tess,
whose sole wish Is to please her
idol. acqUiesces in his attitude. and.
after a first wild outburst at the in
justice, does nothing to exonerate
herself, and her one chance for re-
instatement is blighted by the
moCking witness of the vindictive
portraits. No chaste-minded, un-
sophisticated peasant maid she. but
the last dregs of a decadent stock!
A separation, temporary at least, Is
decided upon. and while Clare RACES
far, Tess again Creeps home. Joan.
after the first bitter reproaches for
the mad disobedience Of her repeat
ed injunctions Of secrecy, treats the
affair with her usual fatalistfc
ightheartedness; but the harsh
words Of the father in a drunken
moment Of excessive ancestral pride
cause a dignifed departure with the
conciliatory donation OF half her
means of subsistence and the inti-
nation that she is rejoining hes
husband.
Determined, however, to make no
appeal to Clare's family, Tess easily
finds summer employment among the
farms; but with the coming Of win
ter and too lavish contributions to
her family's support privation stares
her IN the face. Day after day she
wanders on until at length on the
high, chalky tablelands, in a great
drab field Of desolatIon she finds the
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