New-York tribune., 1919-08-25

ID MAN kENI, the hero Of Harold a.,
| Id Wrights new novel, The Re-Cr.s,,.'
Of Brian Kent" is first Introduces
us as defaulting bank clerk Late, :.
reformed by the influence Of "ds..
Auntie Sue" and becomes noveli,, ~ M
first book sells we'll shat in sir
he is able to pay back all the naoD.v =
stole and have something left over ~.
would seem to prove that Brian x,.
unusually successful novelist. Or a,,,, =.
may merely indicate that be had no 80
gift for embezzlement s
Harold Bell Wright never let. Ava.
Sue get out of hniling distance o, a, -
jective. Whenever we meet her ,h. -
"the dear old lady" or "the proud ola
tlewoman." When she expresses love 60,
cern, anguish or any other fitting eno,;..
she does 1t with cher dear old fare, p
this extent Mr.. Wright is q resist. for ,h.
can. deny everything has come to be ds.,
in this dear old world of ours?
When Betty 10, the heroine. ren.rk.s
II feel like we were cast awav on so,.
desert island" we were BIT startled 49,,
then we decided that M Wright meant -
imply that she was a fresh, unsophis.;os.as
girl from a land where men sneak ~.
truth and use "like" rs a conjunction Rr.
later the story took to the city and wa
met Homer T. Ward, the banker wbo s.;a
Ever since Sister Grace died and left 4ha
fatheress little kid to me #, seems ,L,
all my plans have centred around he,s
he added, II am beginning to feel ike "a
should sort of settle down together" Afte,
that we acquitted the characters and scorsa
the errors against Harold
The people whom the Hattons put ir.o
their plays would find Wright's aocety folk
much too rapid for their taste Take f..
instance, Harry Green. the prominent clpb.
man, who breaks in upon the sec.usion -
Brian and Betty 10. The stranger ssvs
Wright, was dressed in the weird al
Hashy costume considered by his class TO
be the proper thing for an outinc n ~.
country, and his face betrayed the sad
fact that, while he was mentally. spirituallv
and physically greatly in need OF chanos
from the unclean atmosphere thar had made
him what he was, he was incapable Of hena.
fitting by more wholesome conditions q,
living. He was, in fact, a perfect speci-
men Of that type Of clubman who. in order
to enjoy fully the beautiful life OF Gods
unspcied world, must needs take with him
all of the sordid ard vicious life OF tba.
world wherein he is most st home"
Tha =
thau the authors condemnation Of Mr.
Green and his set is more than just IL
he will continue the story to the next chap
Ter. whore the life of the members Of tbe
clubhouse party Is more fully described.
The scene is the veranda overlookine
the river, and the society folk are d.scov-
cred scattered in characteristic attftudesn
Some of the women in steamer chairs and
hammocks are smoking. One Is reading. but
presumably nothing by Mr.. Wright. A man
and woman in boat are "ostensihlv fish
ing" But let Mr.. Wright tell IL:
Now and then a burst of shrill laughter
broke the quiet Of the surrounding forest A
man on the steps called a load. sageestivs
jest to the pair IN tho boat. and the
woman waved her handkerchief IN answer
The card players argued and laughed OVER
point in their game. Some enc shouted
Into the house for Jim, and negro man n
white jacket appeared When the reanle on
the veranda had expressed their ndi, d.al
tastes, the one who had summoned the SER
want called to the woman in tae hammock
Under the tree, What is yours. Marina
without looking up from her book ths
woman waved her hand and answered: I'm
not. drinking this time. Than ks''
"A chorus of derisive shouts ami augh-
ter came from the veranda. bui the woman
went on reading. Oh iet her afoner pro-
tested some one good naturealy she was
going little strong last n4eat She'll be
all right by and by. when She gets started
again.
We were inclined to believe tAat this
was calumny and that Martha's refusal to
participate in the orgy was the FIST step
toward reformation Other people in ,hs
novel had reformed and why not Marthaf
Great was car chagrin TO discover thst
Martha's associases lew her better than
we did. Only few pages further N it Is
recorded that she "rosponaed 10 every
insane whim of her drink disordercd brain"
Poor girl! If she had only met dear old
Auntie Sue how different her life light
have been
There are two morals in "Ihe Rs-Crea-
ton Of Brian Kent one expressed and
one implied. By implication the novel is
an argument against national prob bition.
If Brian Kent had not gone into rowboat
with quart OF whiskey and consumed it
he would never have drifte9 10 the shore
IN front of the house Of dear old Auntie
Sue and he would IN all probability never
have reformed. Likewise, if his wife, the
lady named Martha, had not .respoaded 10
every insane whim of her drink disordered
brain" and ATTEMPTED 10 row hoat she