Arizona republican., 1919-02-16

of dark closets, Hugh Walpole deserves the blue ribbon. Personally, l have have always thought it very discreet idea to keep as far away from family affairs" as I could. Evidently, Walpole, in "The Green Mirror" did just the re- verse One of two things is true Either this story is the inside" narrative ot WaIpole's own family. or this author has analytical genius, keenness of per ception, acuteness of observation, skill of a surgeon with his scalpel, and lucidity of expression that is not com. parable with the literary mind of any other author of the century. l cannot pay him greater compliment
 Had any one told me that any living or dead author could keep my attention fixed on the dry. dull, monotonous, routine, stagnant, uninteresting reia- tion of the every day doings of an English family, for 400 pages. I would have pronounced him a "chump." Had l known, before I began reading this book. that 1t was a tale of the "co- hesiveness" of the'members of a proud English family circle, I wouldn't have bothered to fead it. But, now that I have finished it, I am ready to say. with the friend who advised me to read it. that it is the one book of it's kind in the decade. It isn't new; it's com paratively old-published by Doran in 1917.
 You wouldn't believe. would youg that so languid is the progress of tn. story of the Trenchard family. that the mere breaking of a mirror in the "liv- ing room" provides a climax so start ling that the suicide of the hero him. self would be tame beside 1t You can. not imagine, can you? anything inter estlng in a narrative that reaches it's highest pitch of interest when an old lady slaps young man in the face at the family dinner table. That's because you know not the skill with which Sur geon Walpole dissects this typical Eng fish family. Were he practicing surgery instead Of literature. Walpole would nave surrounded the simplest minor operation with the mystery of the greatest ma jor one.
 During the entire development of the family biography" you are not permitted to stray beyond the confines or the Trenchard name. You are saturated With the thought that if you are not Trenchard, you do not ''be- long. It is that impenetrable fortifica- tlon. impregnable as steel, built around this family. under, over or through which Philip Mark, also an English man. attempts to marry Katherine Trenchard without marrying the whole family or, to put it better, marrying ner out Of the family. The action Is ! conrined to one year-no, not action 1 period-and this one man. Philip sole comoatant, with not even the active CO., operation of his affianced wife. shat l ters himself time after time against | the battlements of the Trenchard fam | ny. only to discover at last, that he must be absorbed in the autocratiC maw Of the family or. relinuuist Katherine.
 You actually expect Philip to return | to Russia and his episode" with Anna. l you mentally urge him to do so: yor become angry with him for not doine so. until you gradually make the fieht | your own. knowing full well that Phil | ip's defection is the very victory Mrs 1 Trenchard is planning. You catch your. self planning plots for Philip; scold ing Katherine for her Towing indif. :. ference" vowing all sorts of vengeanc, upon Mrs. Trenchard. Until. very mucl akin tS the early dawn, Walpole admit. you into the chamber of Katherine'i mind. where you have revealed to yol the breaking of a new dr-- for thi sterling girl. Little by little. tiny stel by tiny step. the facts gather them selves and she unwinds her problem to be confronted with the alternativ of retaining her family or Philip. l pure, unadulterated query of the great CT love. Philip wins.
 But. the winning of Katherine b. Philip-or rather. the triumph o Katherine over the Trenchard family is merely an incident. by the way Trenchardism 'orumbles with the shat tering of the great mirror. No longe will Aunt Aggie or Grandfathe Trenchard sit in their highbacke chairs and look into the mirror to SC reflected the entire assemble Trenchard family, each in his and he accustomed seat; no longer will Mir, Trenchard supervise the ccmings an goings Of the three generations wit which she is systematically surrounde at all times: no longer will Georg Trenchard come from his study, hall hour before tea rubbing his hands to gether, back to the fireplace, gazin smugly upon the assembled Trenchar semi circle, self satisfied, proud an with never a worry to erase the geni; smile that beams ever upon his slee countenance; for the great mirror
 shattered. The silver backed looking glass that has reflected generatio after generation of Trenchards; alway in the same semi-circle; always eac in his and her accustomed seat; alwa, with its Aunt Ags,.e and her knittin Grandfather Trenchard and his can Mrs. Trenchard and her aristocratic a of domination. complacent, dignifie reserved; but NEVER before. with i intruding Philip and it's revolutional Katherine. For, behold, in Geort Trenchard's day. Katherine chose h. lover in preference to her family. IT great green mirror had been shattere The Trenchards had become an En, fish family of today; all the yeste
 days were as the mirror, gathered |
 by Rocket, the butler. and cast in
 the ash heap.
 One by one, MillieP Henry, Au
 Betty. Aunt Aggie, Uncle Tim al
 George Trenchard stole away to wis
 Katherine and Philip, in the
 modern" apartment, with never
 word to Mrs. Trenchard. But MI
 Trenchard, in whose soul was stor'
 the petrified Trenchard name of ye
 terday, she alone remained away fro
 Katherine. So. Katherine ventured ol
 day into her mothers home, on Gran, fathers natal day, when the Trenchar
 all gathered to honor more their Ac'
 hesiveness" than Grandfather, there
 re-establish the old relation of moth
 and daughter. The battle had be-
 turned and Mrs. Trenchard had
 choose-should it be Katherine al
 Philip or the Trenchard name? IT
 Trenchard name, of course. Nil
 Trenchard remained Trenchar
 Katherine left the room where once tl
 mirror had reflected her among t
 rest-no longer a Trenchard, for, e
 cept Mrs. Trenchard. there was
 other remaining thing than a memo
 of the Trenchard name.
 .
 NEW BOOKS that will he on t