New-York tribune., 1919-06-07
After Death, What?
Spiritualism Influences
Work of English Novelist

MISS F1NGAL. BY Mrs. w K. Clifford
Publshed Isl ed. by chaF1es scribners sons.
Mrs. Clifford's novel is, briefly. a
tedious delineation Of the change
which comes to the life and character
of Aline Fingal through the influence
of Linda Allison-an influence whicn
becomes apparent, according to the
author and few characters in the
book, after Linda's death.
In fact Miss Fingal" is an attempt
on the part of discursive English ex-
positionist to make probable the theory
that the soul, or driving force, or
character of one person can, after
death, enter the body or otherwise d.
rectly influence the thought and action
Of another person with whom the dead
person once has been congenial And
it is all just about as clear and enter
tanning as that.
That Aline Fingal happens to be Il
very drab and lonely little person who
lives on small income until the death
of wealthy uncle endows her with a
fortune and two houses, makes it pos
sible for Mrs. Clifford to work toward
future Aline of strong opinions, of
vibrant emotions, and an otherwise
colorful personality. So we get. as a
result. an exceedingly dingy individual
who, in the original, is real and in
terestlng. That is, until she inherits
her fortune and overhears somebody
mention the unhappy divorce of one
Linda Allison. Because Linda is pin
ing away from a continued love of
husband, has two little children. ana
once lived in the Wavcrcombe cottape
Aline has inherited, that drab and
hitherto International person INDUCES
IN sentimental and romantic attach
ment for her. The attachment grows
into q conviction that she must "oc
something to help" Linda, and from
TINS point on the story becomes deadly
dull and obviously narrative treatise
on the desired probability Of Aline
belng what the spiritualists term "a
blend"
People wonder why, after Linda's
death, Aline is so much like her So
did we. For the two had met onlv
twice, and though "drawn" to each
other, never had once felt or acted
alike. We see Jimmie, the one wholly
interesting person in the book, studv-
ing the changed Aline with interest and
DIT of amazement. Bertha, his sister.
does the same. Even Dick. Linda's
husband. while insisting how devoted]v
attached ne really was to his divorced
and now dead wife, draws Aline
INTO his arms and Whispers: 81 love
you, you know l do-frst woman and
last woman to me. l don't know why
l say that" In fact, Dick is rather
lncoherent and the reader wholly IN
IN the air by this time. But we think
1t is rather Mrs. Clifford's own dilem-
ma than any fault of Dicks. The au-
thor is trying to prove something un-
provable. She is dealing with spiritual
lstlc phenomena of which she herself
apparently is none too sure, and her
book becomes discursive self-argu-
ment.
In spite of her "blend" tendencies
ana the message" Linda left her, Aline
is an interesting figure, who wins SYM
pathy to herself owing to the un-
natural things she is forced to saw
because an obsessed author insists she
be the mouthpiece for voicing her OBJ
sessions. Mrs. Clifford is capable of
creating real and interesting charac-
ters, and writes with a scrupulous and
entertaining regard for intimate de-
1alls; but in Miss Fingal" she has
chosen a theme that is not happily
adapted to narrative presentation.
NJ