The sun., 1919-05-18

III OS-N ~ - ~ II
everybody says the two names together
Robert Roberts) and his efforts to become
q writer. Was it Gail Hamilton who
frankly said she travelled to writel Rob
ert Roberts does pretty much everything
there is to do for the same end He
studies "faets' with the Germans-knowl-
edge for its own sake; and ''life' with the
Bohemians. He tries art for arts sake,
and life for arts sake. He seeks the pro-
letariat from behind soda water foun-
tain. He reads Oscar Wilde's Dorian
Gray He writes advertisements for a
cracker. He tries what Scott called the
"big bow-wow," and the Pekingese for the
popular magazines. He entrllsts himself
TO the tender mercies Of literary broker.
and learns from him the power of the Big
Three-pathos, >humer, sentiment. He
fnally-and this seems to be the only
sensible thing he dos-marries a lady
with the income and the willingness to
support him.
But this may be unsympathetic treat
ment for a novel so carefully studied as
Our House. Perhaps it is Miss Sharpe
that started US wrong. The first thing
Robert Roberts does when he comes home
from college is to visit two giris-oppos-
ing feminine influences representing cul-
ture and eoquetry. Robert first climbs the
fence to visit the grape arbor where Mary
Sharpe is pruning-and prisoning. She
has hardly greeted him when she is off
and shack IN an instant with an armful Of
books and prints" "Tt's a KeImseott,'
she said reverently. William Morris, you
know" Mary "strewed tie turf with
Japanese prints Soon she is asking
softly: ado you read Pater?'
"'That's what / mean-to i've with q
perfect appreciation Of beauty and
thought-to burn with a gem-like flannel
She turned her eyes afire with intellectual
passion upon him It's difficult she said
here in Millingtown'"
Something is plainly the matter with
Mary. She looks older than she is lis it
4 wonderf) There is something "atro-
phied, dried up" inside of her. She says
to Robert: II can't bear that your heart
might turn arid also" Yet when Robert
shows signs Of the aridity breaking up,
she smiled YEARLY, and picked up her
Bernard Shaw. Well, that's Mary, Prof.
Candy likes her. Have we said that In
he house she always sits under %the Car
paceio"f And she says "feel badly" which
is the greatest blow Of all
After Mary, Robert climbs the trumpet
vine to see Katharine. Katharine is dry
ing her hair. She is that kind When
Robert becomes too impudent in his conf
pEments, she slaps him. In a canoe she
does not object to Irritation. Which is
it to be for Robert Roberts-Mary or
katharine or neitheri 1t is not for Us TO
say.
Prof. Candy, Of course, differs from our
point of view regarding the necessity of
writing books. He seems to think that
every little writing talent has a mission
all its own, and should write its books-or
bust. We are doubtless to understand
that Robert made his mistake In ever leav
ing Millingtown, on the Brandywine. 1t
is to Millingtown he returns. He has q
Quaker aunt, or cousin, an old lady Of
seventy, who IS real human being. The
story seems to US to be what Walt Whit
man would call being unduly "prettifed"
and eonyentionalized; with, however, 4
few good charaeterizations.
OUR HOUSE. By HENRY SEIDI CANDY.
The Macmillan Company. $l.60.