New-York tribune., 1919-12-03
Books

There ought to be Leonard Mer-
rick or somebody like him to write
about Greenwich Village 1t seems to
us that most of our popular novelists
short story writer's and newspaper
paragraphcrs have gone through the
Village like SO many Prussian guards
men. The trouble is that the average
American humorst doesn't know his
own strength. Whenever he approaches
character and says pleasantly, "Tm
going to have little fun with you,'
we advise that character to run or
to sell his life dearly Failure to do
either VIII result in a most unpleasant
experience.
The American satirlst still sticks
pretty consistently to the old-fash-
ioned mass play He would much
rather 20 through character than
around him. But Merrck is different.
He can hold up poet or painter
for your consideration, laugh at him
a little, SGT his hat and his heart awry
and put him back again in the box al
most as good as new No one over
here can do it. Sinclair Lewis, Samuel
Merwin. Don Marquis and others who
write about the Village go after it.
inhabitants much harder than that.
They are impatient and contemptuous
of the petty posers. They look at them
as cold, sober persons regard the other
members of party at about o'clock
III the morning. There is less of mirth
in their laughter than moral censurc.
And, with the exception Of Merrick
we can think at this instant of no other
modern tnglishman who does very we'll
with the lives of those who are or
would be bohemian. Some of the most
farfctchcd burlesques into which Wells
has ever fallen have been committed
IN an effort to be sprightly about such
folk. Jerome X. jerome. usually ac-
counted u kindly fellow, does no better
in this respect in his new novel, "All
Roads Lead 20 Calvary" His account
of a bohemian reception seems over
drawn and overcrtical. The thing night
better be done from the other angle
from the point Of view of the impress
sionable person, to whom anybody who
sets paint OF canvas is an artist and
therefore important.
Certainly. in most respects Mr.
Jeromc's book is more deficient in head
than in heart. 1t is obvious that there
is within him a ferment Of some sort,
liberalism or radicalism or what not,
which mpcls him to be up and stirring
10 right some OF the wrongs of the
world. However, when YOU get to a
point where you feel that Mr. Jerome
will divulge to you the manner in
which this betterment is to be brought
about, you find that his idea is that
We should all be little kinder to
everybody else, and then most eco
nomic and social Ills will disappear.
Mr.. jerome is not quite definite in
explaining just what sort OF conduct
he considers kind There is in the
earlier part Of the book at least a sug-
gestlon tnat the lot OF woman might
be better if she were freer in a social
and economic sense, but later the au-
thor turns violently upon all feministic
conceptions of the worla and writes
concerning his heroine.
Her admiration Of the Independent
woman had undergone some modifca-
tions since she had come in contact
with her. Woman was intended to be
dependent upon man. 1t was the part
appointed to him in the social scheme
Woman had hers, no less important.
Earning her own living did not I'M
prove her. 1t was one of the draw
backs of civilization that so many had