New-York tribune., 1920-11-21
A POsTHuMousA sAHOWELLs NOVEL

"THERE seemed some mysterious
property in his nature which had
the virtue Of turning the prose Of
every day into the poetry Of every
ether day"
In these words William Dean How
ellis unwittlngly confessed himself
while characterzing the quality of IN
terpretation OF one Of his characters
in his posthumous novel, The Vacation
of the Kelvyns (Harpers). This book,
because of the long literary regency Of
its author and It's manifold manifesta-
tions Of his sympathetic identification
with his imagined people, stands a.
the portal OF our little iourNev ever
New England as pictured IN the fiction
Of tne ~ear
II IS not for Us TO question why this
novel was "supnressed' or postponed
n appearance 20 so late date. It
bears internal evidence Of revision b.
it: author. and it is possible that It
vas not cutie up to the level d the
standard he set for his own works,
that ne Intended an elaboration that
should eventually improve its cues
tionings and differences. For The Va
cation Of the Kelwyrs IS 2 study Of
personalities.
Elmer Kelwyn, lecturer on his
torical sociology in postgraduate
courses at New England college or
university, decided, with mis- wife, to
>.
learn of an opportunity to spend few
months in Shaker community in
southern New Hampshire, and finally
arrive in the village Of the settlement
with their two young boys. They are
given or lease number Of rooms in
the Family House, shambling struc-
ture, and Mr. and Mrs. Kite are dele
gated to keep house for them
Presently cousin, Parthenonc
Brooks, arrives unhcralded, to remain
ss guest and participant in their
trials. A young school teacher, Elihu
Emerance, wanders in through the
front door and becomes satellite, AT
first in purely friendly way, but
That sounds simple, and it is. The
possibility Of too idyllic sojourn in
the Shaker village is ruined through
the bald incapacity Of the Kites, who
fail miserably In the Kitchen and else-
where. Kmerance, an experimenter in
life, questioner and probcr Of doc
trines and experiences, reveals hin-
self ss rarely practical man, a : a
cook Of the first water. in fact, the
delicate and semi humorous l9ve
episode Of the two young people finds
It's opening measures in the homely
atmosphere Of boiling coffee and
broil.ng steak. Howels always could
get into the precinct Of the home,
naturally and not as an intruder.
The crux # The Vacation Of the
Keluyrs arrives In the moments Of
ind.cision prcc!ritatod by tte prob
lem, Shall We disMis. the Kites or
must we march cut nnd leave them
conquerors7 There Is much docunen-
tsry evidence Of the embarrassment
Of regular, simon-pure New Eng
lander when faced by an ethical aitua-
ton. IN the heartburnings and the
mental tRht-ropc walking of the
Kelwyns as they argue and settle and
discuss again the question, yes or no
At length tho difficulty is smoothod
ont, as easily az Il Wind GIBBS at the
close of a summer day, and we have
the lttlc group of adults and children,
"itn bags and baggage, en- route for
II small but comfortable house. almoal
within nail Of The Kitcs
Howells- shows gracious condc
scension 20 the whims Of the people
All through this novel. He never
represses them His characters are
permitted TO evolve through the in
citsments of speech and action, into