New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-22
Books .u.,,, By e,,,,

We recommend to our readers "The
Book Of Marjorie" (Knopf), by an
anonymous author, who, We understand,
is a young New York newspaper man.
1t tells the story Of the coming Of a
baby and, while it is true that a mans
account of such an event is something
like the report Of battle written by
a war correspondent from his Paris Of
lice, the author is not unaware that he
is anon-combatant far behind the lines.
For time we feared that he was go
ing to be as sentimental about the
physical facts of childbirth as Paris war
correspondents were about the physical
facts Of war. But from this charge he
earns an acquittal by narrow margin.
His chapter on what happened in the
hospital is vivid piece of writing. in
which he is able to get away, for
little while, from the rather pink and
white pleasure of his previous complete
approval and satisfaction with cverv-
thing that happened so long as nature
had hand in it. 1t is in the hospital
chapter that the author writes: as it
because man is immune from the Thing
that progress in rendering it less pain
full has Jagged far behind the advance
in other branches Of medicine and surg
cry?"
he does not attempt to answer the
question, but it seems to us that prob
ably the answer is Eyes" At any rate.
when twilight sleep was first introduced
into America, less than ten years ago.
it met the objections not only Of those
who questioned its safety and efficiency
(Which is, of course, fair ground for
debate), but also Of those who spoke of
"the intention of God" and "the mex
orable laws of nature" just as the phy-
slclans OF another day had opposed the
beneficence Of ether on similar grounds.
The author Of "The Book of Marjorie
IS able to forget the hospital quickly.
Soon We find that he has ceased to
trouble about the Thing, and to express
the convi' Ion in no unmeasured terms
that "There may be, it seems to me.
certain changes in the economic rela-
ton of the sexes, but marriage and
children and the home are as funda-
mental in themselves as food and
drink" Perhaps, but after all
there was food and there was drink and
there were children before there was
marriage. However, since we have no
available substitute to offer at the pres
ent writing for a long and well estab-
lished institution, let it survive and
wave. 1t is not as solid as the Matter
morn nor as deep as the Atlantic, but
perhaps it will suffice. However. it is
we'll to remember that it was an after
thought in creation week.
Though the author of "The Book of
Marjorie" can hardly escape indictment
as sentimentalist, it seems to US that
his book is interesting and valuable.
when ne tells US that he wrote to her:
i feel that can go where will and
endure no evil. feel that / would be
safe amid savage tribes or ferocious
beasts. Your love has rendered me at
one with all living things on earth. and
do not think that any man nor any
beast could hurt me without hurting
hlmself," we may smile and picture tn
ourselves how surprised the young man
would have been if he had paused in
one OF his rambles through Bronx Park
long enough to have thrust his hand
into the lions cage or tweaked the nose
OF the tiger. Still, the letter repre-
SCENTS . genuine and understandable
state Of mind.
we like "The Book of Marjorie" be-
cause 1t Is free from the indecent ret
,cence which makes so much Of our
literature dull and triaing. 1t is an
unusual experience to find any book in
"nlch person reveals himself to the
reader without first Selling upon large
os'n towel. The worst Of this mod