The New York herald., 1921-07-03


Prose Translations by Alice r. Hub
bard. Poems Done in English by
Grace Hazard Conkling. T.. p. Dutton
& Co.
Reviewed by MARGARET BURKE.
One of the press notices about this
work declared: Some will be scan
dalized by the authors capricious lev
ity i'm dealing with the serious facts of
life, others may be surprised by the
absolute frankness on matters COM
monty CLOSED over; but the discern
ing will recognize that here is a new
note, master note, in the presenta-
tion of human life as it is to-day"
Heaven help US if all who read are
not discerning, IL would have been
better had they said those who dodge
facts and paint them with an ugly
color to cover the truth, let them not
dare to read this book. 1t is a lovely
chain holding three perfect gems.
These stories are inimitable, and as
such they should be used only by the
discerning and the truthful
The press notice need not have been
so apologetic; i'm fact, the tribute that
it gives at its conclusion is hardly
enough. It is more than a new note
that has been struck-it is whole
symphony of gorgeous colorings and
tones that only the old background of
Spain could furnish.
In the first tale the pilgrimage of
Odysseus is whimscally narrated as
the foundation of the travels of a
young Spaniard who suffered, lived
and loved as did Odysseus. The poor
Il. f1 lA phn nd
makes out rather well with it. Later,
however, his son, in whom he had
|. hoped to take great pride disappoints
him by being hopelessly crippled and
far too brilliant to be normal. Finally
Mark. the father, gives up in despair.
He covers his grief as best he can.
Then Prometheus-for into the child
the spirit of Prometheus has come
takes himself out of his parents sight
in timely suicide.
THE Fall of the House of Limon"
is pathetic story of the fall OF an
old and corrupt dynasty in Spain. The
two old maids who bear the brunt of
the tragedy are the most pitifu OBJ
jects around whom the story weaves
itself. The Vaccinations of a political
party, the murderous crimes of young
senors and the last drop of payment
eXacted from the miserable women are
painted i'm fierce colors by the author.
There is no attempt to gloss over the
truth. There is no backing from the
point that ignominy and shame no
matter how clothed i'm purple or tat
ters must be blotted out, even If 1t
be to the wrecking of innocent lives.
Ayala spares no one-even the woman
who had hoped to find happiness pays
for nothing save mere relationship.
She pays in the worst form that
human can pay-in lonely, miser-
able existence, tortured and bounded
on every side.
Sunday Sunlight" fulfils the hope
that some of us have had that one
would find some day a process OF
differentiation for the sunlight of the
days Of the week. For Mondays light
is different from Tuesdays and. so on
down the length of the week. AT last.
Ayala has shown us that the sun has
gone through the spectrum and falls
on the brightest colors on Sunday.
In his story Sunday is the last happy
day for Castor before he had wed Bal
bina Hated by rivals in politics and
love his fiancee is most cruelty violated
by some young scions of the leading
aristocratic family In Cenciella. After
his marriage he finds that the people
will not let Balbina forget her shame
and he roams all over Spain with her
i'm an effort to find haven where dis
turblng gossip and revenge will not
find them. In desperation he starts
for South America. On board ship
some immigrants recognize them and
they are about to feel that nowhere in
this world will they find the peace
for which they seek. And nowhere on
earth did they find it, A merciful Prov-
idence sent fire to the ship and the
husband who so truly loved his wife
perished with her in the ocean of
eternal forgetfulness.
There Us about these tales passion
ate understanding of things human
and divine. There Is no shrouding of
primal truths. but why should there
he? What mystery there is in life
think we hide or expose II. No shabby
coverings that any human frailty can
invent for its own sense OF prudery
can add or detract from a mystery.
These tales are for those who live and
believe and who by living, lose none of
that faith that holds for every man
spark OF divine fre-a flame that
makes the most awful endurable and
the most divine-ecstatic.