New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-01-16

ten years ago it created somcth;n. r..
than general stir in the literarv
world. In fact, Wilson Toilet. n,,s
writes the introduction to the rev;..s
edition, is spoken Of affectionatelv -
the author as "the only known
chaser Of tic book" and, further
"the other person who own a Cord. -
Vanity" VI
The critics were not kindly. Tb.r
hurled adjectives of Impeachment. :.
it without slushy and disgnx.
ing" Sterile and malodorous
worse than immoral--dull,, and a;r
consequent end rambling r,.,..
rauseating at tines"
With the revised edition mos. :,
these adjectives have become arc,.;.
The book is neither dull nor imno,.,
We could take oath on these points !.
rambles--certainly-and may be of :.
great consequence; but these are MINI.
considerations in any broad est;m.,.
of the book. 1t has frequent f,.sh,
Of the Cabellian wit, rather grim 60.
donic humor at times, and there ~.
just shades of Mr.. Cabelrs power a.
word magician. In a third wr;,;,n
The Cords of Vanity might lose al, ~
amateur gestures of its original nv
duction.
1t can hardly be expected that q nor.,
dealing exclusively with the love =.
prices of a very young man shou,d
strike any real depths. There ;sn,.
that much in the thing. ANY vOur.
man might have the experiences ~
Bobbie Townsend, whose autobiopranhv
makes up the story; though anv vour.
man, reviewing his girl affairs between
the ages of twenty and twentv-s;r
probably would have difficulty in com.
pressing his testimony into a sin,,.
volume.
Began at Fifteen /
Bobbie began even before he reseh.s
the college age. At fifteen he "sa.
out" dance with Stella on the tb;rd
piazza of the hotel. He describes oil
that happened:
"Steila's head was leaned bsckw.r3
Her lips were parted and the moon.
light glinted in her eyes. Her evs,
were blue. :Don't!' said Stella. fsint,r
did. Stella was not angry. a.
had half expected. That waa dear ~
you,' she said, impulsively, but don.t
try it again. think-I thint
we'd better go and dance some more,n
After this first conquest the rest va,
easy for Bobbie. He went into each
new affair with the confidence that M
girl could resist the ardor Of bis lov..
making. And they seldom did. He got
himself engaged early and often Int
never followed through as far as tbs
altar. Marriage wasn't for him until
after he had seen something Of his
youth in single harness.
He had a favorite speech that h.
delivered Unfortunately to girls who
wore his ring or thought it WAS about
time they were wearing one. 1t began:
I'VE are not mates. You were horn
to be the wife Of a strong man and
the mother Of his sturdy children: and
you and your sort will inherit the earth
and mako laws for us weaklinrs who
dream and scribble and paint. We are
not mates. But you have been very
KIND to me, dear. So I thank you ami
say goodby; and I pray that NAV
never see you after to-day"
Usually this did the trick, though
there were times when he had to he.
come abusive to rid himself of an en-.
tanglement. He never hesitated at this
cruelty, for he couldn't endure ths
contact of unhappiness."
An Occasional Error
VI course, he made mistakes. Oncs
he became engaged to q girl whose let
ters upset his artistic temperament.
Il do wish that Avis would not write
TO me as if she were under oath to tell
the entire TRUTH" he said. "Shc COM
munlcates so many things which actu.
ally happened that it reads like 'spe-
clal correspondent in some country
town writing for Sunday mornings
paper, and with, to a moral certainty,
the word separate lurking somewhere
spelled with three e's, and an 'always
with two rs, and at least ono a.
right"
II the reader should take Bobbe seri-
ously, he might easily be bored With
fim, perhaps even disguised. But there
is no need of this. Let Bobbie rant, rave
and make love-even illegitimately.
There is no harm in it except for
Bobbie.
The story leaves Bobbie engaged and
we think->we have interpreted Mr..
Cabell correetly-engaged to be mar
ried. At ,twenty-six this should be