New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-29
Books p.,., Hammond b.

AS the Indifferent children of the
late Lord Whern gather at his inter
ment under the wet autumn yew trees
of a Wiltshire churchyard, let US OBJ
serve and become acquainted with
them. They are some of the principal
characters in Michael Sadleirs
Privilege" story of England to-day
"born of the strange allurement OF
passing greatness, and setting an
imaginary love dream against the
tapestry of the changing and the
turbulent times"
Harold, the new Viscount Whern, is
handsome, fine figure of a man, as
he holds his silk hat over the grave,
but soft, with lips too full, indicating
that the rugged cruelty of his father,
BLACK" Whern, has turned in him to
selfish sensuality. He wishes the
damp and windy obsequies to end
quickly, so that he may get back to
the abbey, and to his whisky and his
dogs.
Michael, the next in line, regards the
scene with ontempt-contempt for the
corpse, for the parson mumbling over
his prayer book, and for the absurd
surrounding gravestones. No pretense
of grief is on Michael's fine, pitiless
brow, but there is much pride of caste
emphasized in his cool, thin lips and
his straight, patrician figure. A
worthier heir than Harold, the book
says, intractable though he is
Anthony, the youngest son, is twenty,
languid and falsetto, collector of
jade, and addicted to black pajamas
with scarlet belts. He is scent-user,
and his elegance is revolving, but with
his fair hair, long pale face and his
graceful postures he blends with the
sadness of the day" Anthony is
sound, it is said, though delicate.
Mary, who is eighteen, shows in
her demure and impressive features a
gentle persistence which promises in
later years to become a bigoted
fanaticism, and Richard, who tells the
story of the family, and who is the
most pleasing of them all, has a
withered foot, sympathetic outlook
on life, and human way with women.
The other mourner at this ironic ter
minus is Monica.
Monica is brilliant, magnificent, ar
rogant and beautiful in black, her
fight" under the brim Of her small,
defiant hat. In character she is loose
and fearless, and when she strikes the
shoals Of prudery her head is high
and her smile is bright. To her fathers
funeral she has brought from London
nasty little man whose pseudonym
is "Flim'; and after we return to the
abbey from the churchyard we can
hear her shouting to him over the
balustrade: where the hell are
YOU? Do you want me to wake
the dead?" She is smoking
cigarette in long holder.
Having met the offspring of "Black"
Whern at his burial rites, you may
care to know what Mr.. Sadleir causes
to happen to them in the pages of
Privilege" In case you do, the novel
will not disappont you. 1t is CO.
herent recital of plausible and agitat-
ing incident in the lives of persons
not commonplace, but beiievable, urg-
ing no lesson, its author says, in his
"apoiogia," but telling d tale of in
dividuals who are ct once "of their
own age or Of any age Its style is
honest, though eloquent; its affecta-
tons are infrequent; and you will find
few speeches in it that are not the
credible conversation Of its partici-
pants. You may be surprised at some