The New York herald., 1922-04-30

ne is IN 6earcn or q soul mate" G
true affinity" a feminine compile
ment to his incomplete masculine
being. He is searching for true. COM
pretending, loving sympathy in the
unspoiled. original sense of that
word; sympathy that must include
passionate human love, full intellec-
tual companionship and the indefin-
able something over, that elusive
tertium Quid Of ultimate satisfaction
of which every aspiring soul must
dream. There is nothing at all cheap
about Miss Larminie's treatment of
this not unfamiliar theme. She is
neither oversentimental nor coldly
analytical about it. The book is
wholly free from the vulgarities and
offensiveness that mar so much cur
rent literature, but is also unfettered
and clear Of the mawkishness of Vic
torian repressions.
The construction of the novel is
also unusual; bold in its innovation,
but justified. Instead of merely fol-
lowing the Horatian maxim to plunge
into the middle of things she begins
almost at the end of the story with
a chapter that might naturally pre-
cede the last one. and then goes back
to the beginning and proceeds in
regular progress thereafter. 1t is
striking and has the justification of
success.
Jim's first quest began in his
youth. in a gruesome experience
with another mans wife: sort of
preliminary heat before the real race.
1t is a finely tragic affair, kept well
down in key. its high moments free
from hysteria or noise. The woman
in the case here is. in fact. lunatic.
At the moment when Jim is about to
elope with her. rather against his
will, she is carried off to the asylum,
hopelessly insane.
Jim's real troubles begin, however,
with his marriage, as Alice turns out
to be a cold. hard woman, an "in-
stinctive spinster' who fails to un-
derstand him at all and calls him
"neurotic" when he Is, in fact, en-
tirely normal, she herself being the
defective unit in the marriage. The
author gives an almost maliciously
keen picture of Alice, the Instructive
spinster" who nevertheless manages
to have sort of affair of her own.
The birth of their son does not cure
the difficulties, and Jim is con-
sistently unhappy.
But all this time little Sophy, only
10 years old when she first appears.
has been growing up. for him. At an
early period she is really in love with
Jim, and he comes to realize that in
her he might have found what he is
seeking. But it is too late. Mean
while Jim's son, John. has been grow
ing up; the war comes and brings
with it more unsettlement But just
as Jim is beginning TO become &C.
ouainted with his son, now 16, -.
boy is accidentally killed.
But before that there has been a
rdpprochement, and Alice is to have
another child. Sophy. disconsolate
and more or less abandoned. marries
a young man of her own age. Alice's
child is prematurely born and Alice
dies just after Sophy is married.
Release has come too late for them.
But Jim finally finds consolation in
philosophy.
Il believe this, my DEAR" he thinks :,
that greatly TO desire anything arS
to find that it exists is better than
III the possessing. All my life I've
wanted what in your heart you've
given me. So my desire lives. I
have you safe and can't ever lose
you. Dear love, that is possession"
Perhaps. At any rate ii Is the
only logical. real solution for such
people as those of the book. 1t is
finely conceived, delicately and intel
ligently worked out theme. 1t leaves
one with the. feeling that we shall
assuredly hear from Miss Larminie
again. GEORGE WOOD.
INTRUSION. BY Beatrice Kean Sey-
mour. Thomas Seltzer.