The New York herald., 1922-03-26

a noble desire to aid in uplifting his
people. He plans to start . school
in his old home town; a squalid,
struggling river settlement in Ten
nessee. He intends to teach his peo-
pie decent ways of living, sanitation,
industry and progressive develop
ment toward a higher level. He is
Well received, outwardly. but is
cheated and blocked by the leading
white men of the village, who fore
see danger in niger school. He
is also defeated by the Indifference
of his own people. He understands
and sympathizes with them. but his
point OF view is. after all, that of the
educated white man and incompre-
hensible TO them.
The only one who does understand
him IS Cissie, the octoroon girl, who
has also been away to school. But
she does not fully follow him, and
she is still enough Of 4 negress to
be a petty thief. Peter is drawn
toward her. but realizes the nature
of the attraction and feels that she
is not the mate" lie really wants.
The theme is very subtly treated;
rare piece of sex psychology. Cissie
falls a victim TO the desire of white
youth, who puts temptation to steal
in her way and then subdues her by
the threat OF prosecution. She yields
at first, but finally rebels and is
arrested. There is also q minor
thread of the plot in the devotion 10
her Of her wholly negro lover. lump
Pack. returned soldier with a Con-
gressional medal. who finally dies in
an attempt to rescue her from Jail.
But the really central strand of
tho plot Is Peters relation to his
father, Capt. Renfrew: relationship
which Peter himself does not suspect
until il is more or less thrust upon
him-and it is here that the author
leaves the thing incomplete. The
old Captain takes Peter Into his
houa as a sort Of secretary: a
curious situation, full OF tense irony
When the Captain learns that Peter
is thinking of marrying Cissie he
protests and breaks out into TRADE
which is the real high point" of the
whole book. Peter must not marry
negress.
mo. Peter, no." Guavered the old
man. For yourself it may make no
difference, but your children-think
of your children. your son growing
! up under q brown veil. You can't
tear 1t on, God himself can't tear
| it of. You can never reach him
through it, Your children. your
children's children. terrible process
sion that stretches out and out
marching under a black shroud, un-
| knowing. unknown. March
ing away. God knows where! And
yet-it's your own flesh and blood" "
There is the essential tragedy of
the mulatto and Of the South--in
one sentence. Ii is. as he calls 1t,
"the lees or slavery" A legacy from
the past. huge. black. staring fact
that cannot be denied and cannot be
forever ignored. And. as. the book
throughout implies. there is no solu-
tion-none that win be easily ac-
cepted ~ either the white man OF
the black.
Certain eminent scientists, British
and French. have predicted the ulti
mate destiny Of mankind to be :
notified or slightly colored race
maintaining that the brown. blacl
and yellow races must ultimately b,
fully amalgamated with the nov
dominant whites to at least a cream
colored result. The idea does not ap
peal TO the white man-and never
will. But the problem remains.
In the book Peter solves it by run.
ming away. marrying Cissie (wlo i.
pregnant by the white YOUTH an,
going TO Chicago to seek his fortunes
one feels that they will do very vel
for themselves. But. again, III,
problem remains.
/ PATCHWORK. By Beverley Nleaol.
Henry Holt & Co.