Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-19
PETER"
f. F. Benson's Latest Excursion
Into the Mysteries That
Enyelop Life


"peter,' by II. +. Benson George
II. Dorm Company, has fair
amount of action as modern society
novels go. The hero risks his life TO
save the heroine in the last chapter.
That's something.
Perhaps IL Is even better than that.
The little bit of melodrama at the end
Of a seldom tense but sometimes anus
ing and always interesting comedy is
not dragged In by the heels II In n
drama.
Peter Mainwaring and Nellie Heaton
who. II they had had the money TO
which they had accustomed themselves,
might have married and become low
crs. content themselves with being very
good pals md tell each other. with
some degree Of truth. that they are
not in love with ench other even n lit
tie bit. TIE truth in the decla ion
rests on the fact that Nellie loved com.
fort und Peter loves himself.
So Nellie morrics nice young man.
an estimablc young man. correct
young man. who loves her respectfully Z.
cares for her conscicntiously and never
has reason to regret the step lie has
taken> And Peter gives himself to Sylvia
Wnrdour (she is dearD. who loves
him SO much that she does not stop TO
wonder If he loves her just that same
way. Which is very frequently the
prologue to tragedy.
But Peter Is something more than
charmingly vain and cleverly humor-
Gus he has character and the reader is
permitted to see the Just one damn
thing after another which Is lfe' de.
relOp 1t. Perhaps the one thing which
best deserves the adjective is his father
from whom he inherited all his vanity
And Peter and Sylvia live happily
for months and months and months
until the rift in the Lutte which gives life
to fiction makes its inevitable blue
note. This (take it from Mr.. Benson)
makes it difficult for Sylvia to tell her
husband that che Is about to become a
mother and he learns It casually from
the doctor she consulted. And on the
same day Nellie, his former flame, tells
is soon to bear her husband Il child.
Its really screamingly funny that
you should tell me that he says, and
tells her why.
Then Nellie. who might easily have
fallen in love with Peter. feels the com :
panionship of approaching motherhood
and rises to the occasion. She tells
him where he is lacking in his relations
with Sylvia and. with that justly cele-
brated womanly intuition presents
Sylvia's case. Sylvia, 1t appears. has
begun to realize that Peter charmingly
accepts love rather than gives It. Hence
her reticence.
| SO Peter goes home and he who
! wants to hear something and Sylvia
who wants to tell him something pu,
obstacles in each others way and II
the house hadn't caught fire HEAVIER
only knows how they would have set.
tied their difficulties.
But, happily. there was something
wrong with one Of the chimneys ant
Sylvia is cut off by the flames ant
Peter makes his way to her along q
very difficult and dangerous and mar
row stone cornice. And by the tim'
the firemen arrive they are ready tt
die together and have settled all thcil
differences.
There you have the bare outline of &
story which Mr.. Benson tells delight
fully. If 1t doesn't stir your bloot
! it. may at least tickle your intelligenc,
and even stir your sensibilities. Fol-
once we can tndorse the declaration OF
JACKET: Mr.. Benson writes with ex
! uuisite understanding.