New-York tribune., 1922-04-23


e. Place" (Macmilan), fall, con.
siderably short Of the Masters
level. Although in form and treat
ment it Is entirely different from
spoon River Anthology" the deadly
comparison is inevitable. since the
same pen produced them both. There
was slngleness OF purpose and a
surety of touch in those acidulous eni-
taphs Of the worthy natives Of Spoon
hlver that ara lacking in tho new book.
Its publishers call "Children of the
Market Place" "nctltious sutobjoe-
raphy," It Is true that il starts ont
10 Tell the ilfe story Of young Eng
hShman who enigrates to America IN
1888, but 1t soon becomes a bewi)der-
ing mclange Of novel, history and 10
litico-economic treatise.
There is much Of beauty and c,,r
IN the early pages Of this thick volum.
when Young James Miles, an Oxford
undergraduate, tells OF his iouroev
across the Atlantic In saline vexxe]
and his adventurous trip bv cnnal bo.+
and stagecoach from New York to the
IiIlnois prairios. Here. as pioneer
farmer upon the untitled acres be-
Queathed to him by the father be ha,
not seen since early childhood, he iden-
t'0os his futurs with that Of tho rrow-
ing young nation.
nr' Nasters's skill in poetic i,nBrerv
IS however, somewhat marred bv q
weakness for statistice. We lew,
among other "useful facts" that thn
Ncw York Of this period had . popula-
''on OF 100000 Gncludlng 1900 me-
e'0es) and that Chicago was a rndo
trading post OF only 900 sop,, Ths
"no-e book Is embeli,hed with a n,en->
'uue or vital statistics"
/ HoUNG MILES settles in r,r1.on
vile, III. Before long he dj,cor.r,
'"N' sootncr heritage from hi. father
concerning which he has not been eoxs
warned, is half-sister with o,o,rL
negro blood In her veins to mako w.
about the color of an Indino yron,
nomoay' Miles de6es the evil pos
SIP OF the town by taking tho unfor.
tunate girl into his new home
Although Illinois Is a Gree, .....
'oe attitude Of many Of the native. 4.
more 1han tolerant toward slavery. and
the young Engljshman forms hi. Gr.+
Impressions Of the American scens hc
the treatment his neiehbors accord h;s
ocIoroon sister. He shoots and liI,s
her seoucer and thus lid. the story Of
us ono and only personal villain. CTbo
american mob, in its attitude town rd
right principles" and those DoI;tico1
h9ure' whom Miles endows with nob0.
'Iy OF purpose, later takes tho nlaco
OF TINS misguided ruf1an as the vil1ai,
OF the plcce.) Miles Is freed from Nh.
murder charge by the somewhat nm
ethical action Of hi, friend, the prose
cutting attorney OF the county, Young
Stephen A. Douglas.
From this point Of tho tale nnt,l q
lew chapters from the end Doug,es 10
'ne dominant figure. In the tracing
OF MS life and political fortunes. with
many disressions into the realm of
American history and economic growth
Miles almost forgets his own s+orv
1t Is at this point that l quarrel with /
'Children Of the Market Place" I
1t seems to me an unskillful han ,
aIlng of literary forms to allow bool.
that starts out as novel and a]mos+
finishes as a novel to become for +ho
space Of about three hundred pages n
sharp political polemic and an jmnas-
stoned defense Of that misunderstood
igure Of American history, Stephen A
Douglas.
Although Douglas himself is char
cter of absorbing interest, who has.
IS true, been treated rather shabbily
y most school histories he never
ONES entirely to life in Mr.. Masters's
ook. The author leaps into the lists
. defend Douglass position on most
the disputed questions Of that day,
nd IN tho Cav. a. |