New-York tribune., 1922-02-05
From High to Low
An English Curate Seeks
Bases of Life
BY Grace Phelps


Gong down ,inonY publicans and sin
ners is no rev method Of finding God
1t is, however, the way in which Pete,
Graham, the hero Of "Simon Callc,
Peter cndcayors to find out whv his
creed doesn't work. when he comes ur
against actuaities behind the lines in
France. With all due respect to the
author, We don't believe he found wha,
he was after, OFF this be sncrjljpious
MIR. kcable must mako the best Of it
he would not have left Julie in the cud
Peter. it must be understood, was an
English curate, who WAS already begin.
nlng TO STIR under the narcotic effect of
his high church life when the World
War broke out. His tiancee Hilda was
stralt-laced English girl the daugh.
ter of wealthy vestryman. She had
hopes that Peter would one day be a
bishop and she didn't want him to jeop-
ardize his chances by going to France
Secret influences kept Peter back until
the war WAS we'll on its way into the
second year and life behind the lines
was pretty much of routine in which
gay night life predominatcd.
Nourishing the idea that he would
bring spiritual comfort to the dying
Peter was cut to the quick to find out
that the dying weren't really interested
IN what he had to offer. On train to
his post. one Of the officers with him was
shot. Horrified at the suddcnness of
death--it was the first and last time he
came so near to the actual fighting,
though that was not his fault-Peter
stammered out few words about Christ
and salvation, feeling how inadequate it
all was.
Don't you worry, padre" the dying
man said. "Reckon l won't shrk," and
asked for cigarette
That typitied the attitude of the men
There, where death was imminent anv
day, he could bring them coffee and news
and cigarettes, but they didn't want
his God.
One man, little more thoughtful
than most, asked: "lf man sins, how
is he TO get forgiveness? What sort
OF a God is it who will wipe out the
whole blessed thing because in mo-
ment Of enthusiasm the man SAYS he is
sorry? If that's all sin is, it isn't
worth worrying about, and if that is
all God is. He's not got the makings of
a decent o. c."
And so Peter went down among the
men and tried to find out why his God
was lacking. He made friends with the
women Of the streets and found his
views of good and evil still further up
set by his intimate knowledge of their
lives and character. Once his imper-
sonal Investigations are threatened.
when he is in the room Of one Of the
girls. and she saves him from himself
and sends him away.
And then there was Jule-a madcan
nurse from South Africa with whom
Peter falls madly in love, to complicatc
still further his attempts to separate
wrong from right All this time he
has been writing Hilda of the torture
he has been undergoing in his search
for God. AT last, utterly out of SYM
Ipathy with his spiritual sufferngs, she
breaks the engagement, and thus the
last link between the old life and be-
liefs is snapped for Peter. He knows
he cannot go back to the church. WHAT
he will DO, he doesn't know. Nor is
it any clearer at tine end of the book.
after week end leave with Julie in
London.
A hasty reading would indicate that
he would become a Catholic-perhaps a
Catholic priest, but second reading
destroys this convenient ending. Julie
had slnned before, and she voluntarily
gives Peter up, whether for that reason
or ANOTHER We could not make out. We
can see why She would give him I'D
for her own sake, but apparently it was
for his good, not hers.
However puzzling and Inadequate the
end, "Simon Called Peter" is a novel
far out Of the ordinary and ranks with
"Three Soldiers" in presenting a start
ling picture OF the effect of war in
stripping men and women to the essen
tlals. 1t is not pretty picture. We
do rot advise those who wish to clino
to their illusions about religion or men
to read it.