The New York herald., 1922-04-02


fered with the completion OF his ed
ucation; his work in the Sunshine
Bakery" his brief life as a soldier.
which did not get him beyond the
training camps: his next phase as a
hangeron in New York's literary
Bohemia his service as harten-
der In transrnogrified saloon where
he serves as soda counter clerk his
escape as steward on n Bermuda
liner, followed by a period rs general
handy man in . Bermuda hotel, and
his discovery there By an arrived"
literary expert. a successful novelist
who finally guides him back to New
York and real success. 1t is n richly
woven tapestry OF narrative and
character development
While he is still pettering about
the Bermuda ho,ei he fails deeply
in love with an extraordinary lady,
divorcee and real widow, who is
wealthy. highly placed socially and
much older than Cleve. She is not
beautiful, but has an uncsnny charm,
an Irresistible fascination. Edith is.
genuine creation: one must hook
far to find a parallel in recent fic-
ton She calls for some believing on
the part OF the reader. but she is
real: IN no way a caricature. She
is moved by the handsome young
Cleye, and there is strange love
scene between them. but she viii
have none Of him. She does operate
to arouse his ambition by her scorn
OF his feeble pottering about. "If
loved a man. she snaps 1T him.
.'hc might scrub gutters-but he'd
have 10 be man. Co DC somebody
and do something"
But before Cleve can act upon
that prescription he becomes help
lessly entangled with the lovely. ap-
peaiing. delicate young Sophy Tar
vey. who is passionateiy in love with
him. lie does not love her. but feels
that he must marry her. lie is fond
OF her, and her brother George. the
cook who worked with Clcve years
before In the Sunshine Bakery"
is his best friend Edith has cast
him oT-sc he marrics poor Sophy.
1t seems to be necessary for the
youthful genius to marry the
wrong wcnan. In fact, he usually
does so: fiction here is but copying
a common brute fact OF life In this
case the usual unhappy results fol-
low. without anything spectacular
about them. and Mrs. Watts gives us
a poignantiy moving picture OF the
unhappy young wife. the misery of
the misplaced woman. who has a
dim consciousness that she is mis-
placed. but is helpless.
Cleve, too. is helpless. and finally
falls a victim TO the Establishments
OF the Hebraic manager. who insists
upon altering his play 3y cheaper
ing. yuigarizing il and bringing il
down to what he judges 10 be the
popular level This section OF the
book Of course is the spot where
Mrs. Watts turns the wholc broad
side OF her heavy artillery on the
degeneracy of the modern stage.
Each shot is well aimed: there are
no misses. but. unfortunately. one
feels that the target viii. none the
less. remain quite unaware Of it.
In the words Of the great man FOR
whom Cieve was named. 1T IS 9
condition and not a theory that con-
fronts US"
However. Mrs. Watts may have
added something OF weight to the
vide protest already made She has
at least furnished new ammunition
Cor future assaiiants OF the stage
citadels. but. as the boo,s itself I'M
plies. Il is probably a matter or slow
popular education II ve orc ever to
have better things.
Mrs. Watts has done one very un-
usual thing IN this book She has
managed to present not merely q
literary genius as hero but also an.
other genuinely alive literary char
acter. Generally the prodigy or ever
the ordinary man Of letters. OF
woman writer. IA fiction is 4 aueei
creature. neither fish. flesh noi