New-York tribune., 1922-12-10
Modern BoccacciO
By Isabel Paterson

by Isabel Paterson
THE NEW DECAMERON By Compton Mae
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THE qualitative influence Of demand
upon supply may be studied from
18th. New Deeameron," though such
was probably far from the inten-
tion Of its authors. They, one may surmise.
simply set about writing few short stories
for their own and their readers diversion. But
they are al Lnglish authors and in Eng
land the market for short stories is extremely
limited. 1t may reasonably be assumed,
then, that these specimens represented what
their authors wanted TO write, thought in
tiinsieally worth writing, regardless Of
whether or not an editor would find them
suited to the requirements of his magazine
In consequence, they arc both better and
worse than the average short story turned
out in America; better at best and good
deal worse at their worst. Every one has
a freshness and zest too often lacking in our
short feticn; not one attains TO the aver
age American level in point Of sheer con-
stfucton, Of form. And technical form is
not to be despised. Without it story won't
live long. Bet without vitality it will never
live at ALL These are ephemera, being in
vertebrate, but they lutter along on their
own motive power for their little hour.
MICHAEL SADLEiR skilfully draws a
@'A herring across his favorite walk in lit
erature by labelling his contribution "A Vic
torian Tale" II should be called a Victorian
echo; II is good but somehow faded imita-
tion. No denuneiation could so effeetualy
mark the end Of the Victorian era here is
proof that it is really dead and gone. Peace
70 its ashes.
Compton Mackenzie essays tragic irony.
and might have succeeded had he allowed
himself more space. As it is, he achieves
a striking picture, a view Of peasant life in
Sirene, on the Italian coast. But the story
is truneated abruptly, as II the author had
wearied Of It suddenly.
Tragedy is also the aim Of Miss Sack
ville-West; but she only pOtted mclodrama,
and came dangerously near to burlesque.
Reading OF the jealous husband who put his
wife's lover into bell buoy and left him
there to die of starvation or seasickness, as
might chance, one can only wonder how he
ever thought Of that.
The best items in the whole book are by
a most incongruous trio. d. Beresford,
Robert Keable and D. II. Lawrence / name
the latter just TO be conventional. His win
try Peacock" must be extremely subtle and
profound for on the surface 1t Is no more
than a sketch Of man beloved by two women,
and holding them both in contempt. This
is an attitude greatly favored by the younger
;ntelcctuals; and they got away with It
wonderfully-in fiction. And as Mr.. Law
renee is the white hope of that section OF
letters. this must be good work. The wintry
peacoek, rnculting bird whose tail feathers
arc deplorsbly missing, is symbol, put in
10 make It harder to guess. 1t is not
peahen, remember.
Keable's bit, astonishingly, has absolutely
no "sex interest" at ALL 1t is sober recital
OF mystical experience, put IN the mouth
sf a Catholic missionary priest in Africa
The sense Of setuality it conveys requires
genuine art Had the episode allowed OF
expansion to the proportions Of a real snor'
story it would have been notable one.
But Beresford's "Poitergeist" IS certainly
the most diverting of ghosts. If Sir A. Conan
Doyle ever met it at seanee he would GER
tainly rebuke Il for ievity and skept'eism
Confronted by another earnest psycnicai
researcher, this annoying spook asked Tor
proofs Of the existence Of psyehical research
ers and the researcher. though he racEea
his brains, was unable to offer any that
seemed convincing even to himself His
answers 70 the ghosts questions were
,pubbed as vague, contradictory and foolish.