The Washington times., 1922-09-03
NORRIS
WRITES EPIC
OF FAMILY

Certain Peopie OF imPoI'
tance" a Sound Piece Of Lit.
erary Workmanship on 4
Purely American Topic.
By AMEs KENDRICK.
IN HERE is nothing that we,
can recall in the previous
- work of Mrs. Norris to
lead one to expect a book Of
such sound achievement rs "Cer-
tain People of Importance"
Doubleday, Page and Com
pany). Yet, during a consider
able period of time devoted to
turning out tasty little ro-
mances for the readers Of
women's magazines, the poten-
tial energy and ability must
have been hers, and but await
ed occasion to produce a novel
which is entitled to high rank
rs a serious contribution to
American literature.
Certain People Of Importance"
a robust volume Of nearly 500
pages, Is an American novel, as
typically American in its incep-.
ton and in It's development as
chewing gum or prohibition. Mrs.
Norris takes a New England fam
lily, and for reasons which were
doubtless commonplace during the
decade before the civil war, starts
them on the long journey to Cali.
fornia. Here we find them set
tied down in ordinary hum-drum
existence, and the chronicle OF
their early struggles in a pioneer
land and of their rise to wealth
and importance is carried through
several generations of the Crab
tree family. 30
Nothing extraordinary happens
to the family--no high adventure.
suddenly achieved riches. violent
takings-off. or moving perils by
fire and flood. There are deaths.
to be sure. as there must be in u
story which occupies so long Il
period of time: marriages and
births, quarrels and little jealous.
les such as occur in even the best
families; but in the main the chron-
icle wends a placid course, 1he
theme us a cycle In the history of
. an American family. its emergepcs
from obscurity to wealth and infiu-
ence and its descent in the third
generation to the obscurity from
which 1t spranG Yet. despite the
absence of any attempt at me'o-
dramatic climaxes. the story is one
of consuming interest to its very
close.
Coming originally from New
England. the Crabtree family
halted its migration temporarily
in Illinois. where the town Of
Crabtree Corner was named after
the father of that Reuben Crab
tree who led the remnants Of
the clan to the coast. Here.
starting with little grocery
store, Reuben built up a whole
sale business which became the
cornerstone Of the family for.
tune. He built a great house at
San Rafael. across the. bay from
San Francisco. which became a
landmark. to be pointed out with
pride to visitors. .
Reuben's daughter May mar.
ried Stephen Brewer, a, clerk in
the Crabtree establishment. She
becomes the mother Of four girls
and a boy. Reuben's other
daughter. Fanny. remains single
to the end OF her days. Both
Reuben's sons marry. Robert,
the older. lives for a time in
the East, where he weds q Boston
woman, while Harry takes unto
himself a widow with one child.
To them are born a boy and a
girl.
These are the people with
whom the story Is concerned.
We get to know them Intimately.
along with their friends. the
young men who come n.wooing
the Brewer and Crabtree girls.
and the girls to whom the
Brewer and Crabtree boys pay
court,
There is no one figure among
all these people singled out by
tho author to dominate the
story. Each in turn gets his
share Of attention. We watch
Lucy while her mad schemes
wreck the lives of her husba nd