The New York herald., 1922-03-12
New Fiction in Varied Forms

CuSlotH not dS CoIilutoiA
among the craft as some might think.
she has a great deal to say In this
newest novel, and she says IL ex-
ceedingly we'll Two of Mary john
ston's good qualities as a writer are
present In this book in full measure;
her ability to caIl up a past age and
make the figures from that time
living. breathing human beings, and
her power to make the big central
ethical theme. behind the story. real
and living also.
"Silver Cross" pictures the Eng
land Of the reign of Henry the VII.
But we have no dealings with kings
and courts. 1t is with the church Of
that time. with the great abbeys and
monasteries. their jealousies and in
trigues, their power and their un-
scrupulousness. that the action has
to do. And the two ,iestinies which
come in time 10 focus sympathy on
themselves are those Of simple folk.
a goldsmith and Magdalen. Rich
burghers and simple knight or two,
and the scores Of other folk are there.
and many abbots, priors. and monks.
Frankly and honestly are the in
trigues and falseness OF the church
Of that time dealt with, and yet the
books pulses with a deeply religious
feeling.
There Is something extremely
modern and familiar seeming to
those who can be as honest about
these days. in the jealousies OF the
two big abbeys, Silver Cross and
Saint Leofrics. and their manner of
advertising themselves and "selling
salvation" They are near enough to
one another in situation for one to
suffer If the other has some great
attraction in the way OF a relic,
working miracles. to offer. When
Saint Leofric's could show a miracu-
lously found arm and hand Of their
patron saint, and the simple trust
Ing foik-of which there were an
parently as many in those days as
now-come and by reason of their
belief are healed, Abbot Mark of the
rich Silver Cross is sadly upset. He
sees his houses popularity and
riches melting away. Lord AIsntioy.
the patron OF Silver Cross, honestly
religious and loving the great church
because 1t holds the mortal remains
OF the wife es his youth, he also is
deeply concerned And when bv
chance it Is possible for Abbot Mark
and Prior Matthew OF westforest. a
daughter house OF Silver Cross. to
prove that the miraculous hand and
arms bones were stolen from an orli-
nary graveyard in dead OF night. and
ara nothing but fraud. cieyerly adver-
tised as truth. Monuoy is deeply
concerned for the simple faith OF
the countryside. But Abbot Mark
and Prior Matthew know that the
honest hearted lord would he still
more horrified IL they suggested that
Silver Cross might also ''find' some
Wonder and draw the crowds to
Itself.
But they do arrange n counter at
fraction. slyiy. diahoucaIly. cIeyerly.
using for their instrument the person
OF Brother Richard. once a successful
goldsmith. but driven. in his later
thirties. into the church by pressure
OF personal doubts and suffering and
By a sincere and earnest cropping for
the truth. BY slow and cunning
processes. similar indeed to those by
which governments sell "holy wars"
to their unsuspecting people, Brother
Richard is made to see Vision. The
great altar picture at Silver Cross.
the beautiful Madonna whom he
loves with an odd worship combined
Of the mystic and the human. comes
Go44f