Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-02

uentic Juue NDOuDIeuuy, TuSo
Co.., Tarkinston's latest novel. III
delights in torturing the other boys ant
girls by ridiculing them. II he cor
learn Of any tender or gentle or senti.
mental act or word of any Of his younl
acquaintdnces, he derides them at every
opportunity and holds them up to tht
scorn OF their playmates. Harrington
!ndulges in this exhibition of human
foibles more subtly than Wallie does,
but he nevertheless indulges in 1t.
It was in The Magnificent Amber
sons" and in "Alice Adams" and in a
lesser degree It Is in "Gentle Julia"
None of these novels, however, is a
fully rounded study Of life. Each Is a
sketch Of fragment. But in each
the sketch is made from the same point
Of view.
The literary classifer ioould prob.
ablv put Harrington dopn as q
sdfirist and he nould come pretty
near the truth.
THE new novel, Gentle julia"
L might Just as well have been named
"Ungentle Florence" for Florence has
more to do with the action than has
julia. The book is really study Of
youth and the effect which the antics
Of youth have upon adults. Julia Is
the most beautiful girl in a Western
city that boasts Of 10000 Inhabitants.
She has many admirers and Is gracious
to them all, even to the most awkward
md inHrticulate. She cannot find 1t in
her heart to say IN unkind word to any
Of them, and II their feelings are hurt
she touches their arm and smiles on
them while she says soothing things.
Florence, her cousin. and Herbert, an.
other cousin, both thirteen years old,
growing on fourteen, stir up all sorts
of trouble, which eliminates when
Florence inserts in a little newspaper
publish by Herbert that Julia, who Is
away on a visit, is engaged to marry
n divorced widower with a lot Of chill
dren, details which she had overheard
when her father and mother were spec
ulating about the identity Of the man
whom Julia had said in n letter she was
going to marry. Florence thought these
were based on knowledge
and she thought 1t her duty TO the low
ers of Julia at home to let them know
about the engagement before julia re-
turned from her visit.
So far as It goes the book is an &C. !
rurate and entertaining picture Of the |
minds of boys and girls just entering
their teens. But 1t does not go very |
lar. And believe Mr.. Harrington did
not intend it to 60 very far. 1t Is
light and humorous study OF only one
phase of the youthful activities. In that
respect it is like nearly everything that
Mr.. Harrington has written. He makes
sketches Of fragments Of the human
scene instead of attempting to get any
considerable part Of it on his canvas.
This is my quarrel with him so far as
rave any quarrel. OF course he has a
complete defense, in that every literary
artist has the right to choose what he
hall do and the right to do it in the
way that seems best to him. Michael
Angelo, however. used his sketches
merely as preliminary studies to his
,reat paintings.
Gentle Julia" nevertheless. is likely
o be popular with those who found de-
light in "Penrod." and in Seventeen"
I will recall to adults the follies OF
heir childhood. 1t will show twenty
ear. old girls how to be popular and
t may reveal to parents something that
,oes on in the mind of their children
hat the children say nothing about to
heir elders. q. w. ID.