Evening star., 1923-10-09
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM

Lee Masters. Boni and Liveright.
"Mere Chance" Sheer accident"
Clear coincidence" SO we say. And
then lightly dismissing one OF the
greatest of the gods of existence,
we slip back into the reassuring
domain of expected things. A more
comfortable place, this. Here Sc
quences run true. Here each step
plants the next one, and the next
on through a certain and dependable
course.
Then, maybe. setting out of a
morning that looks like all the other
mornings. or SO 1t seems, one feels
upon his shoulder a gentle tapping,
made by no mans hand. And under
the curious urge he turns to the left
when he might have gone. to the
right And around the corner. wait
ing, stands a something that proves
to be deeply momentous in the life
of that man, thing so vital. so
significant, as to reach past him
into the generations that follow
him. Nothing but chance-becko on
ing, intervening, determining. So
chance, by innumerable obtrusions
upon the ordered pattern of exist
ence, has lost Kingdoms and won
worlds, made fortunes, wrecked hopes:
events confirm it. Public affairs and
private interests alike are subject
to it's restless interventions. Indeed,
so universal Is the operation or TINS
seemingly Iawiess force that one Won
ders if, after all, chance may not be
Z he lrnitar q OF deeDer
lie than the one OF winch we are
now. or yet, aware.
\ y
"The Nuptial Flight" is the chron-
icle of a family. Here the author
follows three generations of mating
and marrying, of setting up homes
of producing children and rearing
them-the supreme business of CIV
ilization. All concede this. Yet, here,
this supreme business is projected
and pursued under the vagarious
entrances and exits of chance. This
fact stands as one of two very strik-
ing effects of the novel itself. Meas
ured by this effect alone, should the
story take it's place as pure nct1on'
or is 1t the realism that both theme
and method imply? The answer lies,
of course, outside the novel. The
story must be moved out into real
ity TO determine whether or not the
picture be a true one. Are love ana
marriage largely the concern OF ac-
cident, opportunity. chance-as one
gathers out of this family history?
Are they. in opposite view. the re-
suit of wise provision and deliberate
choice on the one hand, or, on the
other, the exclusive care OF the hie II u
gods as lovers swear them 10 De !:
Everybody. looking shreWdiy about
and within, must gather his own an
swer. Yet. the sum of these answers
will. one is sure. cast no doubt upon
the clear realism of THE Nuptial
Flight"
The other outstanding effect of the
novel is that the human, despite GER
tain arrogant assumptions of supe-
riority and power. is, after all. but
a unit in the great biological process
sion. In fundamentals he Is not
greatly different from the other units.
Like bird and bee and creeping thing,
like tree and vine and clinging moss,
man, too, is under the complete do
minion of a force that is Unsuitable
for perpetuity. Natures sole absorp-
tion--to produce life. and more life.
In answer to this exclusive and de-
yourfng passion, nature has become
the supreme INVENTOR miracle of
genius and ingenuity In all the subtle
arts of contact and fuifllment, a
monster Of cruelty toward the futile
and the outworn. In nature, by which
is meant in all life outside of the life
of man himself, the tremendous plan
for .perpetuity stands clear and with
IL many of the innumerable and amaz-
ing devices for achievement. Man,
however, has taken on so thick a COW
er of convention and artifice that only
gIimpses here and there reveal to the
curious and the Questing that with
man too, the fundamental preoccupa-
ton Is also of biologic intent and
substance. And may not that which
in our short sight and scant knowl-
edge and devotion to the obvious, we
dismiss as chance be, in effect, the
abIest. the most constant, the most
unfailing End efficient of the mani
fold agents of nature for the con-
summation of her tremendous plan.
A long way off from the story it.
seIfo No, close by, instead. For the
accident upon which love and mar
rage SO often depend. and the deeply
instructive urges that control the be-
haviors of men and women associated
in marriage. or in love-these two
make the solid foundation upon which
the story SO securely rests.
\ y, X \
On a day In 1S49 certain Kentucky
families emigrated to Illinois. Among
these were young William Houghton
and pretty Nancy Wilson. They had
never seen each other before. had
never heard of each other before. But
out of this chance meeting came mar
riage and the rise of the Ho6ghtons,
whom for three generations one fol-
lows here In a story whose setting is.
first. that of pioneer life. then that of
growing communities and expanding
Industry, and then, finally. one of
complete modern content and ap-
pearance. 1t Is a story OF children
and grandchildren, Of growing up and
getting married and becoming part
of the community-the main business
of life everywhere. In effect 1t is the
matrimonial succession Of William
and Nancy Houghton. And among
them all william and Nancy, the
original stock. are the only ones to
gather contentment Of spirit and a
substantial hold on life Indeed, at
the end of the story one Is gloomy
with the failure Of all these children.
Not tragc failure, but the equally
depressing failure of lassitude and
discouragement. Inclined to quarrel
at this conclusion, one betakes him
self instead out into the open. to see
what children and grandchildren are
doing odt there In the way Of living
I'm to their forbears. Speedy return
and prompt apology follow. No, this