The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-18
FAINT PERU N E.
Is SPLENDID
NOVEL
iona Gales New Book a Re-
lnarkable Portrayal Of a
Phase of American Life and
Manners.
Bv ANTEs KENDRICK

- N THE three years which have
lapsed since iona Gale threw
open the door of Dwight Dea-
cons home and made Lulu Bett
q familiar figure to the reading
public. the story of the poor
drudge has run the gamut Of best
seller, successful drama and per-
haps has been turned into a movie.
though we do not youch for this
latter, as we hut pay scant atten-
ton to the ''unspeakable drama. -
Now comes another intimate por-
trayal of human nature called
s'Faint Perfume meritorious
piece Of work, fashioned on some
what similar lines, but suggesting
itself to us as a better novel than
its predecessor. b
Faint Perfume" is the portrayal
Of the Crumb family-an Ameri-
can family. The Crunlb residence
Is an American home-as it is
found in many small towns of
these United States. Their voices
rise in the language Of everyday.
You move among them, seeing
them as they see each other as
they see themselves. There is
Mama Crumb, Tweet Crumb, her
daughter: Orrin ,Crumb, Tweet's
husband "a Crumb has married a
Grumpy Pearl Crumb. the young
est Crumb of all; Grandfather
Crumb, the Oldest OF the tribe.
Into the story comes. too, Rich
nniel Powers. Crumb who has
adventured abroad and has ac-
Quired polish Of a fashion alien to
the stay-at-home Crumbs. These
Crumbs are a family circle, yet,
like the nations Of the world, they
are against or with each other in
4 constantly shifting battlefront.
IN Miss Lulu Bett," iona Gale
proved she could, in her rapid
paragraphs. seize on a character
and display all his personality in
word and deed. So it is in "Faint
Perfume You come to know
this Crumb family, living and
dying.
Bun the book is not made up Of
Crumbs ealone. There is another
theme, which gathering force,
finally gains ascendency even over
the jangling voices Of the Crumbs.
The title of the novel springs from
this other theme. and its purpose
Is to prove that there are things
undreamed of in the Crumb phil
Osophy.
Leda Perrin is a girl driven by
circumstances to take shelter in
the home of her cousins. the
Crumbs. Among the Crumbs she
has to live and suffer and possess
her soul in patience. In herself
ehe has the constituencies, the need
Tor beauty, to which the crude
wrangling of the Crumbs is an
agony, beating upon her with al
most physical force.
She can see the love of Mama
Crunb for her daughter, Rich
nniel; she can feel Tweet's longing
for a child; she can find a kindred
spirit in gentle, quaint old grand
father Crumb, one of the outstand-
ing portrayals Of the book. But
when the family begins to speak
to each other with tongues un-
1oosed in haste, Leda can feel her
spirit dying within her.
From the outside world comes
another visitant, Barnaby Powers,
ex-husband Of Richmiel. Leda re-
members him from one previous
meeting and knows his writings,
for he is a famed author. This
Barnaby is fine-souled individual.
His little son is his only reason
for returning to the lair Of the
Crumbs.
Leda and Barnaby fall in love
and Faint Perfume is the story
of their passion. Their romance
IL exquisitely told, and the coarse
interference of the Crumbs throws
It into high relief. This love makes
bearable her life with the Crumbs.
All the pithy brevity which
makes Miss Lulu Bett' notable
are present in Faint Perfume"
There are no loose ends Or wasted
words. Every page counts, every
word. The conversations in which
the Crumbs indulge have the
, stamp Of reality and are as typical
Of those who utter them as speech
can be:
"Of course" Tweet pensively
emerged with, II have wanted to
adopt a child. Deeply. A little
girl. Little girls are so much more
Still, should love to have
oliver here. Simply love 1t. ]
could take the whole care Of him
Mama"
II know you," said Mama, brief
~ and brutalIy.
You can hear the voices. fee
the reality Of characters engaging
In such conversation.
The story Of Ieda Perr,n's so
5ourn among the Crumbs is divided
into three parts, "Leda," Barn