Evening star., 1924-09-21


k pulse a. pea asant boy and girl
Renzo and Lucia. From this
loWly and simple source the stoIy
grows. slowly and naturally. out and
around till its compass includes a full
picture of Italy three centuries ago
1t is a long story, whose .vicissitudes of
state, of religion. of society. serve the
true purposes Of the historical novel.
and then narrow gently again to the
destiny of Renzo and Lucia. They at
last concluded that trouble often
comes. ii is true, to such as bring it on
themselves, but that the utmost inno-
cence and caution serve not to ward
IL off: but that, when il does come,
through our fault, or without il, con-
fidence. in God lightens it and turns i;
TO our own Improvement" And the
author adds in comprehensive cover
ing Of the general theme-"This con-
clusion. though arrived at by such
plain people,. has seemed so true that
we have decided TO set il down here
as the moral of our whole story
High authority gives full praise to this
novel, issued just about a hundred
years ago. 1T is one of the four or
five books that have given me the most
rapturous reading of my life"-this
from Lamartine. walter Scott il
great, but ManZoni is something more
the comment of Chateaubriand
"ManZonis novel-Goethe talking
scars far above all that we know o.
the kind need say to you nothing
more than that the interior life-al
that comes from the soul of the poet
is absolutely perfect: and that the
outer-the delineation of localities and
the like-is In no way inferior" 81
have finished Manzoni's novel, not
without many tears Macaulay said to
his diary. THE scene between the
archbishop and Don Abbondio is one OF
the noblest | know. The parting scene
between the lovers and Father Christie
foro is most touching. If the Church
of Rome really were what ManZon
represents her to be. ] should be
tempted to follow Newman's example =
Great praise for a great novel whose
appeal will be a singufarly poignant
cne-not to the many. but to the few.
EovelstS themselves will, no doubt
seize upon il eagerly for their own
further inspiration and instruction
Serious novelists will do this. since both
its spirit and method are modern.
PANDORA LIFTS THE LID. BY
Christopher Morley and Don Mar
quiS. New York: George H. Doran
Co.
He laughs at life since. maybe, that
is one way to placate the creature. And
laughter, as well as tears and COM
planings is but habit Features set
to smiling grin impartally, looking
upon the great earth itself as a huge
Joke, spinning round and round In pur-
suit of, its own tail. This is great day
for the comic mind. Offhand one could
name thousand jokes a minute that
would make the humorist die a-laugh-
ing-all of them picked out from pro-
digiously serious matters. For in
,Nr
her-God bless her,-caught right in
the act of lifting the lid to the four
winds of heaven. 1t is Pandora that
here 90 StirS to mirth these two dis
tinguished humorists, Morley and Mar
Quis. simultaneously smitten with the
joke of Pandora, they rush together in
hot blood for first place in exploiting
her-for springing the joke. But more
skilled with words than with Drawn. one
sees them soon engaged in accommoda-
tions and compromises. The happy re-
suit is that they take turn and turn
about for the privilege of presenting
Pandora-a beautiful young woman,
dangerously equipped with all manner
of modern notions about socialism, and
sex equality, and the independence
mental, moral and physcal-of women.
One could add to this list, but any one
is able to complete it by merely casting
ideas and isms that are now so absorb
ing to women and college professors.
This is an adventure, f1ight-the
exodus of Pandora and her devoted
followers from school into the freedom
OF remote island. right off the New
England coast, where revolutionary
projects may ripen without interference.
A captive youth gives point to the ult-
mate proceedings. That is, he gives one
point. There are two of these super
maidens, one only degree below Pan
dora herself, so there must be, in the
course OF nature, one more point to the
story. Another. young man, from the
outside, in the role of rescuer, supplies
the demand. Funny? Why. of course, it
fs funny. Morley and Marquis, never
waste time in trying to be funny
They just are funny at the first blow
A finely satiric little parable that goes
laughing on its way.
SAINT MAGLOIRE. BY Roland Dor
geles. Translated by Pauline de
Chary. New York: George H
Doran Co.
The saintliness of Magloire Dubourg
became gradually matter of cre-
dence and pride to the home folks as
the distance increased between him
and his native corner of France. That
is the way with many gifts and pow
ers that depend upon human ap-
praisals and Judgments Roughly
speaking. 1t is the thesis of this care
fully wrought novel When Magloire
first left home he was matter of
embarrassment and apprehension to
his family. as the runaway and ad-
Yenturer is likely to be. And for
years nothing was heard of him. Then
vague and infreQuent rumors came
10 of
the natives of some remote corner of
Africa. A missioner, a miracle work
er, saint-so the stories ran. And
after more than 40 years Of absence,
Magloire came back to France filled
with the zeal for. good works that
had marked the best years of his long
pilgrimage through strange conti-
nent. The old friends of Dubourg
and his family hailed him with joy
and friendliness. proud of the fame
that he had brought to their hitherto
undistfnguished locality. And Ma
gloire spoke to his neighbors and
preached to the people, followed a
holy life and tried to turn the hearts
of men toward good deeds and godly
lives. And the people listened for a
time. And they followed. little way.
Gradually, however, old habits, old
points of view, WEAKNESS Of well do
ing, began to assert themselves, first
in envy and then in suspicion, and
finally in open hostility. Evil things
began to follow in his footsteps where
he in purpose held only to the good.
The story closes with the defeat of
Magloire at the hands of his former
friends and heralds. 1t is a discern
ing study Of the human heart in it's
response to spiritual contacts. 1t is a
pilgrims progress through the land
of modern Circumstance and material
Aines IL. he