Evening star., 1925-12-04
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES Z. TRACEWELL.

sketched in William Andermatt
prototype of George r. Babbitt.
Andermatt was a French Babbitt, a
business man so typical the world
around that you might pick him out
a dozen times a day on any main
street of any city of any size in almost
any country In the civilized world.
Andermatt is so busy with schemes
to make money that he has no time
for his wife, Chrlstiane. When new
spring Is accidentally discovered at
the watering resort to which he has
taken her for her health, he becomes
so engrossed that, shrewd as he Is,
he is an easy victim of the CRAFTY
peasant, Pere Oriol. who induces an
old crippled fraud to be cured" in
the new flow OF water.
Andermatt Is so intent on making
millions of francs out of the discovery
that he willingly falls for the decep-
ton, bites heartily, let's himself be
temporarily ''stung" by the owner OF
the land. Not for long, however. He
is a genuine business man, one of the
born money grabbers. His relentless
energy, his crafty foresight and his
genuine sympathy with conditions en-
able him to come out on top.
He d-picks his board Of directors,
and packs" the business organization
in a manner that would have won ap-
plause from Babbitt himself. The
way he calmly out-votes Pere Oriol, at
the same time naming the new water
ing place after him, is drawn with
such a sure hand that the reader de-
lights in 1t.
Throughout the deception Of Andcr-
matt by his wife the reader finds him
self Sympathizing with the capah BILE,
unsuspiciouS man of business. Ills
| touches of tenderness in relation 10
the wife, especially after the baby Is
born. are human to the nth degree.
We like him with the same affection
we have for Bahbitt. who, despite his
faults, is a real fellow Of the kind
most Americans admire. | have al
ways believed that Lewis felt a sneak
ing admiration for his creation, at
the end Of his writing, II not at the be
ginning OF It, and the reader OF Mont.
Oriol" will have much the same feel
ing for William Andermatt. although
undoubtedly Maupassant had no such
intention IN view.
y X X
The reader who wishes to make the
acquaintance OF Maupassant may do
it best with that tremendous short
story, The Mount of Olives" or The
Olive Orchard" as it Is sometimes
| translated.
If he selects Mont -Oriol." however
he will make no mistake, although
the longer medium perhaps does not
| show this author at his supreme
height The reader will wonder
vaguely. from time TO time while read
ing:
where have l read this sort OF
thing before
Then he may realize that every day
! in the newspapers, he has been read
ing Just this sort of thing!
Without any sense of psychology
utterly devoid of sentiment or desire
| to draw moral, Maupassant tells his
stories with all the matter-offactness
of a newspaper reporter.
He gives action, ne gives converse
| ton and leaves the reader to put such
motives into the men and women de
picted as he chooses. Life is his sub
iect, al il is Of modern newspaper.
Life. with all it's pain and pleasure
Crime is not pleasant, but news
paper must print il, because II hap
| pens. Although we may quarrel with
GUY de Maupassant for his choice OF
subjects (since he could pick and
| choose. which daily newspaper can
noU. we must recognize the sincerity
OF his stories. and thank him for the
| craftsmanship with which he wrote
| them.