Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-11
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
|. G.. NJ.

London: Oxford University Press.
Anthony Trollope suffered temporary
eclipse when, in between him and the
glow of a deserved and growing popu-
larity, there stepped that surprising
pair, Dickens and Thackersy. These two
took prompt charge of the public. In
the main, of course, by way of the
pure quality of their genius. In small
part, however, through the partisanShip
and contention that grew up around
them. A Simon-pure genius. declared
the advocates of one. A. deal of ALLOW
in that writer's metal, opined the other
side crowding closer to its particular
idol So the dispute went on. And,
even today, of in some muSty corner
here or there, may be found a couple
of honorables mumbling the old con-
troversy over again in the familiar
d" IT'S and 'T'aint" brand of argument.
In the turmoil of such prolonged and
engrossing inutility, even Anthony
Trollope and other men of genius re-
ceived less than their deServings. much
to the general loss.
Now all three are forgotten. along
with many another of the great Of
other days. Right here, from some re-
equally clustered class room of second
airy education, comes a growly, mo.
mol That's not true!" All right. Let
us not contend. But, honestly, how
many of you do wade through the
mawkish sentimentality of Dickens for
the rich treasure of human stuff and
heartwarming hhmor that he offers
provided only that we have patience to
stand by? And how many of you do
accept the stuffed rags that Thackeray
calls women, for the sake of arriving
at the finely broad outlook of the man.
at the historic sense embodied in ro-
nance, at the gift of structure, at the
satire OF word and smile? How many
OF you DO? No, 1 am not forgetting
Becky Sharp on the one hand, nor the
piouS recurrent ceremonial of Christ
mas Carol' on the other.
Average readerS-you and do not
lead. We follow, discarding old gods for
the new half-godS. So, today, wish
ing, laudably maybe, at least to ap-
pear intelligent, to seem well read"
cultured If you will, prompt to step off
with the last cry, we read the best
seller" we dog the censored iniquity of
this writer or that one, fairly prying
up the print for a possible uncovering
OF the repudiated naughtiness. Often
the author, honest fellow, is striving in
toll and sweat, in innocence of mind as
well, to portray life as it is which-so
he has been told-is the sole end and
aim of the novel.
However, pretty much all of this is
something else. And / want to tell YOU
what happened to me. Oxford Uni
versity Press sent me Trollope novel
"Ayala's Angel" 1 thought had read
this novelist. Certainly l have made
the familiar gesture of reading him.
But l had not read "Ayala's Angel
an unforgettable story. Delighted now
that had not, and for good reason
This novel was published for the first
time just about so years ago. Yet, in
mood, 1t steps out in perfect time with
this February morning of 1890. Not
alone in mood, either but in the little
ways Of expressing mood is there this
good accord. The turn of word, the
slant OF smile, the life of eyelid-aIl
familiar, all current and of the mo-
ment-our moment. And back of these
Municipalities of manner there Is the
knowing outlook upon men and women
trying to make a go at the business of
being alive. There is the perfect seiz-
ure OF the unequal admiXture of wisdom
and folly whose name is man" Com
prehenSion plus sympathy produce the
tolerance of Trollope, the perfect CO.
great comic spirit that moves in plant
aptitudes toward every age and phase
OF human idioSyncraSy.
Then the theme of this romance is an
everlasting one. The girl-that I'M
changing girl whose sole genuine pre-
occupation Is that of creating-out of
nothing at all save dream haze-the
WondrouS creature who is finally to
rescue her to the fulfillment of nfe's
meaning. Nothing less than an angel
nothing less than Gabriel himself, will
do. And this is the Story-Ayala's
story. An obdurate maiden, the despair
or thrifty guardians mindful of her
future and keen to the f1eetinR hours
OF youthful beauty. But only young
men. clearly of the earth, swarmed
about Ayala, who was waiting for Ga
br1el or one better. And this girl Ayala
Is In every essential Mary and Anne
and Betty-the girls all around us. To
De sure, her dress is longer, her hair
| Is unshorn, but these are trif1eS. It is
this astounding leap ahead into our
hour and minute that constitutes the
wonder of this Trollope novel. Do YOU
want to know what happened to AyalaP
what became of her dream? What
FORM her angel took? Just what hap
pens 10 every girl today. BY the truly
and all the other girls in the world
Dullt up only a fairly good fellow to
the nigh stature of a celestial being. all
ntted with wings and luminous with
nerolSm. She mad to. Every girl has
10 IN order to justify her own exist
ence In the world-scheme of family and
cnlloren. Certainly imagination has
mace most OF the marriages, as it has
also served, more or less successfully, to
maintain them.
There is a great deal said about the
young woman of the present. Fear
and apprehension follow her in the
person OF her elders. Read "Ayala' s
anger for the way it used to be done
III respect 10 settling these young Wom-
en- INTO matrlmony and safety The
story has to do with four of such nm
claimed damSelS-all in the keeping
OF one man. a rich man whose entire
lime OUTSIDE OF the bare attention
given 10 q successful business. is spent
In securing husbands and settlements
Ior this group. In something of an
oriental SecluSion these wait, breath
less and on tlptoe, so to speak, for the
husbands that will come to them over
this peculiar kind of bargain table.
We know that the picture is not over
colored. We know that 1t was just
that way 80 years ago and more and
even less. Herein comes the difference
between Ayala, cherished in an alb
surdity OF convention, and Anne of our
own day. Anne declares herself to be
human being, capable of work, of
earning living. Of taking pleasures
Of her own choosing. So Anne goes to
school and then to work. Anne picks
her man as best she can. without
great kotowings of traditional bent
these two get married-and then make
the best of it. Granted, it is not al
ways a success, but it is that as often
as 1t was when Ayala and her sisters