Evening star., 1931-06-20
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the Booklover

who feels no responsibility for anything
Or. to any one, but must at all costs
express himself, even though he doe.
not know how 70 do 1t, seems. from al
least one point Of view, to be the under
wing idea Of Susan Giaspell's new novel
Ambrose Holt and Family" Ambrost
Holt WA q newspaper editor in q Mid.
Ole west industrial town. He had In
!, his paper q: certain medium Of self.
expression, and made use of it TO pub.
lish caustic, irpnlc paragraphs, which
tins townspeople usually AldsnOt under.
stand. He married wife, bat did moi
And her interesting. Ha had . son
but che boy was too handsome, like q
Greek god, and concaited, so Ambrose
Holt diSliked him. He felt no response
bllity toward either of them, so he left
them and disappeared for "a years. INC
lo1e knew where he went, and he never
came back He did not even have the
excuse OF going away with another wom-
ian-1ot that that would have been an
excuse, but at least 1t would have been
a reason. Apparently he left simply
because he was tired of being there.
He explained it to his daughter-in-law
many years later: Anyway, I had tc
make the gesture of getting loose. TC
get loose, materially, seemed to say Il
my spirit, you are loose. It WASH
wholly true, but 1t was in that direction
and Whist Is wholly true?" When Haf-
riette reproached him with his deser-
ton OF his family, leaving them desti-
tute ana helpless, he smiled and asked
Can you imagine my wife helpleesr
He easily granted her charges: yes
that must be it. Z ! have no moral
Then after n years, a. capriciously
as he had left, back came Ambrose
Holt to the town Of his birth, where his
deserted wife and son lived. and, ever
more important, where his wealthy
father-in-law lived. James Atwood, the
father-in-law, and Lincoln Holt, tht
son, received the news that Ambrose
Holt had been seen down around thc
lumber yard just as they would have
been expected TO receive It, The att
tude OF Mrs. Holt, the deserted wife
and Harriette,. or Blossom" Is what
maks the story. Not animosity. but
curiosity, was the predominant feeling
OF both women. Both secretly found
1t interesting that Ambrose Holt had
returned. Mrs. Holt was not resentful
Perhaps the germ Of her resentment
was not Of suficiently virulent type
TO last q quarter Of century. Har-
riette. at first alarmed by the return
because Of It's implications In regard tc
her husband, was tmpelled to see Am
broSe Holt and to her surprise found
that he was the first person who ha6
ever treated her as II she were q human
being and not merely a pretty fool
Events moved rapidly and feelings
changed as rapidly (perhaps too rapidly
TO Be altogether naturaD, until at the
death Of Ambrose the paper of which
he had once been editor published hi:
picture, an old one, with an obituary
which spoke Of his keen mind, his wit,
and discreetly alluded to the fact that
years" and had but recently returned. >
Yet he was the same vagabond, family
deserter, irresponsible unmoralist, thai
he had always been.
+ -
The secondary theme Of Ambrose
Holt and Family" is much the same as
that of IbSen's DOLLS House." the re-
belion OF young woman who knows
that she has some intellect, some per-
sonality, against being treated as q
pretty toy. Harriette, explaining nesi-
tatingly to Ambrose her longing for In
tellectual companionShip, says: Lincoln
loves me. but you know-you know how
I look Ambrose smiles He knows. as
every one does, that Harriette looks
charming and that her looks do not
suggest intellectually. AS Miss Glas-
pell works out this part of her theme
Harriette establishes her claim not to
be considered a fool by actions which
almost any practical person would call
foolish. At least she asserts her right
TO think for herself. When her father
says TO her bitterly, because she insists
en- seeing Ambrose Holt, You mus,
be fool" she replies, II have been 9
good deal of q fool, but I'm rather
less Of one now" In the end what she
gains is rather Intangible. just the rec
ognition on the part of her husband
and father cher mother-in-law has al
ways known it, that she is capable oi
thinking and acting for herself A;
Blossom" is no theoretical feminist
no agitator, she Is fairly we'll satisfied
with the outcome, though she know,
that there will be slumps, that II
win net always be like this"
4 4 4
A singularly appealing expression o
opinion about a new book is that oi
Helen Keller in regard to Memories
of Sixty Years" by Lord Sanderson, the
English educator and economist, whC
has been blind all his life. The booL
has just been published coincident with
the World Conference Of Workers TO
the Blind. Il am very glad you sent m
Memories of Sixty Years Need I tel
you, I am delighted that you have pub
lished such worthwhile book for Z
blind man? 1t is vividly interesting ant
| Il lafS Dc oil ta E,ta.
are handicapped, for 1t strengthens on
faith that with sufficient ability. de
sire and courage we can face any haz-
ard and remove any barrier to worthy
Accomplishment and service. It is
happy coincidence that this book ha
appeared while the World Congress o
Workers for the Blind is in this coun
try. Lord Sanderson's achievements
wrought despite his handicap, give colo
and force to the endeRvors of earnes
workers to bring the blind, and thos
who see, closer together In the worlC
Of human activity, and the interest fell
by many people in the. congress shoult
send the book further, scattering spark
Of hope and inspiration. But, afte
all, Memories of Sixty Years has
greater claim to public attention eveI
than that OF being the expression of al
unusual blind mans personality.
Is the story of blind man who ha
had exceptional opportunities for look
ing at the social and political problem
OF his time. Il Is quite as much tn
duty of those who cannot see as O
those with sight to study the life o
the people, their toll. their long hour,
their risk Of health and limb and thei
meagre reward. For unless we under
stand these problems. we cannot d
all we should to help the blind VIII
are also poor or to prevent unneces
sary blindness. Lord Sanderson has
seeing mind, and he has sbravely worke,
for the social principles by which alon
the blind and the seeing can hop
to gain their fair share of opportunit
and hfe's satisfactions."
voltaire as a subject for biograph.