Evening star., 1932-02-20
THE LIBRARY TABLE
By hs Booklopsr

A study Of heredity In four genera
tions has furnished Daphne Du
Maurier with her theme in her novel,
"Tl1e Loving Spirit" The four parts
Of the novel are: Janet Coombe 1880
1862" Joseph Coombe Q863-1900),"
christopher CoOmbe l86S-1912)" and
"Jennifer Coombe U912-193O." The
setting OF the story is the coast village
Of Plyn, in Cornwall, with its small har-
Dor, the busy shlpyard of Thomas
Coombe, the marrow street struggling
up the cliffs from the sea, and Ivy
House, the cottage half way up the
cliff, where Thomas and Janet Coombe
commence housekeeping. The fascina.
the story and Is one element OF the
Wildness and love of freedom which are
part Of the character of Janet Coombe
the part which she transmits to one
of her descendants In each succeeding
generation. The story opens with the
wedding day of Janet and Thomas
Coombe, cousins. In the morning,
while her sisters are preparing her we'd
ding garments, Janet Is alone up at
the top of the cliff, near the castle
ruins, watching the sea, "and 1t seemed
that there were two sides OF her; one
that wanted to be the wife OF a man,
and to care for him and love him ten
derly, and one that asked only to be
sky above, with the glad free ways OF
gull" Thomas joins her on the cliff
and tries to talk Of their tvy-colored
cottage and their new furnishings and
their coming happiness, but Janets
mind is far away in the future, wan
dering among the mysteries OF life. The
practical Thomas is disturbed when she
saws, as If In dream: In hundred
wears therell be two others stanoin'
here, Thomas, same as us noW-an
they'll be blood Of our blood, an hesh
of our flesh. I'll not bioe in
heaven, nor rest here in my grave. MY
spirit will linger with the ones love
an when they're Sorrowful and feared
in themselves I'll come to them, and God
Himself won't keep me" Once mar
ried, Janet becomes absorbed In her
new household duties, develops into
most practical housewife, and the VIII
lape matrons nod knowingly and say
that all she needed was husband TO
steady her wildness, and wonder when
the inevitable baby will arrive.
The child comes good, unimaginative
Samuel, Just like his father. Then
Mary is born, another child who might
belong to Thomas alone. so like him Is
she, Janet loves her children, but often
wonders that they are really hers, and
in moments snatched from her daily
tasks which she spends alone on the
cliff. she knows for certainty that she
has never yet loved with her whole
being that her nature has not yet been
fulfilled. "One day it would come, but
not yet" One moonlit Christmas eve,
when Thomas is at church and the
children are asleep. Janet climbs TO the
castle ruins on the cliff and there has
q remarkable vision. She leant against
the castle ruins with the sea at her
feet and the light OF the moon on her
face. Then she closed her eyes, ana
the jumbled thoughts fed from her
mind, her tired body seemed to slip
away f ON her and she was possessed
with the strange power and clarity OF
the moon itself. When she opened her
ewes for a moment there was mist
about her. and when it dissolved she
saw kneeling beside the cliff with his
head bowed in his hands the hgure OF
man. She knew that he was fllled
with wild despair and bitterness. ana
that his poor lost soul was calling 10
her for comfort. She went and knelt
beside him. and held his head to hsS
breast. while she stroked his gray hair
with her hand. Then he looked up at
her. his wild brown eyes crazy with rear
at himself. And she knew him to be-
long to the future, when she was deao
and in her grave, but she recognized
him as her own. Hush, my sweet IoVe'
hush. and cast away your fear. I'm
beside you always, always, an there S
none who'll harm YOU Why didn't
Won come before?' he whispered, holding
her close. They've been trytn' to take
me away from you, and the whole world
is black and filled with devils. There's
no truth. dearest, no path for me 10
take. You'll help me, won't you?'
They've been long weary days since
YOU went from me, an I've not needed
YOUR counsel nor deserved your trust
in me- he told her. See how I'm OLD
now, with the gray hairs In my head
and beard. and you younger than l
ever knew you. with your pale girls
face and our tender unworn hands
About a year after this vision on the
cliff Janets third child. her son Joseph,
Is born. Long years after. when Joseph
is on the threshold Of old age and Janet
has been for many years In her grave
in the little Cornish cemetery. the vision
comes true. Joseph, threatened with
blindness. mentally unbalanced. ana
driven to desperation by the persecution
of his relentless younger brother. es-
capes from the family at Ivy House to
a refuge by the castle ruins and there
in a vision his mother. Janet. comes to
him. as she was in her youth, and brings
him peace.
Christopher. oldest and favorite son
of joseph has always been a disap-
pointment to his father because he
has been afraid of the sea, but in his
death he rises triumphant over his fear
and saves the family trading vessel,
thp Janet Coornbe, from destruction.
The Janet Coombe. nGhed for Janet
and bearing her imagt in wood as a
feurehead. has been the pride and joy
of Joseph her master, and often on
starry nights when he has stood In the
prow he has felt the presence Of his
mother with him. When the Janet
Coon1be Is towed to retirement In the
mud of the creek after her last voyage,
the figurehead Is uninjured. "a little
white figure with her hands at her
breast, her chin in the air. her eyes
gazing toward the sea-" The derelict
vessel becomes the courting place OF
Jennifer Coombe and John. both great
grandchildren of Janet Coombe., One
day while they sit on the deck just
above the f1gurehead "Jennifer looked
upon the figurehead In the white dress,
the eld-fashioned hat the dark hair
pushed away from the pale face, the
ewes gazing seaward, the chin in the
air. 7Oh' cried Jennifer, I wish I'D
known her, wish she wasn't dead
She isn't dead (John says). Isn't
she?' 'No-she knows we're here, both
of us I believe she does They
smiled at one another. 'Jennifer. do
YOU realize anything?' Realize what?'
'Do YOU know you're exactly like her?' "
when John and Jennifer are married
and build their house on the harbor,
near the shipyard where John con-
structs expensive modern yachts. they
l.~