Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-11-12
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH C. BOEERMAN.

~ @AAeIA CctC4 dA0 44AGAA
come in his creation Of the character
OF Judith Paris that he has continued
her as the chief parsonage of the third
novel in his series of the Herries fam
lily. The three novels now published
in the series are Rogue Herries, "
judith Paris" and 1.-THE Fortress: the
fourth volume, "Varnessa," is to appear
in the Autumn of 1888. The scene
OF all the novels is Cumberland, or
the English lake region, with its noun
tains, fells, meres and tarns, its cloudy
skies and mists, its rare sunshine. The
period covered by the series is from
present time, during which lived five
generations Of the Herries family. The
period Of "The Fortress" is 1822-1874.
When it opens, Judith Paris, called
Madame" by her neighbors, and a
noteworthy figure throughout Cumber-
land and even in London, Is a middle
aged woman; when it closes, she has
just celebrated her Tooth birthday. At
the close Of Judith Paris" Judith had
made the great sacrifice of leaving her
own farm home of Watendlath, where
she had lived her bitter-sweet life with
her French husband and where she had
seen him murdered, to go to live at
Uldale and take charge of her nephew's
NASOW dA40 ID oil COuI-
age; Jennifer and her son John live in
fear. Their fear is not causeless. but
could have been banished by courage.
Near Uldale lives Walter Herries, great
nephew Of Judith, bitter enemy of Jen-
infer and her family because Of a slight
placed upon his mother by Jennifer
half a lifetime earlier. Walter has
nursed his hatred, which would have
died except for the cruel, torturing
streak in him which has delighted in
Jennifer's fear. To torment her fur
Their, he builds on hill above Uldale.
very near, an inartistic imitation of a
medieval castle, which everyone calls
The Fortress" He looks upon it as
watch tower from which to annoy
Jennifer and as a family mansion to
pass on to his descendants. His only
son and heir is not very satisfactory
descendant In Walters eyes, for INLAND
Is cripple, cares only for books and
Drooding and takes no interest in the
Fortress or descendants.
X X x X
Walter is responsible for adding to
Uhland's handicap of crippled body
. distorted and malicious mirId. From
childhood he teaches him to nate Jen-
infer and her family. Not unnaturally.
under the circumstances, Uhland's espe-
cial hatred fastens upon John, about
his own age, handsome, popular. DOS
SesSing everything which INLAND lacks.
When INLAND discovers that John fears
him: everything is prepared for tragedy
-Uhland's envy, feeling of inferiority
and instinct for torture inherited from
MS father. One line of the plot, the
most absorbing one, is the development
OF this tragedy. At the end, John, one
OF the most appealing characters of
the story, conquers his fear, really a
form OF cowardice inherited from his
father, Francis Herries, and emerpes as
hero. He says to INLAND, now prac-
tically become mailman: at think we
must end this. 1t has gone on long
enough-and by ourselves where no one
can disturb us" Johns son, BENJAMIN,
Is 10 De one OF the chief characters of
sne last Herries novel, "Vanessa." He
KNOWS none of the fears which tor
mented his father; even as a child he
seems to fear and respect nothing. He
makes his declaration of independence
10 MS uncle, Adam: "All my life IN
XIII men Ike my uncle CUhlandl who
are beasts and towards. I don't care
I'm not afraid Of anyone, and I'll never
tells me- -e
\ %x
Another line of the plot of "rbe
Fortress" develops the life of Adam
nlegitimate son of Judith. who loves
MN with q possessive passion which
threatens to make slave of him. When
ne reaches manhood final struggle
taxes place between them, In which
ADAM WINS freedom, leaves UIdale and
gees 70 London, where he encounters
fxaw<
Chartist movement Ultimate disiIIu-
sionnnent brings him back to his
mother and Uldale. In him the Herries
iuealsm overcomes the Herries desire
Ior material success and he becomes
q reciuSe, writing dreamy tales of SYM
bolism. Adams wife, Margaret. dalirh-
ter Of Chartist leader, living among
the Herries family, expresses her
opinion of them: IAN the Herries
have met, whether in London or here,
have something In common, although
they are all so different. What it Is
l cannot say. 1t is as though, inside
the family, they are ALI against one
another, but that against the outside
world they are all united. Even Adam
has something of this, although he Is
forever saying that he Is Nightmare
and does not belong to them and dis
approves of their worldIiness and pride
and matericlsm. For they are ma
terial grc--Iy SO, and proud-proud with
the st kind Of English pride, as
though they were Gods people. John
Herries in London is the only excep-
ton have seen-yes, and part of
madame. Part Of her Is non-Herries,
hates that blood and would like to
escape from it." Hugh Walpole,s pur-
pose in this fiction saga is to trace
hereditary characteristics in a Wig
orous family, with conflicting strains
appearing in some members, while
others show only one strain-all against
the background of q changing Eng
land.
The Committee on Economic Sane
lions "a cryptic title), of which DR..
Nicholas Murray Butler is chairman.
financed by the Twentieth Century
Fund, has issued a report, edited by its
secretary, Evans Clark. The report Is
called "Boycotts and Peace" and dis
cuSses methods of putting some author
ity into the Kellogg pact, without Of
Tending various national sensibilities
and thus upsetting what we are pleased
to call the present peace of the world.
The investigations of the committee
began last Autumn, when the Kellogg
pdCt WhS OculS UttOAy St1dAleo over III
Manchuria. The important question
asked in the report is: What shall
be the attitude and the policy of the
other powers signatory to the pact of
Paris, If one or more of their number,
failing to conform to the pledge given
in the pact, do begin or threaten hos
tilities?" A supplementary protocol, or
treaty, is suggested which might pro-
vide for consultation in case of such
threatened hostilities. The possibility
of economic boycott, including Gees
sation of any shipment of arms or
munitions or other absolute contra
band" Is also discussed.
II II X X
'"The Eighteen-Sixties. Essays by
Fellows of the Royal Society of Litera-
ture," edited by John Drinkwater. con-
tains one essay by Mr. Drinkwater him
self on "Aeneas Sweetland Dallas" au-