Evening star., 1939-03-01
New Books at
Random
BY Margaret Germond.
FROST FLOWER. BY Helen Hull. New
York: Coward Mccain, Inc.

FROST FLOWER. BY Helen Hull New
York: Coward-McCann, Inc.
Helen Hull attains a new high mark
as novelist in this story of woman
suddenly faced with situation that
threatens to wreck her marriage and
blight the lives of those who, in the
home that she has made for them, con-
stitute her family. A gifted writer. skilled
in the art of intensifying without drama
tizing those occasions when human re-
lationships are imperiled by the impact
OF uncomfortable, alien forces, she gives
to this story rarefled atmosphere of
flneness that, like the flower that blos-
SONS after frost, surprises by its love-
illness.
The story is not predicated upon a
problem common to domestic institu-
tions. Nor can it properly be said that
it presents the problem Of a woman with
past. Rather is 1t the story of a
woman grown wonderfully fine as the
result of brief episode through which,
20 years in the past, she discovered that
her love for her husband was deep and
Interchangeable.
Phyllis Ceilings. beautiful. generous.
sympathetic and competent, is hap4ly
married woman as she drives away from
her suburban home with her daughter
to meet the afternoon train on which
her husband regularly returns from his
Office in New York City. Except for
natural anxiety about the failing health
of her aging father and the usual
problems that confront the mothers of
very modern children. no clouds darken
the skies of content with life at middle
age that is full and harmonious.
When Phyllis married Edwin he was
poor, stubborn and uncompromising in
his demand that she break away from
the social and, to his narrow mind, indo-
lent life to which she was Il, customed
and live as he could afforo and wanted
to live. The son of a poor preacher, he
had grown up in poverty, and lack Of
opportunity for social intercourse had
made him both shy and resentful. 1t
bad been these characteristics that had
won the sympathy of Phyllis and then
iASA AoNC. AL 1lCl OlAiO oCNOllOIl OCe
leved that in marriage she could make
up to him for all of the things that life
had denied him, and that she could
teach him to play and enjoy the things
that give pleasure to all people of normal
temperament. But the first year of mar
rlage had been stormy and tragic, ending
with Edwin going off to war.
BY the time the war had ended and
Edwin came home again, both of them
had learned great deal Anger having
burned itself out, they picked up love
again and found it stronger wiser,
sweeter," and with the passing years life
had broadened and been happier as Ed
statistician.
At the time this story begins the two
children of this contented pair, Edwina
and Jack, are normal modern youngsters,
attuned to the quickened rhythm of their
age, joyous and carefree without being
too sophisticated and irresponsible. Jack
is at the peak of that stage of youth
when girls are less important than auto
mobiles, sports and substantial meals
Edwina, few years older and ordinarily
away at college, over and above the
happy excitement attaching to dances,
sports and parties is experiencing the
thrilling and bewildering emotions that
accompany the advent of attentive ad-
mirers. The Major, ripened and mel
lowed by age, is splendid and rather
heroic old man, devoted to his two chill
dren, Phyllis and Steve and is for the
moment living with Phyllis and her
family.
The action takes place in four days,
week end which EdWina is spending
with her family. 1t is Friday when the
mother ana daughter drive off, and on
the way to meet her husband Phyllis
takes EdWina to the courts where she
has an engagement to play tennis with
some friends. Arriving at the railway
station with time to spare, Phyllis falls
to meditating upon the increasing feeble
ness Of the Major, upon the problems
presented by her two adolescent children,
and upon the fact that both she and
her husband were approaching the bor-
derland Of that indeterminate phase of
life which bridges the gap between prime
maturity and old age. These thoughts
led to the further knowledge that the
years are not so far ahead when Edwina
and Jack will have embarked upon their
own lives, and she and Edwin will again
have only each other.
With the arrival of the train and Edwin
the whole pattern of life becomes dis
torted and shapeless. For Elise Fulton
steps off of the same train, bringing with
her threat calculated to destroy for
second time the marriage of Phyllis and
Edwin and to blight the lives of those
upon whose faith, loyalty and love an
ideal home has been created and main
tanned.
Time races back to that episode so
long ago when, after the disastrous cli-
max precipitated by Edwin near the end
of their first year of marriage, Phyllis
had met Andrew Fulton, brilliant young
newspaperman making noble effort to
maintain an appearance of domestic Sc
renity in a marriage that had been a
miserable failure. A love affair between
Phyllis and Andy famed briefly and died.
Years later, knowing that he was near
death, Andy penned a brief note of fare
well to the girl he never forgot. Elsie