Evening star., 1949-02-13
Reviewing The New Books
Posthumous Novel
Proves Authoress
Had Great Promise
CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE

CEREMONY OF INNOCENCE
BY Elizabeth Charlotte Webster.
(Harcourt, Brace & Co.; $2.75J
You don't have to read more
than page of Ceremony of In
nocence" to realize that you are
in the presence of genuine
writer who is also a first-rate
satirist. The Jackets comparison
of Miss Webster with Evelyn
Waugh is quite warranted. Un-
fortunately, this astonishingly first
novel will also be the last from
Elizabeth Charlotte Webster, who
died two weeks after receiving a
South African literary prize for
her biting tale of unhoiy orders.
Disconcerting as a precocious
child, Miss Webster sees every
thing as if for the first time, and
she records her findings in prose
that is freshly minted, as free
from cliches as her outrageous
plot is from signposts. She is en-
tirely original and bold. Her main
targets in this story Of a South
African Anglican convent are
complacency and hypocrisy within
the church. But on the side she
ticks off many minor points and
scores direct hits on aspects of
contemporary civilization which
irk her, such as birth control, the
movies, empire-building, religious
hysteria, society doctors and dow
ayers. All this is done lightly
and brightly with devastating
good humor.
Petty Concerns.
To speak her malicious piece on
the modern world she has in
vented a large and diverting cast
of characters, composed principal
ly of the Intellectual women vino
inhabit the Convent of st. Sera-
pha of Sicily and their clerical
visitors. While they are COM
mitted to doing Gods work on
earth. they are all wrapped up
in their petty worldly concerns.
The Rev. BucklethWaite, for in
stance, in his excessive zeal on
behalf of the Scout movement. t."
is literally marching to salvation
in shorts" The Rev. Heriot. mad
ly in love with his dominating
wife is harriedly struggling to
raise a family of four on little
more than Christian fortitude."
The canon is a martyr-but only
to dyspepsia. The superior of the
convent is a tyrant. Sister Lii
liam is a simple-minded old wo1n-
an who lives for extra~mural di-
versions. The bishop is teaching
football to the natives, winning
souls and goals for Christ" as he
reports it in the parish magazine
Only Father Nicholas. "a wistful
and hungry spirit" truly follows
Christ.
A Miracle Worker.
Into this world of irrelevancies
comes Sybil, young novice who
is soon revealed to be a prophecies
and a miracle-Worker. Her self
declared mission is to bear a child
who will bring confusion and
destruction on the church." She
fulfills out this destiny with the
help of a bibulous genius named
Tearlach Heriot, who has re-
manned married to his foolish wife
because she keeps him in touch
with the hero mind"
Naturally Sybils insistence on
bringing about second coming
causes great havoc in the convent.
Miss Webster does not miss one
single opportunity for high social
comedy during the ensuing shock
and confusion. In entirely diff
ferent vein from Cry the Be-
loved Country" another remark
able South African importation,
Ceremony of Innocence" is fur
ther evidence of what appears to
be a literary reconnaissance in
the psychic continent M. Meg.