Show I 1 I Harmer John Is Tragic Story of Like Christ Soul The Ingratitude of the Masses Furnishes Plot for Beauty Beauty- Filled Tale By ALICE ROHE Written for the United Press ress The best work to come from the pen ot of Hugh Is his his his' latest Harmer John Doran The subject a dIvIne a ChrIst spirit returned to modern modern life Is not new Walpole's treatment of this Idea Is however not only origInal ma Inal but d. d And And the scene o birthplace birthplace- the cathedral town of Portchester is of a background unusual significance significance cance for this sort ot of novel Harmer John or Hjalmar Johanson Johan Johan- son Is a Dane born of art an EnglIsh mother The He comes to r not as a new Messiah but as a gymnasium instructor His reason for comIng Is that he has always heard his mother speak of the beauty beau beau- ty of her native town And beauty is Harmer larmer Johns John's religion It is to tomake make the world a beautiful place to tomake tomake make people beautiful physically morally that mentally forms his creed le 1 is incapable of believing that human bel beings gs have faults that they harbor ugly vIces He cannot understand understand un- un why anyone would not wish to take the first step through the door toward beauty All of his Intimates love Harmer John Into hIs life comes a great love for Maude the beautiful daughter h daugh- tel ter ot of his landlady It is is' is Judith the landlady's plainer but more serious serious se- se rious daughter who is In love with Harmer John The characters surrounding surrounding sur- sur rounding this smiling kindly constructive constructive con con- believer In a beautiful world are drawn with great tion The mother In whose home he rooms rooms the elderly lady through whose eyes many of the lesser personages are seen are vIvidly vIv- vIv idly portrayed But against these kindly kind disposed friends Harmer Johns John's tragIc end stands out In sad relief The beauty of the Cathedral cathedral ca- ca thedral he finds is shadowed by the ugly horror of wretched slums These he sets Bets out to 10 beautify His plans are of no avail his sweetheart sweetheart sweet sweet- Is ruined ruined- heart deserts him bun and then the slums he would save save- arise rise up and tear him asunder |