Show S L BOOKS I ha Itac hal I 5 Arnn cil a n II J Doop Interest t. t if Th The public a R dEpe seated deep te Interest Inter Inter- est em In Gertrude Atherton tufted Gifted with ltha c a 3 Individuality a R. 1 large 1 e capacity t for taking pain a fund of I keen ob- ob un and l quick understanding of or ch character an alert Insight and bril- bril Imagination and a n. vital Ual anti and vigorous vig Ig vig- vig orous literary expression lon sh st ha has hall won her way Into the foremost ranks of or Jiving Eving American novelists and compelled com coin th the highest l r respect anti and of or the tho literary literal world of or two con con- S SIP hRs has written so o many nov nov- l so well that a a. new book arrives with blessed assurance in the midst of the U usual m mass mas u s of or mediocre fiction Ancestors IR IB Is th therefore certain to be he S. S w welcomed with relief and expectancy 1 great critical I public bile t Mrs I Atherton Is cosmopolitan and anti I local color olor of or her hr books la Is produced pro pro- h by a 1 mind that has halt seized the i J feature of ot several nl localities 9 rather t. t than of 01 a n single field There J 1 I. however a n. special 11 field 1 which she lie he t noro than others ha has hns been ben able bit to cover EI adequately the the lr-the the life pf of the upper the r t. t classes in America AnrIca anti and London That 1 this world Is replete with men and women of ot uncommon Interest we till nil k know an and yet t no worM world suffers puffers quite f. f so 10 much at nt the hand of or Its portrayers who attracted to it as ag a n. glittering for tor II hn 9 var wares s or 01 as tiC an example ex ex- ux- ux Je ample meant to look luring o of mor- mor jo a. bId moral tenets and perverted pastimes past pas pas- t 4 times s Mrs Ire Atherton on on the tho other oilier hand In Ancestors t tl a as In others of J 2 h lir her book r bobki pi ns It Il from the vant vant- point age 0 of nn n Intimate with till full i knowledge n and nd that familiar I ease as 1 which at once e establishes b s 8 Us Its comfortable Cot com com r with a tI dh diverse s public r ns as as a man mun of or breed breeding ins i JR Is able ame to 10 pro pie men mon of differing rank so 80 that teach each f fiel f l I Jt acquainted with ith t th the theother's others other's world Tire Story to In toro a Tho The two LO countries that bow how with I more or r less of or if the angle Kle of or in lIn- lIn allan to ancestors England and America are shown to br ho the native 4 oll of men and women of r line fine blood v of hl high h m of ot graceful t with Hon with the tho FI presence of an oc- oc 1 black she sheep shep p r representing none 4 of these C- C monK themselves reflectIng the same Mme social and moral diversity lt that characterizes all alt the world The OC characters In Iii are various as ts If they had been licen taken tala-n from Irom many man walks of JI life They he move mo with per per per- feet naturalness they po possess poes e intellectual intel Intel- distinction antI and their Inter Inter- r- r is a signal for tOl flashing wit and I epigram lam and rAAhe g action One thing ma may be conceded first t and last last last- tIn t- t in all nil the 00 pages of or this thie book bool nobody nobody no no- bo body 1 f is hi dull drill Isabel Oils OI a n. girl of or California embodies cm- cm bodies the most distinguished ance an- an ce lory of ot Spain Span En England und and America Ameri Amerl- ca en Sho She Is brilliant beautiful self- self comman commanding fit for the leSt best in her world anti and constitutionally remote from the evil in 1 it She has grown grownup ro n up lip in an at outlying district of or San Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco ch In a a. place called Ro living JI a a. normal healthy life lir of or physical phy phy- and Intellectual interests more inure 01 or I le l is in 8 seclusion at any nm rate not in Ulel thc of or 1 h tv v. v In Ih WhIch which is b by family entitled emitted to 10 te leadership and 0 very ery I ranch much alone After the tho t. t o f her hel father tather she tt Is able to go o Hir and concludes R h her r travel tra b by n t. t vi H to hl his hie relative l in lii England is SM d l with the enig- enig world of nr aristocracy Y to 10 which If It l so close b by birth HO en Indifferent b bi- bi She Sh is alternately e J shocked alha attracted tod n anti and 1 1 redell re- re 1 dell 1 l. l always bewildered and ha tho instinct of the e centuries t bak of her line Her lIer hostess hosters cousin Uli torla Gwynne annl Is the the- thet very t pern per- per n of ot the sophisticated t type Je a H I I mun of Q assured station tatIon flawless I rm and inscrutable code In El ElI Elton Elton El- El ton Gywnn Lady Victoria's Victorias son Isabel lashe las Isa bel he Otis OJ r. r recognizes o a man of or his world worM with capacities beyond It it an and 1 develops develop a strong admiration for his J power al although although tl- tl though at the OUt outset t his personality I I. I magnetically repellent to he her Elton I Gwynne I Is conspicuously able In polities poli 1 ties antI and greatt ambitious his 1 ties Us and character r b by the tho Wa Way lead j one to recall the and meteoric meteoric me me- career of or a young EnglIsh statesman only a f few w years yearn ago A 1 I tragedy in Ih life liCe of ot a a. kinsman shuts shut the Ule door on his qi n o r jr and turns iii Ills his boundless energy dang danger danger- roul r- r adrift Tho American cousin couin confident in the tho oPP opportunity for In Individual In- In dJ achievement In hor her own California Cal Cal- where b or by the way n Elton Gwynne chanced to 10 f be born per bOrn per persuades rIUO r- r I 1 S him to 0 turn urn hl C T on England langland lang Eng ng- ng land and launch his hlA ambitious craft for America He lie choo chooses s to forfeit a n title and com consequently a worthless 1 I woman whom he lie have hof married and cornea comes over oel I Then a A. y of ot American Amerle I 1 IlIe life lIe anti and character r which places Ancoa 1 j bra tors high among works worl of American I fiction Seldom has such a a. picture o i I tc mr teeming g pa la it col colorful life HIp n bei-n unfolded as In this glowing panorama I of t tho IO o 01 old 1 San fan an Francisco th the wealth of or gorgeous landscape th tho j crowds of oC all alt nations nation that people I ic eft city streets the society her f p patrician prejudice dwells dvells next nett t doto doc dor dorto to 10 democracy the social Ideals th thu t I hear It ft up the tho political problems this thin dominate 11 a It-a a perplexing mIlk hUlk of J to the Englishman hm n awni and nn hn an altogether i of America merica merlc P People Ar are Mrs i 1 I tons ton's abiding Interest t. t Anco tors i t. t packed with ith people and t tle P. P if thron the pages naces with die ar l dramatic vividness of the stage stag J Isabel Isa 11 I bel Isel OUa's adopted sister and her hu hu- j I j band hanel o of oi tho ho vulgar al' type by br which 1 I are arl so o often misjudged arc are In startling start start- ling Jing contrast contra t to 0 this I o of t t. t I fn instinct and Inherent manner Th fh rill woman of oC her hel own iet ct ar are well wall d de 1 I noted rioted in the scene cene of oC a n club meeting where Us U's itis b name nam Is Iii censored for fora If Ia i ia a breach brench of the conventions Elton conventions-Elton Elton Gwynne tailing falling asleep IJ by her fire firo ha haileen l Keen ileen Nm simply allowed to sleep far Im into Juto U the night until he lie wakens n a malicious at a window v dawn lawn rr Slip Ii livi Ii s a n rC ren l I-i I d liCe life docs does ti this hl hIgh born 11 born h-born i l or-n or daughter ht r of oC the California herself lr too loo spiritually rl rigorous to LO find format formal rigor serviceable er I rIi if icren Idea of or I Love O l In hi InThe 1 rf fJ The Dhe affair areah of ot Isabel Otis and Elton I Gwynne G Is actually unique in contemporary u- u fiction At t every ery turn It de develops develops de- de some ml fl fresh h surprise some new nou suggestion 1 All Al 11 too seldom f is a theme like ille this treated explicitly writers writers writ writ- ers have ha a n curious aversion to believing heHN bellev- ing InS that people over r discuss c loving each other before loving which nevertheless nevertheless less ss the they undoubtedly do to if th thy y chance to 0 be he Wee like these two true products pro pro- ducts s of If modernity both modernity both elemental and ond sophisticated ll Are AIt yuu lIU in love lof with lIh me Isabel Isah Interrupts In the midst of or thou their mutually mu nu- Hally dl directive psychology Locas Love Lo s as much an m objective as a o m mystery str to th them m both hoth Each h has before a as 15 love 10 gO goes S each cherishes the new emancipation i. i Illusion S matter of or fact Is no moro more dead denU Tn in them than youth hat What is I-I lost Is S credulity that synonym of or adolescence adolescence ado ado- for foi first faith and what whal Is ic acquired acquired ac ac- ac- ac Is di self distrust the comfortable ble hIe companion o of self pelf anal Into Tolo their thc flashing dialogue ue their astonishing astonish astonish- In ing candor their reasoning yet ImpUlsive Impulsive Im Im- un- un emotion their triumphant but hut nt self mastery and deliberate deiber- deiber ate 8 surrender self the 1 the author has put much of oc he her philosophy of oC sex The Thc general Ing motive of or Mrs Atherton Indeed Is a complete passion slon for ex ox- She r reconciles muc much much- l. l for or I these who own it as a propelling force foce For For- this reason renon the abiding egoism f fI her people is if visible 1 as a struggle f for l' l I atlon anti considerable por po I cr r Js is in the process I I San ui i o Part In Anoe orV lol Ancestors has hns vivified i a cn city of or traditions tra tra- San Francisco the Francisco the co-the the old San Franci Francisco with Francisco co with the long long- line of nr tie tle California trailing glory behind It It lt with alth Ith Its deep deel blu blush h of or romance and of origin lives and glows hero here as never before It stands OJ out almost a n. world In itself nil alive with mo modern orn a activity tl yet Ct rt l the multiform phases of or the I Some Some-l Something of national pride may at attach attan nt- nt tan tach to what the writer has done don for fora a a. ml mighty ht city In view oC or its ancient past and anti modern After Arlo causing it to stand tand and shine like an eternal city she pulls it down before our c eyes e It II will he ho remembered that Mrs Irs A Atherton In er to n was was ivas In San ncr foT Francisco co coat at the time oCt of the earthquake Quite without moro mere sensational of effects scenes scene NH of or earthquake and tire lire are arc re reproduced reproduced reproduced re- re produced in the desolation of or physical cal cat ruin and that curious terror terrol with which human beings encounter encounter en en- counter count r and pa pass pas through disaster The The- book stands apart from the tho stor sory or 01 rather as aft an nn Integral part of it it lh apotheosis of or tho ho old San Francisco the central dramatic feature indeed being t th the elt city 1 Itself One might cl- cl mo moat t say a that the real hero of oC An- An rc tor In iii the thC spirit of or 8 San n Francisco I I |