a psychological counter-current in recent fiction-第4部分

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not　rank　it　with　that　work；　but　in　its　sincerity　and　veracity　it

easily　ranks　above　any　other　novel　treating　of　war　which　I　know；

and　it　ought　to　do　for　the　German　peoples　what　the　novels　of

Erckmann…Chatrian　did　for　the　French；　in　at　least　one　generation。　

Will　it　do　anything　for　the　Anglo…Saxon　peoples？　　Probably　not

till　we　have　pacified　the　Philippines　and　South　Africa。　　We

Americans　are　still　apparently　in　love　with　fighting；　though　the

English　are　apparently　not　so　much　so；　and　as　it　is　always　well

to　face　the　facts；　I　will　transfer　to　my　page　some　facts　of

fighting　from　this　graphic　book；　which　the　read　may　apply　to　the

actualities　in　the　Philippines；　with　a　little　imagination。　　They

are　taken　from　a　letter　written　to　the　heroine　by　her　second

husband　after　one　of　the　Austrian　defeats。　　〃The　people　poured

boiling　water　and　oil　on　the　Prussians　from　the　windows　of　the

houses　at　。。。。　　The　village　is　oursno；　it　is　the　enemy's；

now　ours　againand　yet　once　more　the　enemy's；　but　it　is　no

longer　a　village；　but　a　smoking　mass　of　ruins　of　houses。。。。One

family　has　remained　behind。。。an　old　married　couple　and　their

daughter；　the　latter　in　childbed。　　The　husband　is　serving　in　our

regiment。。。。　　Poor　devil！　he　got　there　just　in　time　to　see　the

mother　and　child　die；　a　shell　had　exploded　under　their　bed。。。。　　I

saw　a　breastwork　there　which　was　formed　of　corpses。　　The

defenders　had　heaped　all　the　slain　who　were　lying　near；　in　order；

from　that　rampart；　to　fire　over　at　their　assailants。　　I　shall

surely　never　forget　that　wall　in　my　life。　　A　man　who　formed　one

of　its　bricks　was　still　alive；　and　was　waving　his　arm。。。。　　What

is　happening　there？　　The　execution　party　is　drawn　out。　　Has　a　spy

been　caught？　　Seventeen　this　time。　　There　they　come；　in　four

ranks；　each　one　of　four　men；　surrounded　by　a　square　of　soldiers。　

The　condemned　men　step　out；　with　their　heads　down。　　Behind　comes

a　cart　with　a　corpse　in　it；　and　bound　to　the　corpse　the　dead

man's　son；　a　boy　of　twelve；　also　condemned。。。。　　Steep；　rocky

heights；　Jaegers；　nimble　as　cats；　climbing　up　them。。。。　　Some　of

them；　who　are　hit　by　the　enemy's　shot；　suddenly　stretch　out　both

their　arms；　let　their　muskets　fall；　and；　with　their　heads　falling

backwards；　drop　off　the　height；　step　by　step；　from　one　rocky

point　to　another；　smashing　their　limbs　to　pieces。　　I　saw　a

horseman　at　some　distance；　obliquely　behind　me；　at　whose　side　a

shell　burst。　　His　horse　swerved　aside　and　came　against　the　tail

of　mind；　then　shot　past　me。　　The　man　sat　still　in　the　saddle；　but

a　fragment　of　the　shell　had　ripped　his　belly　open　and　torn　out

all　the　intestines。　　The　upper　part　of　his　body　was　held　to　the

lower　only　by　the　spine。　　From　the　ribs　to　the　thighs　nothing　but

one　great；　bleeding　cavity。　　A　short　distance　farther　he　fell　to

the　ground；　one　foot　still　clinging　in　the　stirrup；　and　the

galloping　horse　dragging　him　on　over　the　stony　soil。。。。　　Another

street　fight　in　the　little　town　of　Saar。。。。　　In　the　middle　of　the

square　stands　a　high　pillar　of　the　Virgin。　　The　mother　of　God

holds　her　child　in　one　arm；　and　stretches　the　other　out　in

blessing。。。。　　Here　the　fight　was　prolonged；　man　to　man。　　They

were　hacking　at　me；　I　laying　about　me　on　all　sides。。。。　　A

Prussian　dragoon；　strong　as　Goliath；　tore　one　of　our　officers　（a

pretty；　dandified　lieutenanthow　many　girls　are；　perhaps；　mad

after　him？）　out　of　his　saddle　and　split　his　skull　at　the　feet　of

the　Virgin's　pillar。　　The　gentle　saint　looked　on　unmoved。　

Another　of　the　enemy's　dragoonsa　Goliath；　tooseized；　just

before　me　almost；　my　right…hand　man；　and　bent　him　backwards　in

his　saddle　so　powerfully　that　he　broke　his　backI　myself　heard

it　crack。　　To　this　the　Madonna　gave　her　blessing　also。〃



　

VIII。　



It　can　be　said　that　these　incidents　of　battle　are　imagined；　like

the　facts　of　Vereschagin's　pictures；　but　like　these　they　are

imagined　rather　below　than　above　the　real　horror　of　war；　and

represent　them　inadequately。　　The　incidents　of　another　book；　the

last　on　my　list；　are　of　the　warfare　which　goes　on　in　times　of

peace；　and　which　will　go　on　as　long　as　there　are　human　passions；

and　mankind　are　divided　into　men　and　women；　and　saints　and

sinners。　　Of　all　the　books　on　my　list；　〃Let　Not　Man　Put　Asunder〃

is；　narrowing　the　word　to　the　recognition　of　the　author's

intellectual　alertness　and　vividness；　the　cleverest。　　The　story

is　of　people　who　constantly　talk　so　wonderfully　well　beyond　the

wont　even　of　society　people　that　the　utmost　skill　of　the　author；

who　cannot　subdue　their　brilliancy；　is　needed　to　make　us　feel

their　reality。　　But　he　does　make　us　feel　this　in　most　cases；　the

important　cases；　and　in　the　other　cases　his　power　of　interesting

us　is　so　great　that　we　do　not　stop　to　examine　the　grounds　of　our

sensation；　or　to　question　the　validity　of　our　emotions。　　　The

action；　which　is　positively　of　to…day；　or　yesterday　at　the

furthest；　passes　in　Boston　and　England；　among　people　of　such

great　fortune　and　high　rank　and　transcendent　fashion　that　the

proudest　reader　cannot　complain　of　their　social　quality。　　As　to

their　moral　quality；　one　might　have　thought　the　less　said　the

better；　if　the　author　had　not　said　so　much　that　is　pertinent　and

impressive。　　It　is　from　first　to　last　a　book　with　a　conscience　in

it；　and　its　highest　appeal　is　to　the　conscience。　　It　is　so　very

nearly　a　great　book；　so　very　nearly　a　true　book；　that　it　is　with

a　kind　of　grief　one　recognizes　its　limitations；　a　kind　of

surprise　at　its　shortcomings；　which；　nevertheless；　are　not

shortcomings　that　impair　its　supreme　effect。　　This；　I　take　it；　is

the　intimation　of　a　mystical　authority　in　marriage　against　which

divorce　sins　in　vain；　which　no　recreancy　can　subvert；　and　by

virtue　of　which　it　claims　eternally　its　own　the　lovers　united　in

it；　though　they　seem　to　become　haters；　it　cannot　release　them　to

happiness　in　a　new　union　through　any　human　law。



If　the　author　had　done　dramatically　（and　his　doing　is　mainly

dramatic）　no　more　than　this；　he　would　have　established　his　right

to　be　taken　seriously；　but　he　has　done　very　much　more；　and　has

made　us　acquainted　with　types　and　characters　which　we　do　not

readily　forget；　and　with　characters　much　more　real　than　their

ambient。　　For　instance；　the　Old　Cambridge　in　which　the　Vassalls

live　is　not　the　Old　Cambridge　of　fact；　but　the　Vassalls　are　the

Vassalls　of　fact；　though　the　ancestral　halls　in　which　they　dwell

are　of　a　baroniality　difficult　of　verification。　　Their　honor；

their　righteousness；　their　purity　are　veracious；　though　their

social　state　is　magnified　beyond　any　post…revolutionary

experience。　　The　social　Boston　of　the　novel　is　more　like；　its

difference　from　an　older　Boston　is　sensitively　felt；　and　finely

suggested；　especially　on　the　side　of　that　greater　lawlessness　in

which　it　is　not　the　greater　Boston。　　Petrina　Faneuil；　the

heroine；　is　derivatively　of　the　older　Boston　which　has　passed

away；　and　actually　of　the　newer　Boston　which　will　not　be　so　much

regretted　when　it　passes；　the　fast　Boston；　the　almost　rowdy

Boston；　the　decadent　Boston。　　It　is；　of　course；　a　Boston　much

worse　in　the　report　than　in　the　fact；　but　it　is　not　unimaginably

bad　to　the　student　who　notes　that　the　lapse　from　any　high　ideals

is　to　a　level　lower　than　that　of　people　who　have　never　had　them。　

As　for　Petrina　herself；　who　was　in　Boston　more　than　of　it；　she　is

so　admirably　analyzed　in　the　chapter　devoted　to　the　task　that　I

am　tempted　to　instance　it　as　the　best　piece　of　work　in　the　book；

though　it　does　not　make　one　hold　one's　breath　like　some　of　the

dramatic　episodes：　　〃Whatever　religious　instinct　had　been　in　the

family　had　spent　itself　at　least　two　generations　before　her　time。　

She　was　a　pagana　tolerant；　indifferent；　slightly　scornful

pagan。。。。　But　she　was　none　the　less　a　Puritan。　　Certain　of　her

ways　of　thought　and　habits　of　life；　had　survived　the　beliefs

which　had　given　them　birth；　as　an　effect　will　often　outlive　its

cause。　If　she　was　a　pagan；　she　was　a　serious　one；　a　pagan　with　a

New　England　conscience。〃



This　is　mighty　well　said；　and　the　like　things　that　are　said　of

Petrina's　sister…in…law；　who　has　married　an　English　title；　are

mighty　well；　too。　　〃She　had　inherited　a　countenance　whose

expression　was　like　the　light　which　lingers　in　the　sky　long　after

sunsetthe　light　of　some　ancestral　fire　gone　out。　　If　in　her

face　there　were　prayers；　they　had　been　said　by　Pepperells　and

Vassalls　now　sleeping　in　Massachusetts　churchyards。　　If　in　her

voice　there　were　tears；　they　had　been　shed　by　those　who　would

weep　no　more。　　She　mirrored　the　emotions　she　had　never　felt；　and

all　that　was　left　of　joys　and　sorrows　and　spiritual　aspirations

which　had　once　thrilled　human　hearts　was　in　that　plaintive　echo

they　had　given　to　this　woman's　tone；　and　the　light　of　petition

they　had　left　burning　in　her　eyes。〃



No　one　who　reads　such　passages　can　deny　that　the　author　of　〃Let

Not　Man　Put　Asunder〃　can　think　subtly　as　well　as　say　clearly；　and

the　book　abounds　in　proofs　of　his　ability　to　portray　human　nature

in　its　lighter　aspects。　　Lady　de　Bohun；　with　her　pathetic　face；

is　a　most　amusing　creature；　with　all　her　tragedy；　and　she　is　on

the　whole　the　most　perfectly　characterized　personality　in　the

story。　　The　author　gives　you　a　real　sense　of　her　beauty；　her

grace；　her　being　always　charmingly　in　a　hurry　and　always　late。

The　greatest　scene　is　hers：　the　scene　in　which　she　meets　her

divorced　husband　with　his　second　wife。　　One　may　suspect　some　of

the　other　scenes；　but　one　must　accept　that　scene　as　one　of

genuine　dramatic　worth。　　Too　much　of　the　drama　in　the　book　is

theatre　rather　than　drama；　and　yet　the　author's　gift　is

essentially　dramatic。　　He　knows　how　to　tell　a　story　on　his　stage

that　holds　you　to　the　fall　of　the　curtain；　and　makes　you　almost

patient　of　the　muted　violins　and　the　limelight　of　the　closing

scene。　　Such　things；　you　say；　do　not　happen　in　Brookline；　Mass。；

whatever　happens　in　London　or　in　English