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　country　houses；　and　yet
  the　people　have　at　one　time　or　other　convinced　you　of　their
  verity。　　Of　the　things　that　are　not　natural；　you　feel　like　saying
  that　they　are　supernatural　rather　than　unnatural；　and　you　own
  that　at　its　worst　the　book　is　worth　while　in　a　time　when　most
  novels　are　not　worth　while。
  Footnotes
  〃The　Right　of　Way。〃　A　Novel。　　By　Gilbert　Parker。　Harper　&　Brothers。
  〃The　Ruling　Passion。　Tales　of　nature　and　human　nature。〃　　By　Henry
  Van　Dyke。　Charles　Scribner's　Sons。
  〃Spoils　and　Stratagems　Stories　of　love　and　politics。〃　　By　Wm。
  Allen　White。　Charles　Scribner's　Sons。
  〃Foma　Gordyeeff。〃　　By　Maxim　Gorky。　Translated　from　the　Russian　by
  Isabel　F。　Hapgood。　Charles　Scribner's　Sons。
  〃Circumstances。〃　　By　S。　Weir　Mitchell；　M。D。　The　Century　Company。
  〃A　Japanese　Nightingale。〃　　By　Onoto　Watana。　Harper　&　Brothers。
  〃The　Marrow　of　Tradition。〃　　By　Charles　W。　Chesnutt。　Houghton；
  Mifflin　&　Co。
  〃Lay　Down　Your　Arms。　The　autobiography　of　Martha　von　Tilling。〃
  By　Bertha　von　Suttner。　Authorized　Translation。　By　T。　Holmes。
  Longmans；　Green　&　Co。
  〃Let　Not　Man　Put　Asunder。〃　　By　Basil　King。　Harper　&　Brothers。
  End