University of Virginia Library

The Realism of Mary Austin.

IF "The Financier" is predominantly commercial in atmosphere, and "A Man's World" humanitarian, "A Woman of Genius" (Doubleday, Page), by Mary Austin, is best described as a new interpretation of the eternal conflict between art and life. The theme has been treated a thousand times, and by masters. Mrs. Austin justifies her own story by bringing it up to date and setting it in the provincial America from which a stream of artistic talent flows at this moment into cities and into foreign countries. Francis Grierson, of England, after reading the book said: "When I realize that it is women like Mary Austin who have set their intellectual powers to work on the side of the women's movement everywhere, all doubts as to the triumph of their cause vanish." The San Francisco Bulletin observes:

"This big, gripping story of the trials, joys and sorrows of an aspiring young woman places Mrs. Austin among the few American novelists capable of giving us transcripts from life—real men and women—for 'A Woman of Genius' is pure, unadulterated realism. So cleverly has the author fashioned her story that one cannot think of it as fiction, which is, perhaps, the highest praise that can be accorded a novelist."

A New Definition of Genius.

THE particular kind of genius that struggles for expression in Mary Austin's book is that of the actress. Its inner significance is conveyed in the following passage:

"It is to know great desires and to have no will of your own toward fulfillment; it is to feed others, yourself unfed; it is to be broken and plied as the Powers determine; it is to serve and to serve and to get

nothing out of it beyond the Joy of serving; and to know, if you have done that acceptably, you have to depend on the plaudits of the crowd; the Powers give no sign; many have died not knowing."

The problem that Mary Austin raises is: Can genius of this kind be reconciled with average conventional standards in a small community? Can a woman be a genius and a wife and mother also? We hear the negative answer almost before it is uttered. The struggle goes on. The issue is unhappy. The only light that Mrs. Austin can throw on the welter is contained in the statements:

"I think people make a great mistake to tie up their love with their living. Love is something apart. It is something greater and better than the details of a pair's living arrangements. Marriage certainly does not exist for housekeeping. It exists for the development of two human souls.

"I cannot see any reason, therefore, why a woman should give up her chosen work, her highest gift, in which she will reach her best development, through marriage, just because she marries her mate."

But Mrs. Austin concedes that when a woman has children her situation is very difficult.