Literary.

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 19, 4 August 1894, Page 12

Literary.

“ SHIPS THAT PASS IN THE NIGHT.” [Contributed.] . Ships that pass in the night, and speak each other in passing, Only a signal shown, and a distant voice in the darkness ; So, on the ocean of life we pass and speak one another, Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.

Beatrice Harraden weaves a beautiful and a wholesome romance around this inspirationally-chosen text. Told in brief : Bernardine Holme —teacher, writer, debater—seeks recuperation in an Alpine sanatorium frequented by two hundred and fifty invalids, and caretakers of many nationalities. Her table companion, the Disagreeable Man, astonishes the community by addressing his incivilities to her, and eventually gives her this clue to his mannerisms : “If one has made the great sacrifice . . . everything else

may be forgiven.” Beautiful Mrs Reffold patronises the “ hopelessly ” dressed little thing by graceful inquiries, but “ learns her lesson.” “ Well, I’m blessed ! ” said one of her escorts. “So am I,” said the other. “ Those are precisely ray own feelings,” remarked Mrs. Reffold ; so we see that Bernardine can take care of herself.

Asked to visit the beauty’s dying husband, she willingly devotes her leisure to the neglected sufferer, brightening his flickering hours with her wit and her sense. She becomes Little Brick to him, and she is induced to tell him some of her thoughts on the great mystery : “ If I were you 1 should not worry. Just make up your mind to do better when you get another chance. One can’t do more, than that. That is what I shall think of : that God will give each one of us another chance, and that each one of us will take it and do better —I and you and everyone. So there is no need to fret over failure, when one hopes one may be allowed to redeem that failure later on. Besides which, life is very hard. Why, we ourselves recognize that. If there be a God, some intelligence greater than human intelligence, He will understand better than ourselves that life is very hard and difficult, and He will be astonished not because we are not better , but because we are not worse.”

Bernardine quits Petershof at the end of six months, for her money is done, and her working powers to some extent restored. Then the Disagree able Man reveals himself to himself in a very beautiful letter of love, which be carefully destroys when written. He remains in the Alps till his mother’s death releases him from obligation, then suddenly appears in the London book-shop. “ You are not free,” Bernardine tells him. “ .... I can’t spare you. You will live out your life like a true man.” “ Little child, little child, since it is your wish I will go back to the mountain.” Next day the poor girl dies in a hospital, victim of a street accident. There is no straining for effect in this little story, its simplicity equals its pathos, while all the grandeur of a high morality shines in its quiet pages. It must be confessed, too, that one turns to it with relief from such aggressiveness as that of Sarah Grand, for instance, as well as with gratitude for its many suggestions of true nobility. Beatrice Harraden will be welcome whenever she chooses to meet the English-reading world again.