II2
THE STAR IN THE WEST
“
The gawk
and
dowdy
with
the
long grey
teeth , ”
who jumps
to conclusion , instant , out of hand , that :
“ There is some
nasty secret
underneath
. ” ? If Mrs.
G--- d,
or Mrs.
Grundy , should
happen
to peruse
this
verse
in
“ Why
Jesus
Wept,”
she
might
not
be overpleased . If she perused it at
all
,
the violent
Cascarian
properties
of
this
social
drama
would
probably
prove
as
efficacious
as
a
No.
9
would
to
the hide
-
bound bowels
of
Mr. Atkins
.
Due invitation
is
also made
,
and
the following
should even entice
her
prudish cerebellum
:
But stow your prudery
,
wives and
mothers
,
You know
as
much muck
as
—
those others
!
Your modest
homes
are dull
;
you
need me
!
Don't
let
your husbands
know
;
but
--
read
me
!2
In
this extraordinary
volume
,
which
seems
to
be
the child
of
a
promise made
to
Mr.
Chesterton
in
the
“
Sword
of
Song
,”
we find
a
deeply
cynical
satire
castigating
with
no
little severity the menial servility
of
modern
society
,
as
scathing
as
a
Beverland
,
as
cynical
as
a
Carlyle
,
and
as
satirical
as
a
Butler
.
Its great
theme
is
the contest
“
of
age
and sense
with flatulence and youth
.”
We have
already shaken
hands with
Percy
,
Molly
,
and
Lady Baird
(
Angela
)
;
we
have still
to
be
introduced
to
Lord
Glenstrae
.
The
first two form
the
flatulent
element
,
the
latter
two the constipated substance
of
this drama
.
Angela
,
the
female
quantity
;
Glenstrae
the
male
:
both are
outwardly
highly
moral
;
both are
ready
to
lay their
1
Why Jesus Wept
,
vol
.
iii,
p
.
24
.
2
Ibid
.
vol
.
iii,
p
.
22.
Cf. Martial
,
Epigrams
,
XI
.
16
:
Erubuit
,
posuitque
meum Lucretia librum
,
Sed coram Bruto
;
Brute
,
recede
,
leget
.