New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-15

teriously in his mellow smile In contact with this
wicked world his revealed that happy %
pendence and the independence which Just t9uos SET
ytyatainod by no men IN e1lsehcT nuc nv e
offended immeasurahe cunning, masqueTading hahitu,
any S ST9ST I Mer SG Inc sod moral foundations on which
the character Of this elderly person was Oml!, NO
of helI.ringing ever hurried his movements Such was
the head-waer at the Craig Fernie Inn Known Ear ana
wide to local fame inca as Master bSh'prss' MiS'eSs
"What are YOU doing there 2" Anne asked. sharply.
feet waved his buster gently in the air and looked at
Anne with mild, paternal smile.
Ell Am lust d0ostn' the things, and setth the
room in decent order for ye." -
""Formei Did You hear what the landlody saidT,
Mr. BishOpTiggs advanced cOnidentially and pointed
with very unsteady foreuger TO the purse which Anne
Never fash yourscl aboot the landleddy!" said the
sage chief Of the Craig Fernie walters Your purse
speaks for {ou my asse. Pet up eIiSa MT, BsNGp
riggs, waving temptation away rom nm WIN t .ie
duster. Ia wi il into yer pocket! Sac long as tie
Wards me ward' fl uIhaHd a any nnaH ~
Anne's patience which had resisted harder IlaS' gave
What do you mean by speaking to in that familiar
manner2" she asked, rising anerlly 10 her feet again.
proceeded 10 satisfy Anne that shared the landadys
of her position, without sharing the severity OF me
Mr. BisIoprisgs "icoks With MAR Indulgence at human
frailty than my ain sell. Am mo- TO be familiar WI ye
when I'm aud enough 10 be ioher 10 yc, ana reauy 10
be a fetier to ye till further notice. Hech! hech!
Order your bit dinner, ase Husband or no husband,
and there's fowi-or maybe ven he for the sheepshead
sing when they We done with II at the tabbe dOi
There was but one way getting rid of him: Order
what you like" Anne sad, and leave the room; Mr.
BishOprgg highly approved Of the first hall OF the sell
tence, and totally overlooked the second
"Ay, ayust pet a yer little interests in my hanns
it's the wses thing ye do Ask for Master Bishop
riggs chats mel when We want decent 'sponsible man
Gf ye word of advice. Set We doom again-set ye
doom. And don't tax the armchair. HGch heeh! yer
husband will be coming We know and he's sure to want
H. With that seasonable Pleasantly Ae NeheraDie
Bishopriggs winked, and went out
As We Law aside " Man and Wife, after second
perusa it is with the renewed conviction that it is
one of the authors most powerful works Certainly,
ii is one of the best Of recent novels and said
at the beginning of this article, will be accepted as
striking illustration of the fact that modern fiction
has become one of the most direct andmost powerful
of the reforming influences of society.
STERN NECESSITY, Novel. BY F. W. ROBINSON,
author OF Poor Humanity, Matte a stray, &c
New-York: Harper Brothers
Among the minor giish novelists--some of whom
would have made an enduring reputation forty OF
fifty years ago, and might even now, if they wrote
less. and took more painswe recall none who eXcels
Mr.. Robinson. One may show greater originality IN
the construction of pot another greater skilln the
deneation Of character while third may succeed in
awakening fresher interest in the minds of his
readers; but in the main Mr. Robinson has no supe-
Nor among the ranks to which he belongs. Without
being great writer, lie has the elements out OF
which great writers are made. He has decided
talent for plot; but it is rather the talent
of the dramatist than that of the novelist,
and is therefore not of the highest kind for his espe
ca object. HIS situations are ingenious and inter-
esting. but reflection they appear studied ana
artificial His drdaatiS persona are clearly conceived
and sharply drawn-are always true TO themselves
and the parts they have to play; but the best OF
them never impress us as studies from nature-as
tIo la,. Il hoy Vafl gSg
than portraits. Aswith the matter so with the man
Der of Mr. Robinsons stories. He is a good work
man with neat clean practiced style, which, II 1T
never shows genius never fails to show talent OF
high order. In brief, Mr. Robinson is first-rate
second-rate man. We have read better and worse
books Of his than Stern Necessity but, on the
whole it is fair example Of his abilities. Not 10
anayze the plot (which would take too long, 1t Is
the history Of few years in the life Of Maud Chris
! tophersOn a young lady of determined character
! who is wealthy enough to bestOw three thousand
! pounds upon an Orphan Asylum and hardy enough
10 undergo the life of govemcss in that institution
She is the benefactTess of young girl there, whose
father has dcfrauded Life Insurance Company of
policy by pretending to be dead, and afterward
! impersonating his own brother who really died.
This honest old gentleman and nephew of his CON
| trive to make world of mischief FOR the hero OF
" Stern Necessity" GeoifIy Bridge who is arrest d
! on a charge of forgery. A likely young fellow, who
! has risen in life by his own industry and pluck,
Geoffry loves Miss ChristophersOn, who being lady
fails to see his devotion for long time, rather pre-
ferring Lord Evesly, who loves her as well as a
man can who has gone the rounds OF London society,
and has popular actress for his mistress The chief
interest of the story at least 30 readers Of sentiment
! is the struggle of Miss ChristophersOn between her
two loves and lovers-the solution, to say, of the
NM
ing to their readers whether it is right and proper
that love should level all distinctions OF class even
| in arstocTatie England; i'll other words, whether a
! poor young man is not the equal Of rich young
woman the hearts and the brains and affections of
! the two being equal? The mOOting Of this problem,
even in fiction could not have occurred in the England
of fifty years ago. and its continual recurrence there
now indicates we think than the minor
English nOvelists are aware of or intend They spin
out their plots without regard to the social questions
of the day. and unc0nsciOusly if not their
| own opinions at beast the impressions of those
about them, being in this like the architect of St
who builded better than he knew"
Neither Bulyyer nor Disraeh is guilty of such
oversight; they know what they about wheI
they WRITE and being aristOcrato writers, cast the
weight of their influence and the example of their
characters in favor of the inviolabity of aIsocratc
institutions As between the titled and the Untitled,
the average literary opinion Of England may be
| summed up in the words of Tennyson:
"HOwe'er IL be- il seems TO ne
It's only noble to be GOOD.
Kind hearts more than onrOnets
And simple faith than Norman blood"
| GWENDOLINES HARVEST A Novel BY the aufhor
of "CarlyOn's Year." One OF the Family" etc. New
York: Harper Brothers.
1t is one of the gores Of Shakespeare as compared
with some of the dramatists of his age that master
as he of ali the the passions, he dallie6
+hnsn Which irnnnrn Mnrln,r