The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-07-13
LITERATURE.
CRITICISMS OF NEW BOOKS.

Reade. New YORK: Harper g. Brothers,
| THE SAME. Sheldon & Co.
IL Is hardly necessary 10 cay that this novel, like
all the previous works OF fiction written by Charlie:
Reade, Is intensely interesting 1t abounds In start
ling situations, and Is from beginning to end full
sensational surprises. Its characters, II even some
! what 0verdrawn, are still admirable portratures
Thus we have In Henry Little and Mr.. Coventry mer
We meet with every day. both not very strong II
mind, both tenacious OF purpose; the one al
honorable man seeking to place hiInsern position
| to marry the girl he loves; the other as q veal
scoundiel dealing In secret violence and In fasehoot
| to destroy his rival. The vigorous minded Grace
Garden. whose love is all lrc and passion, and tht
| gentle, devoted Jael Dence, beneath whose
! placidity there is all the intensity Of hei
| sex, are types OF womanhood true to
| the lie, which Charles Reade alone can
| describe in such way as to impress the reader
with their every trait OF character. Mr. Raby, Mr..
Garden, Grotait Jobson, Mrs. Little and the other
men and women who figure In the plot are all well
drawn. Indeed, while we would hardly rank "Put
Yourself In His Place" high 'Griiith Gaunt'
as q work Of art, and while we think the dtn0ue-
nseat comparatively weak, we do not hesitate to
express the opinion that it Is one Of the best
rOmanccs OF recent publication, and which can
not fail to add to MIR. Reade's reputation.
Having said thus much OF the work in general
we now direct our attention to It's conspicuous fea-
ture. II Is a novel with an object anu thai object
rises far above the mere loves and courtships and
marriages OF imaginary beings. Mr. Reade has taken
up the question OF tn, tJranncal and illegal prac-
tees of the English trades UNIONS and has woven 1t
INTO tale OF fiction, that in this pleasant form 1t
shall come before the great mass of people who
would not study IL /! 1t were discussed in all
essay but who are as much Interested In its solu.
ton as the members OF the trades unions them.
selves. And the question is as pregnant with I'M
portance TO the people Of the United States as to
those of Great Britain. We have our trades unions
also, less formidable in numbers, II Is true. than
compact In organization, thorough In discipline and
remorseless in policy.
Without indulging in further reflections we shall
briefly sketch the story OF folly, Intolerance ana
crninaity on the part OF the leaders OF these
binations Of laborlng men graphically told by
Mr. Reade Henry Little, the hero OF the work, is a
cutler by trade. Mr.. Cheetham, master cutler
from Iillsborough, visits London, Litties work.
admires it and takes the young man into mis- SER
vice. Little Is not In Hisborough many days before
1.-THE Committee Of the Edge Tool Forgers Union
notifies Mi. Cheetham that he has offended the
trades by bringing workman in from another
town to do work that we are informed can
be done on the premises by our own
hands," This notification Is followed by two
anonymous mssives, signed respectively "Balaam'
and "Balaam's ASS" threatening Mr.. Cheetham
with serious consequences II ne does not discharge
the new hand. ave had to visit you last year. y
writes Balaam, sand when we came your hand;
went and your bellows gaped." "Turn Cookney up
with no more ado," writes Balaams ASS, "or you'l
both get Kicked to hell some dark night" A
few days later Little finds stuck in the dOoI
OF mis- workroom long knife, which
trades.r The letter informs him in vile Eng
llsh that "this knlfs wun OF too made ekspres
rother for thy hart il thou dosent harken Trade
ana leve Chetm." Little's indignation aroused by
this threat. and he determined TO show fight But,
for the purpose Of avertng unpleasant conse
quences, he visits the secretary Of the Edge Too
Forgers' Union and inquiries If there Is no way o
preventing the putting of the threats into execution
Mr. Jobson the secretary, denies that the threaten
| ing letters come frsm the Union. 1--WE neve
| threaten" he remarks, significantly. 'Why Mr.
Litte,n he continues, 'it has been my lot to send
| civil remonslrance, written with my own hand
| In, pretty fair Englsh--for q man who Pile
| bellows and hammer twenty years OF my life-an(
| be treated with silent contempt and. two months
after, to be Offering reward Of twenty or thirt.
| pounds for the discovery Of some misguided MAJ
| that had taken on himself to right this very matter
Win can Oh GUnpOWuer, OF some SUCH coarse eXDc
dent" This interview ends by Little asking to bt
admitted into the Union. JoDson fears there
two objections. Little offers to pay fifteen pound.
down. and then the Secretary agrees TO submit his
Offer 10 the trade.
About a week after this oIer Is made to the Edrc
Tool Forgers, Little entering his work room find.
written In chalk Oh the wall the words, "Why over
look the Handlers p Mary" BY advice OF Bayne
the foreman OF Chez ham, Little calls upon Mr.
Parkin, secretary OF the Handlers Unlon and make:
the same offer he hal already made to Jobson
Parkln promises 10 submit 1t TO the com
mittee. Two days later Little receives note from
Jobsol expressing surprise at his continuing to work
for Cheetham before the unions received his propo
sal, and recommending him to strike work for the
present In postscript Mr.. Jobson desires 10 know
If it true that Little is receiving higher price for
his labor than tie price list. Although much an
gered by this communication Little obedlent to the
advice OF Bayne replies, Informing Mr.. Jobson that
he cannot strike work, as doing so would be vio-
lation OF his contract with Cheetham AS regards
the wages lie receives, he expresses the opinion that
40 sell skilled labor below the statement price Is
Just offence and INJURY to trade But to ootair
above the statement price Is to benefit trade
The result OF all this is that the secretaries ceas
correspo lence With Inn, his money is returned an,
the war OF the unions against him begins actively.
Anonymous comm inlcatlons. mysterously placed
in his work room, threaten him With personal In
Jury To avoid violence ne Is compelled to take pre-
cautions Of most halassing nature. Informed o
the character Of the men ne mas to deal With he pre-
vents Their entering his Workroom at night by secur
Ing the door with a lock Of peculiar contraction. Blu
In spite of all the cautions taken deed OF volenc
Is perpetrated. One morning Little lights his forge
and as soon as 1t Is hot tremendous explosion
takes Dlace, wlicn almost destroys his lie. Som,
miscreant had ''miXed quantity OF gunpowder witt
the slnthy slack fire cnders'' OF the Jorge. Tn,
unfortunate workman comes within an ace OF losing
| his life. The mass OF the working men denounc,
| the outrage and the Liberal newspaper published
highly sensational report of the affair, denunclatorN
oil the trades unions. These unions offer rewar,
of twenty pounds for the discovery of the cuprit
| OF course the guilty person Is not discovered. b.
this time Little has fallen IN love with Grace Garden
] !. d..ierninnl not to To. ye llilslQrQurA