New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-10
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

aNrrN
MODERN ENGLISH COMPOUND OF LOVE AND
THEOLOGY.
rRoA A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THIS TRlBUNkl
BOSTON, Aug. All the Summer world OF
tourists and pleasure-seekcrf have been Ieaoihe Inc
Rese Garden, and Roberts Brothers are apou' W
give them another novel by the same author" una
wares" 1t not story passion or Of mystery
sf marked power but Il has its fascination ana
will he sure Of an appTeciatiye welcome you uo
not value the less the mOssrose at your oultohhoo No
cause would grow TO be an oak AS was the Va
IN The Gafden," the most notable chaiac'els0
Of Unawares is certain dainty ana exquisite uei
eacy II slender little thread OF story SO Ir az
incident concerned and yet you are not less intent
upon lie development ihan II the characters had perpe
fraied murders with the skill Of Wilke Collins faVoes
OF higamy the wicked wont of Miss Braddons men
aud women or torn their hair aud CRASHED their teeth
with jealousy like the SWANS and damses OF Charles
Reade.
The scene is laid little French cathedral town
Quaint, old town Of toll and traffic" as LongfeDow
phrases There s wonderful realism about the DOCK
The queer potulant gossping eager French peasanry
who chatter around the pump, all alive. Their
small ambitions their petty riyalres, their contentious
its as II Won saw them all. There they are, in the
suumer afternoon, while the hot streams down
upon the nlpayed Streets through whose middle little
cutters tlickle crOokody The toni slowly upfrom
the fountain, keeping under the shade Of quaint,
picturesque houses. all rregularly built high and
very defiance OF proportions. Amid all this common
place the great hCdral with its beautiful spires
us tTm uTspringng lines, ITS lovely rose windows It's
noble portals its th solemn statues with folded hands
and attitudes-the whole aspect OF the building
evervarying tender the case might be- but
always incOnoeysby peaceful In the midst OF these
quaint surroundings-the odd dirty, picturesque little
houses the great solemn, splendid Cathedral gosspng
peasants and praying prests-yed and moved the ehe
acton In this tender, simple story.
The tale opens with death NJ. MOreau, rich, odd
unovipg and unloved, goes out Of life, making his
physician, NJ Deshoulieres. Of whom he had known
nothing up his last Illness the executor Of his Will
This doctor was unlike the conventional type Of his coun
trymen largely built with massive head, quantity
OF short light hair, and thick mustaches warmer IN
tint than his hair He had blue eyes, very blue we'll
spened and quick q hney-shaped mouth; over ell q
grave expression which somewhat alarmed people.
lie made enemies for himself by his want Of sympathy
Ton imaginary complaints; he was too straight
forward and truthtellng ever 10 be entirely
popular; but he had little Kingdom
Of his own where he reigned trumphanty-a sad little
Kingdom perhaps one in which he always fighting,
helping. eheering-out of which had grown the grave
expression the abruptness Of which others complained
but one which had also tributes and its victories and
iis satisacons which dear TO the mans good
heart In his there sounded 1t Is true reverend
ing din Of muImurs suffering, feeble moans TO balance
these there glad, grateful looks patient thanks
lighting up OF faces at his STEP Such life needs com
pensatiOns and ne found them" In the midst Of the
commonplace characters by whom he was surrounded
one can fancy this moral hero rising grand, strong,
soemnly sweet the Cathedral among the rregu
lar little houses aboutit.
The deceased NJ Moreau left his property to nephew,
who was in parts unknown, hampered only by al in
significant provision for step niece, Th6rese, the hero
inc Of the story. Therese in love with Faben the
ne'er-do weel absent nephew. She had slight figure,
with darkroom hair lying lightly on her forehead aud
gray eyes, with tender, beseechng look She liked
sunshine, flowers, Ove-ked them and wanted them for
herself with an impatience that would not much as
endure the thought Of life without them. She hated
Tragedies, sad books, minor musc-not that such
things did not touch her, but that her SOU
rose up in rebellion against them. "She be-
Heved only in one KIND OF happiness-our wills
graed, dreams realized, all the little idols we have
set up smiling down upon from their pedestals. As
go in life we find out sometimes that it was wen
our idols shattered for might have been
crushed their weight but Theese had no fear OF
his She thought Of herself as If some day all her long
ngs be satisfied her troubles ended and laid aside
everything completed, rounded off and perfect Early
n the story the Doctor fell In love with her. but her
his sut the confession OF her love for
Faben After that he loved her stl, but silently; and
nothing could be more exquisite than the manner
IA which the reader is made acquainted with
he inner workings OF these two pure hearts, the Doc
tors passion, divine in It's unsefshDess, silent unobtru
sve hoping nothing yet always watching over her like
Providence; Th6rese's growing homage for him, which
she by mental process transferred to the
credit Of the absent Fabien, believing that everything true
and noble which she discovered in the doctor must needs
belong 10 her own lover in still fuller measure" At last
the end Of the story Faben returns and she sees him
isweak yain utterly selfish and worldly, and ig
noring altogether the young tender faraway love Of the
old days, the love 90 which she had chung with such
passionate hope and patience. Then came her Olsen.
ehantment-not painful thank Heaven, as II hui
nating-the disappointment which the Doctors faith
fnl tenderness eonsoled, and which ended hy giving
them TO each other, quite satisfied and content at last
best holy and perfect married love which
of living. The style of the book is exqusitely
charming; picturesque vivid bathed with light tender
and delicate the reflection from sunset.
"The Wears Daughter" is another new novel which
Roberts Brothers are speedily to publish call it a
novel for want OF more accurate appeatiOn, Some
should be coined for the modern English com
binaion of plums and prunes religion and rapture
which sheds much light upon many SUBJECTS !
teaches you how 10 save your soul and how |
10 serve your dinner, how TO say your prayers |
and bow 10 your sweetheart, in short, mixes |
morals and mstrimOny in agreeable and wholesome |
EnelaDge That the world needs all this varied infDrma
tiou the popularity Of the Rev. George Mae
Donald is the best proof. Everybody buys him. and
win coDtnue TO buy, though we lift up our voice
and say that in tine Wears Daughter" is rather
snuenee Of morals, and superabundance OF small talk
There pages and pages of dialogue OF which the fol-
lowing extract is a specimen:
"Are you fond OF the opera, Mrs. Percvale % he
esked me IN order 10 make talk
81 have never been TO the opera" answered.
Never been 70 the ODeraf Amt you fond Of music 2"
- Did You ever know lady that was NIT"
Then you must 20 TO TIE opera
But ii Just because fancy myself fond Of music
that don't think should like the opera"
You can't hear such music anywhere es5e"