The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-13
LITERATURE.
A wOMAN's RIGHTS NOVEL.

the purpose OF the book is 80 much narrower than
tho purposes OF art. Mrs. Blake shows some ca
paclty for literary work, and yet ner work Is al
most valueiess. She has given less time to the
study OF art than TO the study OF the 1ancifui SIDE
OF woman's rights. and yet she employs what
must be the highest art TO be effective In
portraying the cruel and brutal side OF woman's
wrongs. The ballot can in no way better the con-
dition OF women which, according to the expert
ence OF most OF us, Is NJ least not worse
than that OF the other sex, and even II 1t could IL
would not be well 10 spoil what might have been
made good novel by arguing the question. Even
Hawthorne, who Is by far the greatest Of our
Dovelists. failed to give US great book in his
"Blethedale Romance because he made it the
vehicle Of conveying the aspirations Of the Brook
Farm" philosophers. II Hawthorne whose Zeno-
bia was not less noble than the Queen OF old.
failed to give his characters the individuality OF
wizards creations, what could Mrs. Blake nope to
do with her Lauras and Floras and the other weak
women OF her imagination? We ask this question
In all Kindness, because we think the author OF
this lovel could have written q much better book
If she had studied art instead OF the toast
philosophers OF Sorcsis.
Let us glance Tor a moment at the scope OF Mrs.
Blake's novel. Laura Stanley, Respectable young
lady from Orange county, who was educated al the
Essex Institute, at Poughkeepsie, suddenly appears
TO recognize the rights of young women. she has
come 20 earn her own living. she Is excluded rom
the hotels, stays ct police station all night, and
strangely enough, is taken to Judge Swintons
court AZ the TOmbs in the morning. The Judge
fancies her, ana she is enticed into the house or
villain named Budget, a hanger-On of the court
ana a friend OF the Judge Fortunately she is res
cued by Frank Haywood, young journalist, who
saw her In court in the morning and knew the fate
that was intended for her by the Judge. tempo
rary home is provided for with Mrs. DR.. DARCY
In Twenty-third street, where she remains
till she is able to find work. Several
chapters are devoted to the difficulties
OF the search, but she finds SUFFICIENT employment
as teacher OF drawing to enable her to pay her
board. She lives in the family OF Mr.. Moulder, q
master mechanic, in the sixteenth ward and some
thing or q local politician. swntop. being patron
oil Moulder, finds occasion to prosecute her at her
new home and finally abducts her from the house.
young girl whom Swinton had ruined, as he de-
signs to ruin Laura and who has descended the
cal scale till she is waiter girl in Broadway oive
becomes aware OF Swntons purpose and informs
Haywood OF 1t just in time to assist In her rescue
after most exciting chase. Tie other side of the
boOk-for every novel has it's other side-is con-
cerncd with the fortunes OF Flora Livingstone, u
young lady belonging to one OF our Old families.
Laura and Fora had known each other
at Essex College, and the latter became
one OF Laura's pupils in the art OF draw
ing Having advised her fashionable young friend
to ask her father to study law with him, Laura is
dismissed as an improper young woman to associ-
ate with daughter OF the Livlngst0nes. Flora Is
married to Mr.. Leroy, society gentleman Of great
wealth, by wnom she is treated with extreme
jealousy and rig0r and she is forbidden to
print magazine articles with her name to them, as
an improper line OF conduct Tor young woman or
fashion, she finally browns herself In Saratoga
Lake or Congress Spring, we are not sure which.
This is to show how unhappy our butterflies OF
society are, and what terrible thing 1t is to be
fettered for life TO a man who win not let his wife
write for the magazines. In the meantime Laura
is making sufficiently wretchei livelihood
and pursuing her studies at the Academy Of
Design, Swinton Is rising in the political scale, and
Budgett reaches the acme OF Eighth ward glory by
numbering MIS- wife and committing other crimes at
his ~ssmpie room" in chat classic 10.
caity. Laura OF course, marries q man
who is willing IN every way to make his wlie
eqnal in chances and opportunities with himself
Thus 1t viii be seen that 1t is not a novel OF scot
ETY., and yet it introduces the reader to the belle
OF the metropolis and into the parlOrs and Doudoirs
OF fashion. 1t is not intended as novel OF low
life, and yet it deals with the Half World with
free touch on the sympathetic slde All this would
be well enough Mrs. Bake's creations lived their
histories but unfortunately they are only SO many
puppets for whom she has kindly volunteered to
become historian. The heroic Laura is always
arguing, instead of living and doing, trying and
suffering Mrs. DR.. darcy is only . silk dress and
carriage. One is not certain that Flora Living
ston lie Roy Is even so much as set OF blonde
curs. Frank Haywood Is an impossible young
mana journalist who strangely mixes the highest
editorial duties with regular attendance at the
Tombs Police Court, and is always on hand when
the william seeks to decoy the young girl to shame
and ruin. In the end he turns out to be a woman
In mans attire. Even Judge Swinton, who might
be supposed to be somebody, as he evidently was
intended to be, Is shadOwy, vague and uncertain.
Yet Mrs. Blake might have made all Jhese-eyen
Budget, her Freddy the Blacksmith"-more than
mere puppets, upon whose movement should hang
plea woman's rights, II she had cultivated art
instead OF what she supp0ses to be IDEAS
These remarks are merely preparatory to saying
what we started out TO say-namely, that here is .
womans rights novel, the best OF the kind that
has yet appeared, and greater in promise than AMI
book yet written by an American woman. Its weak
consists in the perverse refusal OF the author
to recognize what American girls are instead "
what She thinks they ought to be. None OF Or
movests have yet given US picture OF an Amefl-
can young woman-the 1.-THE, fragile, vivaciots,
angelic creatures, who seem to the eyes OF ne
stranger too ETHEREAL for earth and too condesceld
ngly bewltching Tor heaven. American homes
have never been painted for the imagination by
the fine touch and inner fancy Of woman's peicl
What picture Mrs. Blake might have given Is OF
the Livingstone mansion in Fifth avenue andhad
she drawn instead OF merely sketching the live and
home OF the Moulders, she would have contributed
vastly to genuine reform in domestic comfort and
happiness. We know Old Dombey's house and !
David Copperfelds birthplace and Pegpttys
cabin and Betsy Trotwood's cottage am the
Wickhed mansion at Canterbury AZ well |
as If we had lived in them. INDEED, we |
always find Micawber and Captain Cutie and all /
the rest Eat home" Becky Sharp or Amlia Sed-
ley could not occupy an apartment that w did not .
see 1t with q reality that included even The PIN
cushions Must We then as Americans. Admit to |