New-York tribune., 1874-12-09
BOSTON LITERARY NOTES.

"Uis TWO WIVES THE AFFINITY CLUB A GOOD
BOOK FOR BOYS BY THE REV. GEORGE l.. CHANEL
lFRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF Tue ih''uI' =,
BosToy. Dec. I'll have paid to Ills Two
Wives" by Mrs Mary Cemmer Ames tiiuro ~ iio"eN
toni the tribute OF honest tears; ana pooh '
have some power which could win so much from on'
who has long learned that there not word OF IL true
NV dears" as pous English women are In the haoit oi
saving IN their good little books for children. at the
end OF nearly every paragraph. Having confessed
that the pathos OF Mrs. Ames has moved INC.
[ must say, also, that "His Two wives
is a very interesting tale. do MT wish to delude any
trusting reader into the belief that It Is OF the highest
artistic uish though the style has all the picturesque
ness which has made Mrs. Ames's newspaper work so
popular 1t is too picturesque, sometimes; there
is a too lavish generosity of words Nor are
the characters strkingy original as to serve the
world for types, hereafter, Ike some OF the
creations Of Dickens and George Eliot. But, judged
by the standard of ordinary American novels 1t Is
brilliant success From beginning 10 end 1t holds the
readers attention. They don't behave-these people
lust as you and ], who always wise would In their
places The husband. handsome snowy. brilliant sell
fish man. was never worth the devotion his wife avshed
on him; and after he has been divorced from her and
married to the begJIiling beauty who had stolen
his heart away when he is left wdower. and his gentle
alforgiving Agnes goes back TO him. and marrles nun
over again. half paralyzed wreck as he was, you don't
she was happier than she would have been III any
| other way since, as Evelyn" said she chad con-
| ucality seven" This same Evelyn, Of the woods,
! by the way, s the freshest and most natural
character In the book-with her honesty, her shrewd
ness her appreciation, subtle though upcuturec. and
her keen mother wit The Very uttefnost possible con-
trast to Gree Sutherland the beautiful sinner OF
| the book woman with subtle instincts. also, but as
false az the other true polished as the other
| calas al Evo1v uqaQ gene
At the house OF Circe Sutherland ewYork, met a
group OF people which did call itself the Affinity
Club;" but which might we'll and Justly have been
called So They represented many and even conflicting
avocationsk life; nevertheless one bond OF consan-
guinity bound them all They were all malcontents;
all protesters in greater or less degree against
the accepted order OF things No two perhaps, wanted
| the same thing; but they all wanted something that
they had not. Many sighed and murmured, in fowery
phrase that they ODged to be ree free TO pursue their
dea free to worship and to love the good the beaut-
full, and the true wherever they found it, The good
the beautiful, and the true was their bestbcloved
and oftenestmurmured phrase; pretty phrase, but
what il really meant manly of them would have been
puzzled tell. Freedom was what their souls de-
mapded-free thought free action, free love. Here
were men who. disappointed in marriage, delighted to
say to the right auditor that marriage legal bond
would be outgrown by the world that tho milen
mum Of the sOulmarriage was close at hand.
Here were sentimental women, who, souweary
of their ploddiDg aud expecorang lords whispered In
the ear Of their bosom friend womaD that they dared
not up they walked lest they should behold their
ideal only to rush mady on to ruin. or to sink back
into eternal misery at having missed him. Then there
were people all gded in and out among these
people all angles and there were flowers and light,
aod music, so that all went merry as a marriage bell
only marriage bell was the last kind of bell that any
Of them cared about. His Two Wives" was evidently
written in tho interest of social regeueraton and no
one can read without respect for its purpose and its
author.
In Fred Grant & Co; or. PARTNERSHIPS" by the Rev.
George L. CLANCY Roberts Brothers. there is not only
good moral and plenty Of wise hints for the boys who
mean business but there is much material for good,
hearty laughter 1t what the readers for whom is
designed will call "ajoly book " and it IS thoroughly
good book, too L. G. NJ