The New York herald., 1874-12-27

Justin Harley Is the hero and Is q melancholy
young Southerner, OF greater expectatio than
immediate wealth. although he lives ike nabob.
This young man was "crossed in love" in early
yonth being cut out by his steD5rother, which
treatment tends TO sour his naturally amiabe dis
position. He believes the woman dead and Is
greatly startled at seeing her the Tragedy
queen OF a strolling dramatic company. The hus-
band OF the woman is also supposed TO be dead.
when in truth he has been living in hole in the
ground on a bit OF swamp land for seven years.
The child OF Justns lost love ana this man had
been picked up in the swamp by hunter, who
lives there, and adopted as his daughter. BY the
way according to the dates given, this child must
have been born when her parents aged re-
spectively fifteen and fourteen years.
one day justin rescues Miss Evelyn Bland from
watery grave for which she says, 81 am very
much obliged to you for saving my nfe.n or course
she fails In love with the brave knight but it Is
long time before her afrecton Is reciprocated. In
the meantime st. Leger, Justin's bosom friend.
tails in love with and proposes to EVELYN, who
gives him decided no." which he takes as good
naturedly as he would have taken a "yes," ana I'M
mediatey transfers his affections to another lady.
Everybody thinks that Augusta, the actress, is
Justin's wife, Evelyn among the rest, and she is
consequently unhappy. At last the true story gets
out Augusta and her husband and child are united
aud Evelyn fearful that she will lose Justin, enacts
the role OF ''the woman VINO dared" and he is won
over.
Although the story Is dated before the Revolu.
tlon the people are pretty well versed in modern
slang, stunning" being one OF their commonest
expressions. One recommendation to the book
Is Its very short chapters and the fact that the
story is not as long as it looks. Mr.. Shephard's
illustrations much worse than thought him
capable OF after seeing some OF mis- pictures Of
darKles.
EsTELLE.
Miss RAcHEL-In the publishers preface Messrs
Sheldon Co. tell US that Mrs. Edwards looks
upon "Estele" as one OF the very best stories she
has written. DO you agree with her :
FELIcIA-I am not very familiar with Mrs. Ed.
wards novels, although believe that they are
very popular, and l must say that was very
much interested In the present volume. Ralph
Harley Is the most attractive character in the
book, but l think his Introduction to the reader
is altogether too elaborate. 1t is not necessary
to give the details of mans life from the day OF
his birth before he Is brought upon the scene,
even II 1t Is for the purpose OF marrying the her.
oine. Estelle develops into woman Of mora
character than her girlhood gives promise Of Her
passion for Cyprian St. Just was 100 absorbing,
positively sicAening. Luckily, he is a style OF
man little known among the priesthood.
Miss RAcHEL-How could q man be anything
was a woman that dared. but her daring was TO
no purpose. Cyprian was a wretch, not because
he could not love her. but because he urged her
to marry D'Alembert whom he knew to be an un-
reformed rake.
FELIcIA-Estelle was great fool to marry him.
To be sure she did 1t out OF pique as much as any.
thing else. The way she accepted D'Alembert Is
very funny: If accepted you it would be from
no personal liking, with no idea that should
grow to like you in time. but simply for the ad.
vantages your offer holds out" That is pretty
plain talk even to such suitor
Miss NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. is a little too vile
character. His designs against his wife 90 be-
yond the widest Imagination; they were too
voting to write about II sne had really the
murderer she thought herself she would have been
pardoned. To Kill such man would be accounted
justifable homicide. call this plot decidedly SEN
sational.
FBLIcIA-Ralph is q pretty good sort OF fellow.
He was more than forgiving The way no
smoothed over the sins arising from too passion
ate love Is something new in the history OF man.
kind and 1t is just as well that all people do not
snare his liberal views. There Is great deal OF
fasity In this book and also great deal Of truth.
Mrs. Edwards seems to be pretty well posted in
the ways OF vicious men, which, OF course, Is an
advantage to woman who writes novels or this
class. She has very disagreeable way OF scatter
ing French, German and Italian through the book,
which ls very bad taste. ana does not leave the
effect desired-that oil making readers imagine her
a linguist.
Miss RAcHEL-Tnat Is an admirable trick, and e
always makes me think the writer has been dill
gently studying phrase book and dictionary.
HIS TWO WIVES.
FELICIA Mrs. Ames' last work. "His Two Wivesn
tHurd l. Houghton) il. great improvement ON
her FIRST. The characters are much more natural
and q great deal more interesting The story
opens IN q country village, and then the scene
shifts to Washington, q city whose ins and outs
are well known by Mrs. Ames, and she reveis in
her knowledge. The hero and heroine are married
in the first part of the story. He, Cyril King is the
clever son OF . drunken blacksmith, and she,
Agnes Darcy, IS young lady OF aristocratic birth.
Cyril Is ambitious, and, like the sef.made man
Disraeli writes about, he worshps his Maker
Agnes is really lovable woman, but her husband
finds fault with her because she devotes much
OF her time TO ner children ard then she is
shrinking little body and mates society or anything
that takes her away from her family.
Cyril, on the contrary, Is devoted to the outside
world, becomes politician, ana is finally sent to
Congress, where he has a brilliant career He
neglects his wife and has desperate Irritation
with Gree Sutherland fascinating widow float
ing about Washington society. His conduct to
DIS wle becomes unDearaDe and Sne leaves MIN
and he gets divorce on the ground Of desertion
Then he marries the Sutherland, and the two are
about as miserable as two people need want to be.
She also deserts him and sets sail for Europe, ana
gets wrecked on the voyage. cyril becomes q
hopeless paralytic, and he also goes to Europe,
where he meets with Agnes and they make up and
get married again and spend the nappiest years Of
their lie together.
MISS RAcHEL-Cyril seems to me II. be an odious
sort OF man, not the least bit Of q gentleman.
FELIcIA-No, he never quite shook of the black.
smith. There are some first rate character rs
sketched In the book, Mrs. Peppercorn, for In
stance, and Evelyn stuart, the boardlng-house
keeper with the high sounding name.