The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-21
LIT E r A T U R Z.
RECENT NOVELS.
A Glance at English and American Fic
ton.


Der Of English novels announced as Sin press" by
American publishers. These announcements con-
tinue, while but few OF the books have appeared.
Not long ago one house alone announced Tor
speedy publication ''Sylvias Choice" ''Won at
Last" "SOuth by West" "Rose and Rue" "John
Markenneid,r "Civi Service" "Fact Against Fic-
tion" "My Deeds and My Thoughts" "Iaes OF
Zenana" "Hakaylt Abdulia," and "Aunt Mafy's
Bran Pie." eleven IN ALL How many OF these b poks
will be really repuoilshed we cannot say; but Ii we
to judge rom the late OF the hooks previously
announced. not more than or two, 4
any. But these announcements have one
good effect in this, that they enable us
TO anticipate the books published abroad
which may be republished here and so give our
readers some idea OF their worth or worthessness
Prominent among these is Mrs. Onphant's 'for
Love or Lile,' which is readable, but not quite
good enough for the source from which 1t comes
Another readable novel, especially Tor persons Of
High Church theological leanings, is .Under the
Limes,u by the author OF .'Chrlstina North.n 1t
concerns the loves Of Sebastian Vlner. painter,
and Miss Rose Ansile, a young lady WI h a taste
for polemics. There are lew worldly and wick ed
characters in the book, by way OF Variety. Painters
JUST now seem to be IN favOr with the novelists,
and "Caude Meadoweigh, Artist" portrays the
fervor and sentiment OF artistic feeling.
Strangely enough the best part OF the
book is not In its art, but In Its bar
rack life. thoroughly trashy novel is ..Baroara's
Warming" "The Tnorntons OF Thornbury, Is
tedious. "Seven Ages OF Village PauDer' is too
much after the pattern OF "Glnx's Baby.n elm
gram Place" is TOO ierocious and aristocratlc SO
tar as we have been able to examine them the re
has not been one really great novel-not even An
thony Troilope's "Lady Annan-publshed in Eng
in ha loa man nc tnff 1no<.
more which have appeared during that time.
''Lady Annar has been republished by the
Harpers, but Notwithstanding their house reissues
more English novels than any other in the country,
their book list just now is very meagre in this re-
spect Besides Trollopes latest novel; we believe
they have recently printed only Payne's "At Her
Mercy" and RObinsOn's second Cousin Sarah.n
Mr.. F. w. Robinson is very prolific novelist,
and his novels, to say the least OF them are always
readable ''Second Cousin Sarah'' Is not unlike
those which preceded it. The characters gener-
ally are commonplace enough but most OF them
have the characteristic obsJinacy OF Mr. Robnson's
creations. Reuben Culwick and his father have
disagreed because the son refused to marry the
girl whom his father designed as his wife. The
father is retired business man and very rich, so
that the son by contrast may be hard worked and
very poor. Reuben earns scant livelihood by
visits his father, but there Is no reconciliation.
ana while on the journey he makes the acquaInt-
ance OF Sarah Eastbel-"Secono Cousin SARAH
whom he afterwards marries, and to whom it sub
sequenty turns out that the elder Culwick has left
all his money. The book deals with low life
but not with the real life which Dickens was accus-
toned to portray and its interest is due in great
measure to Its intensity. The characters are all
overdrawn, and herein is the merit OF the novel.
II the author had kept within the bounds OF truth
and reality his work would have been without in
terest; In overstepping 1t ne has made q readable
novel.
new American novel, dealing with Kentucky
life In the times before the war, when slavery was
sacred, has just appeared from the press OF Lee Il
Shepard. II is entitled "Lord OF HIMSELF" and Is
from the pen OF Francis II. Underwood, wen
known from his connection with the Atlantic
Monthly in It's early days. AS mere novel writing,
the book Is not very great success, but as de-
scriptlon OF men and manners IN the slave
States before rebellion was deter.
mined upon, it is singuarly valuable
contribution to our literature. Its fault is that it
is too descriptive, but its merits far overbalance
its faults 1t is love story; but many OF its best
scenes are in no way connected with the loves OF
its hero and heroine. An example Of this is seen
in the opening chapters, where an old-fashioned
Kentucky fox hunt is skeJched without any neces-
sary relation to the plot. 1t may be doubted, how
ever, whether so excellent an insight into the life
1t portrays could have been afforded had any other
method been adopted. The plot is held together
by very slight thread, but every chapter presents
fresh picture, sketch Of an OLD and proud but
decayed Kentucky family, the account OF the fox-
hunt, a description OF a big meeting at Papaw
Creek-one OF those great outdoor religious gath
erlngs which nowhere else were so wonderful as
In Kentucky-a struggle over the reinstatement
OF manumitted human chattels, . shooting ARRAY,
a slave auction. ana many similar scenes follow
Ing each other in rapid succession like the shifting
views OF a kaleidoscope. But the great merit OF
the book IS not in the reproduction Of scenes like
these-known only at this early day by actual ex-
perience and observation to the men OF the last
generation and fast passing out Of recollection
but In the faithful preservation Of the thoughts
and ideas which prevailed in that peculiar epoch
marked by the Missouri compromise. II being
promised that Beauchamp Russell and Miss Shell
burne are the lovers Of the story, the following
letters will show, better than any extract we could
make the spirit OF the narrative and the faithful
ness with which Mr.. Underwood has reproduced
the feelings OF people to whom belief in slavery
was religion
FROM SQUIRE HAMILTON TO MISS sHELgURNE.
MI DEAR NrEcE-f promised, when you left, that
l would write to you II anything OF importance
happened, and l now sit down 10 give you an
account OF fatal and murderous ARRAY, IN W hich
my late pupil, Beauchamp Russell, was prin cipal
actor. colored girl that once belonged to his
iather's estate and was to be sold Tor debt,
escaped from custody and kept out Of sight. she
was young, nearly white, and, they say, verv
handsome though don't ike to use word for
wencb that only belongs to lady. Mr.. wynd.
ham was TO have the price she fetched, and
he, OF course, was anxious to recover MS
property He had information that she WAS ltd BY
the Russells ana so he got warrant and had the
Sherlr 60 with lawful posse TO search the house.
AS some Of them came nigh, Master Bsauchamp and
his TREND, the Yankee sch0Omaster, fired at them,
one or both. one man they shot dead, another
pad bullet through MS arm and the third was
master got wound on the side Of his face and
BeauchaInp was knocked over by BAH hitting
him IN the forehead. He has been operated
on, but he has no sense, I'm told, and is
is % 70 come n and some 'v oks think ot the
young man had been killed outright it would have
been quite as well. The negro wench was in the
house and was hid in BeauchamD's chamber. She