New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-10-08
LITERARY.
BOSTON LITERARY NOTES.


sea BOSTON LITERARY NOTES.
ny SISTER JEANNIEn BY GEORGE SAND TRANS
LATED BY g. r.. -CRoCKER-"Q QUIET HOURS"
COLLECTION OF sEMI-REIIGIOUs POEMS" THE
sroRy OF A HOUSE, BY THE FRENCH ARCHI-
Tscr. yIoIIEr-LE-DuC-" CHOICE RECEIPTS"
IRON A REeuLAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIsuSE'I
BosroN, Oct. elf my Sister Jeannie,"
vbich g. Crocker has recently translated from the
ereuch of George Sand and which Roberts Brothers are
,bcut TO publish, 10 recent work, It proves OF least
hat me author OF 90 many remarkable novels still re-
ssins much OF her early vseor Uncertainty s not 70
vowerful tale Leila or Indiana" or Maupfa''
but is much more interesting than most OF the frepc
soyels OF to-day, In which detects tendency W
sed,ouspess a slowuess Of movement which taxes INC
sateuce of the American reader Bernard's "derah''
eor inetanee charming delicate impsssioned love soy
~ Il was might easily have been snortenea ohe."nu
ony nv curtang 10 OF absolutely teaous aescr'p.on''
But there is hardly unnecessary page In ma opui
JesppeD wish. by the way, that the author haa re-
ssiped the pretty French Jeanne N his uansia'ioh
Jeappie does not suit French girl who bears IL.
There is usually In George Sands novels one paruc
MAR character, which Is study, revelation Oh no"
type Laurent who tells this tale is such as any french
young man might be JEANNE Is the dehcate cnae'eo
reared young vesta, with . most ardent nature oho
thinks she loves music so we'll that she Will never
",
N her absorbing passion for Laurept-a passion she
never Acknowledges to herself because che has been
brought I'D TO think him her brother until toward inc
close when she discovers that she is only Ms ioster
sister, and 90 all gees merry az marriage DELL pu'
these two Laurent and JEANNE, might ngure mus
eriupatey In almost any French novel, change places
with almost any other well brought up young man and
woman With unusual generosity. however, Madame
Sand has given this book two marked characters
the Spanish girl Manuela and the noble Engbshman sH
Richard Brudnel who protects Manuea and would have
married her. IL the Of the wedding che had not
chosen to run away with her handsome young physr
ean who honoraby WEEDS her and is much better suited
20 her than would have been Sir Richard brudnei, lh
his sixties The relation between Manuea-or Helene
ne she s called after she enters Sir Richards household
very interesting, and It depicted as probably no
one else but Madame Sand could have depicted II.
The rich Engshman has bought Manuea OF her father
In bargain that unhoy, but really Is an angelic
ARRANGEMENT for her protection. He educates her;
adopts her. lets her as his wife, to avoid
gossip he is kind tender her. but most decorousy
hind never taking advantage of his position
than to press paterna kiss upon her forehead
he becomes persuaded that loves him. aud promises
to marry her as some family difficulties can De
surmounted Meantime she falls in love with Laurent
who Is then her ply scian Hes swayed by her passion
and believes that he responds to it. Sir Richard comes
home pectedly, and finds them in the midst OF
desperate love His behavior IN this emergency
IL of the BLESS yen my children style; and you fancy
he lie rather glad to be relieved from all obligation 10
marry Manuela The lovers become engaged; ana then
the lady falls very i'll and Laurent is forbidden her
presence Like French good boy he goes home 10 DIS
and tells her all about it, He concludes that ne
does not marry Manuela at all and luckily, as
health returns she concludes she does not want 10
marry him. Before he knows this last fact, however
kis mother undertakes TO sound him on the subject and
ths thoroughly French that must give 1t TO
you:
81" this very instant, told you that she had recov-
Would it be Iruei Hide nothing from me!'
"If M. Brudnel summons you in the name OF honor
II would tell NJ Brudnel that he has greater repara
ton to make than The who has suffered Manuela TO
pass for his wife"
but Lii told you that thought you strictly
"You! / would go instantly, but with death in my
soul. would sacrifice the rep0se and dignity OF nv
she price OF your esteem"
i burst into tears. MY mother elasped me in her
will mot 80 an dasss anS Sss re
gained the partial heatht that hers before these
great storms She 10 longer under the shock OF pas
i've She is frightened by the violence of infstus
tOD and reproaches herself for H. She falls at NJ Brud
nel's feet aud NJ. Brudnel marries her?'
All 70 cried leapng like young colt set free. He
is night, the worthy man begin TO love him with Oil
NV delight was so undsguised that my mother could
not help laughing.
Imagine the average young man Of Boston agreeing
20 sacrifice the repose and dignity OF his life" by
marrying a woman he has ceased to love, If his mamma
sbinks he had better Sir Richard Brudnel forgives
Manuela 1t has become known TO Laurent that Sir
Richard Sister Jeannies father and that her mother
IL dead he begins to love her. Sir Richard again re-
solves 10 marry Manuela; the day Is set
but the physician, who is LaureDts successor,
carries her off, and the Engishman is again relieved,
and again glad Of It. He would have married her be-
cause he ought but how much nicer 1t is to have
some one else to do for him By the way, how com
mon sentiment would that be among brdegroOms If
census taken French novels are apt to end sadly
but Sister JEANNE" concludes with sort of universal
treaty OF peace, by which everybody gets what he or
she wants and nobody gets what any one else wants,
and so all are satisfied.
Isuppose no two persons would make precisely SINH
lar selections for collection of poems; and 1t is find
ting no fault with collection entitled Quiet Hours,
which Roberts Brothers about to publish TO say that
would like TO substitute for some of the poems which
find here others, favortes of my OVID, which miss.
Quiet Hours" s the whole very satisfactory vol
ume Of devotional and reflective poetry cued from
large variety OF and with answers TO many diff
ferent moods of praise aspiration doubt longing, and
unrest 1t is singular that II. w. LOngfellow should be
absent, altogether and that Mrs Browning, who has
written some of the most beautiful semreigious poems
in the language should be represented only one and
that by no means one Of her best. should like to In
sert some OF Adelaide Proctor's inspired verses in
place of the uninspred ones between these Gov
err; and do how Christina Rossetti and Jean
Iugelow and Miss Muoch could be altogether omitted
from such collection. While there are these conspicu-
GUS absences Of wel-known names there are, ON the
other hand gems from fresh which we are
glad for the first time and to preserve 10 this
dainty casket, unusually pretty specimen of book
making for Roberts Brothers. There are three
notable poems In the volume by David A. WATSON,
man whose poetcal gifts have never received the
public recognition which they deserve. but which Mr..
WATSON is at once too modest and proud 10 seek