New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-23
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

LITERARY NOTES.
o rporArRY,s ny JULIAN HAWTHORNE, AUTHOR OF
"BREssANT"--A ROMANCE AND NOT NovEL-AN
EGYPTIAN MoNoMANIAo-A STRANGE REVENGE
LOVE AND DESTINY.
lrRox A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
BosroN, Sept. 2i.-I have read the PROOF"
.ssats ~ IdolatryD Mr. Julian Hawthornes new DOCK
which J. R. Oseood & Co. are about to publish WIN
curious interest Were 1t only becsuse the aunor n'
fa,her,s son whatever he does legomaey Oh impor
lance We look for family traits In his WORK; weJuuso
him at once more leniently aud more severely ~, n
flastrious parentage. "Can he write great noVei'
asked by the reading public, as anxiously aS ~
hook were announced by the eldest son oil george Eo
MI ha, He wrote pleasant, but not great one
a., prassant." and he has not now, written novel ~
all He calls II Romance" er his utle-page; ana NO
IA unite right novel must be first cousin 70 ac'uni
ufe The people 1t must be such as We can Imagine
ourselyes meeting the events such as 81 least uo no'
transcend 10 improbabity the Notebook OF the pnys
elan OF the lawyer. To romance Is permitted a"uef
tncurson into the realm Of the improbable OF even .no
impossible In my opinion Hawthorne, senior, was king
of romanclsls He could make a group OF fauns anu
satyrs seem as natural and as real as company oi
human beings His widest impossbilities we're related
with such an air OF truthfuuess That you never thought
OF questioning them This is arr so perfect as 10 seem
no longer art simplicity Measured by his fathers
high standard Julian Hawthorne has by no means
written a great romance. But he certainly has writ
ten an interesting one, and with not few noble
thoughts In It.
The plot is not particularly pleasant. Dr. Hero
Gypho, New erseyman, who lived SO near No"-i
as TO be practically New Yorker. and with mama ior
Egyptian antiquities, born OF respectaole anu
reasonable American parents. They caleu MN heniS
no hecame Hero of his accord afterwards. lie
lived in his boyhood brick house on the bank OF te
Hudson River. a little removed from New-fork. HIS
father died there After awhile his mother married
again. and accompanied her second husband to his
elegant residence Brooklyn; and there Heros lovely
dark-eyed halfsister Helen was bOrn BY and by
weary Of commonplace luxury and civilization, Hero
betook himself to the old brick house asaiD and lived
solitary life there for the nextfew years lie hau tue
command Of much money as he could spend ana ne
used 10 such fantastic wise as made the people around
him suspect him OF being league with the Arch fiend
TIE trah was hs mind had not much more real depth
than cracked LOOKING glass, and the images ana IAN
ees 1t reflected were dointed and confused as they
were numerous. lie had hosts Of flowers gorgeous
as banks OF sunset Clouds he furnished apartment
according to bis idea OF Spain, another like Turkey,
Russia India, Egypt. After time the Egyptian mania
outgrew all the others; and finally his relatives In
Brooklyn electrified by the news that he purposed
starting Immediately for Egypt. Before he went. how
ever walled in his house and grounds by wall high
enough TO shut its mysteries from all idle curiosity
then he vanished and was seen no more for years.
When at length he returned. his coming was heralded
by a mountain Of freight described Ia the invoice as the
property Of Dr. Hero Glyphc He had. no doubt grown
10 be Dr. he TO be Hero, OF his own election
He was accompanied by slender swarthy young Egyp
tian whom he introduced to the Brooklyn relatives as
Manetho his pupil, assistant, and adopted son. The
two shut themselves behind the brick wall, but they
made immense additions TO the old house, turning 1t
into sort of Oriental palace. After while Dr. Heros
sepfather died. and then his mother and so came TO
hat ia
live with Dr. Gyphic behind the brick wall. With her
comes her maid, biighteyed gypsy OF girl, salome
Meantime Manetho has been growing up. Fifteen
years Thor Hewyse, superb, blue-eyed, yellow
bearded Viking Of man, rescued him, tenyear old
boy then, from the jaws Of a crocodile, aud drew
him up the deck OF the boat, where pleasure
party OF travellers. Dr. Gyphic among them. The boy
never knew who saved him. but from the first he at
tached himself to DR.. Glyphic He has been educated
In strange way; and now he is nearly ready to be
clergyman. He brought with him from Egypt a Curl
diamond rug older than the pyramids, Of
wonderful luster, which to exercise occult
hueuce his destiny. Soon IL that he loves
Helen though it is surmised that his arm has been
round the waist Of the dark gypsy Saome, and that
she has been taught the way his secret chambera
strange room, opening from the vast and splendid
Egyptian temple which occupies haf the house. Does
Helen respond 10 his Perhaps she thinks 1t is only
passioness worship for he has put into words
but she wears his chain round her neck and you catch
sometimes beneath the lace at her throat the CLEAN OF
the wonderful diamond Of Egypt. No doubt he might
easily have Helen the fair II solitude had continued
10 favor him; lust as some crcs-but do not agree
with theninsist that had Miranda never seen Ferdi-
nand she would have loved Calban Bot suddenly on
the scene Thor Hewyse, radiant Viking, with the
glory Of his tawny beard and the blue spendor Of his
eyes. Born to command he seized Helen's heart a
conqueror Unsteady Of signing at her feet as suitor
They were married. and Maneho who had taken orders
4. rt.,h. da1xra
been friend than servant at her mstress's wish
was bridesmaid II Manetho suffered and ragged, and
vowed everlasting revenge and hate, he dissembled
well, and his smooth sancty revealed nothing When
the bridal pair went away, Salome remained behind,
and the eergymans chamber witnessed feverish
caresses incoherent promises, dlsrustful bargains
Eight months and more 90 by, and Thor and Helen
return for visit and then Mlnetho finding Helen, one
twilight alone in the garden, sezes her in his arms and
declares his wild love, which is half hate aud all mad
ness She tries 10 repe him. TO but he Will not
spare her SINGLE burning word until she loses con-
seiousness. and falls a dead weight IN his arms He
draws his diamond ring from her BOSOM snaps the sen
der chain that holds ii, and slips away Taat night
Helen dies and leaves behind her two lttle struggling
newborn human beings-a boy and girl. for whom
there is no mothers tender bosom. No suspects
Manetho's agency In this tragedy. When the time
comes be performs the burial service the dead
young mother, bat when salome follows him TO his
cet chamber after the rites are over he turns brutal
and strikes her with savage force the diamond on his
nnger bites into the flesh OF The gypsy's breas-!t is
love token whose she viii carry TO her grave.
These characters, already mentioned, are the chief
actors Ia the strange tale. OF which have told you but
the beginning. Manetho 1.-THE clergyman" az with
coneInptuous bitterness the author delights 10 call him.
nurses scheme OF that is more deviish than
human. He hatee Thor Helwyse because Thor has
deprived him OF Helen. Docs he lie in wait 10 STAY him
Not at ALL Such were human in comparison