The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-06
CHATS ABOUT BOOKS.
The Latest Fiction Diesected
and Discussed.
THE WORK OF THE NOVELISTS.
"lliSs AngeP-"The Lady Superior" "Fated
To Be Free"-"Paul MaSSie' "Jean."


bachelor and has excellent taste in the furnish
ing OF entertainments for his guests The members of
the club are almost like family and they go in or
out from the library to the lawn the spirit moves
The Parsons house is rambling and full of retired hooks
The young ladies of the club say that the Parson
built it, had eye to business offers so many temp
tations for iirtations However that may be- it is
lovely place to VISIT and the Parsons mother is the most
popular lady in the village
The club has spread itself about the library and out
through the windows to the piazza ''There comes
the Doctor at last" said the Parson walking down the
path to meet him. ''You are late this evening.
Doctor. Is there sickness in the village than
usual ?"
The DocToR-No, can't say that there is but Young
Dobbins has broken his again and had to set il
Just starting out | am not so late It is only
eight o'clock, and here Miss Almavlva and Au-
gustus Charles.
''MIss ANGEL"
Lawyer REDrAPE (who is rather n gallant sort of
man)-Apropos of your arrival, Miss Almaviva, VIC will
take up Miss Angelo Harper Il Bros) for discussion
imagine that every member of the club has read the
book, to judge from the way it worn. Let us have
the different opinions. What do you think OF the book
Mrs Greed? turning to the Parsons mohcr.)
Mrs CREED most agrecably disappointed in
the book When it running as a serial in Harper's
dull and not up to Miss Thackeray's standard In fact
heard much of that sort complaining that thought
1t hardly worth while to read the story My son brought
II home in book form day and picked up while
sitting at his library table to write When he came
in the room some two hours later he found with tho
buster in my lap and the book in my hand and didn't
leave Off until had finished it.
The LAwYER-weIl, am sure that was a tribute to
the fascination of the book
The DocroR-I think IL contains some OF the most
beautiful word pictures that Miss Thackeray has ever
composed. The plain unvarnshed story of Angelica
Kauilmanns life is romantic enough but when told by
writer of Miss Thackerays genius the charm is in
creased tenfold.
Miss GUsHINGToN-Poor Angelica What child she
was One would have supposed that living so in tho
world she would have grown worldly
AUGUSTUS CHARLEs-It Is pity that she had not been
more worldly. Then she would not have been deceived
by the bogus Count Horn
The LAwYER-l don't exactly see how she was de-
ceved except that She of course thought him the real
Count but that not tho reason that she married
him. 1t was a love match most certainly. He was an
adventurcr but he loved her for herself and she loved
him for himself alone. In point of family they wero
equally good If jealous friends had not driven
him out of the country believe they would have lived
very happily together She would have been happier
with Count Horn than with Sir Joshua Reynolds
Mrs. CREED doubt that. The Count would have
satisfied her for the time; but Sir Joshua would have
worn better. What lovely man he I got bet
ter idea of him from this book than had before
AUGUSTUS CHARLEs-In my opinion she did not love
Count Horn 1t the of the thing that
caused her to marry him. There is nothing like
clandestinc wedding for working on n girls feelings
If she has any scntmcntality that is the sure shot
Miss ALMAyIVA-YOu MI mis- in
your estimate of young ladies' As n rule they are too
fond of display weddings to be over by anything
so transformations as ono that is clandcstinc believe
that she loved the Count because he so good and
kind to her For the matter of that Sir Joshua was
good and kind too, but she stood in some little awe OF
the great painter.
The DocToR-I don't see how it was that she did not
marry Antonio before she went to London. He was
dreadfuy fond of her and would have made her a fine
husband.
Miss EuPHBMrA from retired corner OF the piazza-
am only surprised that she ever married him at ALL
cannot see any use for those dark-browed, bushy.
haired men, who are always scowling at the girls they
love and who say the things when they mean
the kindest II Antonio had only been more agreeable
believe that Angelica would have loved him from tho
first, for she very susceptible to kindness
Miss GusnSGroN-Plcase don't talk any more about
of how she lived in the world and for the world and
yet really had friend upon whose shoulder she
could weep or into whose heart she could pour sor
rows OF her own Strange ms 1t may seem, hers was
lonely life and Miss Thackeray has presented its
most touching and beautiful aspect.
GATED BE FREE"
The PARsoN-Miss 1ngeow is not novelist and
wish that she would write nothing but poetry In that
she cxcels, but in prose she Is almost common
place. Her "Fatcd To Be Free" Roberts Bros would
not have had hundred readers if her name had not
been on the Her descriptions OF scenery are
beautiful, admit but her character drawing is poor
positively crude at times.
Miss GusuINGToS-I read the book with a great
deal of interest, because 1t was Miss Ingelows must
acknowledge. It was a curious study Her attempts
at riskiness surprise you that you forget what they
are intended for l must confess that there is too
much of the sayings and dongs of children about to
suit me. The boy who lsped was perfect nuisance
And the American boy, with the very English name
of Crayshaw, was about un-Amercan az Fiji
Islander Miss Ingelow evidently wants her readers to
feel upon familiar footing with her characters but IL
impossible For that purpose she enters into details
that unintcresng and tircsome
AUGUSTUS CHARLEs-Valcntine is a most singular
character His conduct regard to his proposed mar
rage is unprecedented; yet no one seems to think
much about It, John Mortimer and his family would
be interesting in small doses but there is much OF
them. The idiotc Laura, who imagined that every man
who looked at her dying to throw himself at her
feet is the best character the book though she is
little more than sketch Crayshaw is supposed to be
fine specimen of his countrymen and before he meets
the childrens governess they rig up surprise for her
Crayshaw Is seated chair with hs.fect on the back
of another chair, and Is busy engaged in whiting
The eoverncss enters the room. "Wall" he said "and
heow do ycou git along with yc-our teaching, marmp
Squire thinks heap OF ye-our teaching, hear
especially yc-our teaching OF the eyc-taan tongue
That is quoted as characteristic American speech
STILL could pardon that iargon If the rest of the book
was not so dull.
The LAWYER think that II the story could he boiled
down to just one half Of tho size would bo twice as
effective; for there beauties in it, only they arc scat
tered over too much paper.
'THE LADY suPERoRn
"Thc Lady Superior Is the least conspicuous char.