New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-21
THREE NOVELS

oN DANGEROUS GEorSp; or AGApTr1 TnIFSn.
H. MOORE. limo pp S3'. Porter coates.
DIANA CAREw. or. FoR 4 wOvAS'e SAKF. nv Mrs. foR
EttRR. i2Ino ~ aia }. u. IirPiuoolt&to
THE FLAG OF DISTRESS. A TMF % I'M SDf1H sHA
gy Capi. MAhSE krio. l2mo pp. ioa. JAMES miller.
"Dangcrous ground indeed and quite ae
much 80 for author FOR her characters IT, NJ fro
John s. Hart Jecares, IN the quotation ostenatiously
placed opposite the titlepagc, II would be dinH pei
laps Impossible Ia auatOniae TIE female heart
~ she has done" trust man will attempt TIE task
The book INTRODUCES 10 what we are forced 10 consider
y iunnncahIs hints Of wealth descent ard aritOrrbt,
habits Ia the best circles, OF Philadelphia heH-lork
and Boston As picture OF American society Jn.css ",
Law n special emphasis the word EOHdhocj II goes faF
to justify the presentation thereof In the comedies VI
sariou and Alexandra DumaS The heroine Is painted ~
model OF purity and refinement, yet she 40 freely eY
prc, her desire for Patonic attachment that II be-
oo,nea almost Joke among her friends aud when tie
attachment comes last, although IN the shape OF
married man. she Is supremacy happy. or course the
gentleman practical Piaon!st-nonc OF the male
characters are possibly could he-hnd he mpeihtey
takes s,rI@ for divorce. His discarded wife martics
again but Agatha inter discovering that her PlatOnic
attachment has developed into something stronger re
fuse. marriage with the oxhusband Roman Catholic
grounds. Thia Obgcs the wife to hirt desperately
Quarrel with her husband, Gnd die OF heart
di,oase, in order to remove the difficulty, aud allow
Asafha's marriage tO satisfy the reader. piot
fiElsy might De t0ltfnttu-eNen NldHc uifu'fN'
by "A skllul hand But the Oneu@c Of this novel lice
IN the atmosphere Of unblushiIg marital fasehood which
peryades IT, From the opening chapter, wherein Col
Potten "A lover OF Agatha, meets her faith in wonnns
virtue With vulgar ana con"mpnouS snocrs, to the close
where O runaway wife completes the list, we nfe sur
fe,td with the nrtatiCns OF married and woinen
and the suggestive comments OF their friends We art
thankful Therefore tba, the wickedncss described not
brilliant entertaining: the dup@s oi tie story
diminishos its power 81 doing harm.
Mrs Forester. in Diana Cdrcw represents type
of heroine which is becoming rather common. II ID the
impulsycy natural girl, lovely but most unconscious OF
her Iove.iness poor but Of excellent family ignorant and
awkward Though o knowledge Of French, German, aud
music usually up whenever necessary, yet made
the more attractive by every social under aud doomed
after brief period Of darkness and despair 10 smile
upon the reader OF the heart Of OVERLOOKING bliss
chen she takes her final leave OF him We have ulsO In
this story the handsome, fascinating. unstable brother
who accepts the family sacrifices for his sake Dntu
raj hight uIngs the hearts Of father and sister. who
richly REPAID by few brief and fearful remorscs, and
gets better luck than he deserves In the end lie ID here
called Curly from biz golden locks. aud find him
something o. bore The story If told In bor
rowcd from Wilkio Collins, part journal aud part
tive The styc also. bctrays the e!evancss which comes
OF education aud Initiation, rather than the strength aud
eari,estness Of nn Unborn talent However. there IL
plenty OF action. and than the usual amount 81
titled characters so We suppose that the hhitua read
,rs OF fiction will bo satisfied with Diana Carew."
The character of II new work by Capt. MayDe Reid
may be predicted IN advance OF ts publication. He Is
the Dumas OF adventure, substituting runaybys, east
sways and freebOoters for guardsmen csrtiers, and
sbbAs Lke Dumsa, he never INTRODUCES new eharao