The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-16

Mrs. IEfTH ADAMS. has been included by the
Harpers In their library Of select fiction. Most
OF the volumes presented In that collection arc
worth reading. and there were good CONNER
clal grounds for rcprnting this particular DOCK.
1t had certain success in England; that Is TO
say. it had the luck to satisfy the somewhat UNI
discriminating appcttcs Of Nudes country
subscribers. whereby that onterprising person
was led TO order some thousands Of copies. This
IL what constitutes pccuniary success as things
arc now managed for the reading public OF
Great Britain. Nevertheless. " Winstowe" Is n
thoroughly wrctchcd performance. weak in ex-
ccution and barren OF promise. and only de-
serves notice IA an elaborate and suggestive
example Of what n novel ought not to be.
There is hardly "A prctence Of plot in this
disiontcd. stumbling narrative The young
woman, of course. falls in love with the young
man. but the latter il disposed OF by the some
what stale article Of death. whercupon the cor
rect young gentleman whom parents view with
complaccncy comes promptly to the front. Tho
latter parsonage IS an cNpureatcd and edifying
copy Of Tom Jones-that il. he is like Fieldng's
hero in being supposed to be "A foundling and
ultimately proving to be the heir of IL landed
gentleman. The author has equipped this
character with all the Christian virtues. and he
stands forth the most consummate prig who
has appeared IN fiction since Joseph Andrews.
tnhapplly priggishncss is not amusing unless
the artist now and then will Join with Us In
laughing at his creation, and this Mrs. Adams
would doubtless consider Il kind OF blasphcmy
We may add that neither the cloud over the
young mans BIRTH nor the well-worn incident
of his saving the heroine from II burning house
have the slightest bearing on the mild love
affair which does duty as motif OF the story
There is no reason apparent why this house
event recorded should have occurred. except
the death above mentioned. without which the
novelist might have found it awkward to wind
up her narrative. There Is the same want Of
purpose aud OF relation to the business in hand
in all tho characters brought upon the stage
There is n female opium Gator. for instance but
inasmuch rs she is guilty ~ no eStravagnn""
whatever under the influence OF the drug, and
might rs we'll for all the harm she inficts upon
her fellow puppets. have been addicted to the in
ordinate use of lipuoricc we are unable 10 cX-
perience the lonthing with which We are hidden
10 regard her. There is also an amateur de-
tective who. with the lolticst motives and cor
tain smiling picty. hounds the steps Of light
headed fellow: but as the secret sin laid bare Is
nothing worse than social carouse over a
bowl Of punch. our feelings are not narrowed
10y the discovery. Tho young man thus shad-
owed" is. OF course the villain OF tho piece. and
his treatment at tse hands Of the writer is curl
ously characteristic OF certain feminine authors.
Necannot perceive that any faults are laid TO the
charge OF this Individual but no has the
misfortune To- Inherit that craving for strong
drink. and susceptibility TO poisoning from
its use. with which doctors are sufficiently
familiar. He H. in short. Il victim OF alcohol
ism. and it Is obvious that the TACT. once
known. should have constituted ~ oilrctual
bar ,o marriage rs would the fact Il insanity.
But Mrs. Adams sees in this disease "A hdroU-
moral delinquency. and never wenrias of con-
Trusting the wrct'hol transgrossor with her
hero who IS able IL seems TO take his beer and
wine with regularity and mpunity; Here. too.
she falls Into u strange Inconsistency. II an
engaged man prorcd 20 lr an cpileptic. no
doubt tho author would allow that tho fact
should be made known 10 the young woman in
terestei: but in this case. although she holds
the victim Of al 'oholism morally responsible for
his malady. shn eNto, rs tho acme Of chival-
rous conduct the heros silence touching his
rivals periodical Its Of delriuin tremens II
would occur to Il person Of common sense that
il might boz well II the young man would think
a little less about himself and the point OF
honor. and q little more about the young woman.
These notions. however. Of ,he crimnality at
tuhing To- couscn!al inchrioty and Of tho
moral re'titude demonstrated by "a strong head,
are not peculiar to Mrs. Adams. aad will prob
ably commend themselves t. u good many
female readers
The author ~ this book can hardly fail TO
have seen one or two phases of English life. hut
she has failed 10 portray any with distin 'tne--
lnthe description Of places and manners there
il no spness Of outline. no local color no
specific a'mosp here-nothing at ALL in short. to
dlnerentate one scene from another. For all