New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NOVELS AND STORIES.

D. GIN n. WILLIAM BLACK l2mo. PIP $50. Harper Il
. ropg1ppTv FRUIT From the German Off ".
Haoklander. ~ RosArE KAUFMAN lZmo' PIP
aG2 Isles * Iauuat.
p DOURLEDAY's CHILDREN. By DUrroN COOK
l2mo. pr. $50 G.. Il. Putnam Sons.
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Henry Holt q co.
? THE CROSS ABOVE THE CRESCENT BY the n
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g PFMAoUID A STORY or oLD TIMES II Nrw-ING-
ttND ~ Mrs NJ. T. PLENTiss limo. PIP 90
A -. T. Randolph Co.
O. sOUCL A NOVEL By Mrs. J. II. TwELIs. l2mo
pp. 33i. j. b. Liplmcott Co.
Mr. Aldrch's Queen OF Shcba is rather coll
lection Of sketches of places and people. grouped
around a slight but curious story. than novel.
The secret is todat least to the practised reader of
fcton-in the fourth chapter, and but little curios-
itv remains as TO which OF the two inevitable terml-
nations death or marriage may be selected. The
former would have added an element of pathos,
which IS now lacking, and have given Hiss DenhaA
clearer and tendeTer place in the readers memory
The very quiet way in which the happier ending Is
brought about will be a surprise to all who have
been led by Mr.. Aldrchs former stories TO expect
one Of his skilfully planned surprises. carriage
containing happy pair, drives ont of the BOOK the
door closes on the other characters and we are left
to imagine ourselves alone az ChamoGni. Then,
looking backward over tine story we ma
that few of lis personagcs have been dis
tinct and sympathetic enough 70 awaken
mich regret for their departure. On the other
hand We remember with delight the pictures
through which we have followed them-the fresh
morning of the opening chapter; the hills and val
lows Of New-Hampshre. with their roadside and VII
lage scenes; the vivid and charming gimpseS OF
Swiizerland-all these satisfy US and remain with
US. The point and yiyacty Of Nh. Aldrch's style.
unlike that Of certain other authors show 10 trace
OF elaboration. tie writes with the seeming ease
aud huency Of one VINO talks 10 a group of willingly
listening friends. lie /, bright and CHEEKY mar
rator that we cannot demand profounder wisdom
than he offers or miss those clements of passion ana
tragedy which he has not intended 10 give The
sphere of ms literary creation thus far IS distinctly
marked, and indicates the standard of Judgment
which we should apply to IT, As writer OF brief
and thoroughly entertaining stories, sparkling
with natural humor and always delightfully."- poetic
in the descriptive passages, he Is not surpassed by
any other Of our authors.
Miss Susan Warner, as once before. if we are not
mistaken, dssolves the old partnership with her
sister and lets the novel Of Diana" uicAlc out of
her own pen. Comparing it with the former JOINT
productions We arc Of the opinion that Size has done
wisely. Her heroine Is a real, honcstly-lrawn New
England girl who develops throughout the work,
b. means of various personal experiences, very
much as a girl would in real life. The disagreeable
mother-Why must one parent, at least, always be
the ignorant, narrow, selfish progentor of noble.
generous fne-fccing clildi-the first handsome
lover the upright but prim and prirgsh parson,
who becomes the husband, and adds religious CON
version to love az an agent of happiness-all these
Characters are WE'LL if not profoundly, delneated.
The plot is not original there Is the old device OF
withheld letters, and the modern eXpcdient of NOR
bid misery aud stony silence, when ten words would
have cured the trouble; but the incidents easily
and smoothly woven together and the conventional
pety is not made obtrusiye For the many who
prefer novels with palpable moral intention, " Dl-
ana viii be pleasant acquaintance.
MIR. Black has added nothing to his reputation
by his new novel of "Green Pastures and Hcca-
dlly.' The work bears signs Of haste and an over
strained almost fcgerish. vivacity OF style; the plot
Is sin eIlarly mcOhcrent. and the widely differing
elements Of London life and American travel are
mixed together in the most random and irrelevant
manner We cannot escape the suspicion that it is
mere piece of professional workmanship, the pay
ment for which was its primary inspiration. The
opening promises something; the characters Of Hugh
Balfour and Lady Sylvia Blythe well cOntrasted
and set in rather picturesque surroundings; even
Lord WiiiOwby-in whom we again meet the dis
reputable father of a undetermined child-may be
tolerated. Bat each ingredient of interest seems to
lose value Just when prepared to it rise
into some prominence. The political intriguing, the
humanitarian masquerade the problems Of welded
life and family intercourse fade out one by one and
when, about the middle of the book, Lady Sylvia !
sails for the United States, the plot virtually
and is replaced by a mass Of jcrky wearsOme frag
ments Of description and conversation. There are
clever passages scattered here and there; the au-
thors skill and taste does not allow him TO be wholly
dull or uniutcllgible; but he occasionally comes
nearer to it than, from his former novels we should
have judged possible
-Hackldndcr was one of the most successful Of |
those recent German nOyelists who write solely for
the purpose of entertaining their readers and for 4
this reason, he was very popular. He belonged 70 |
the class which includes Martt and Werner, but /
wrote in lighter and liveier tone, and never |
reached the literary importance Of such authors
Frcytag, Aucrbach OF Paul heysc. 1t is absurd to |
call him. as some have done, 90 the German Dick |
ens0 He is creator Of characters; his carcatuTe
is rather of the conventional kind. and his humor is
only quaint aud fanciful, not intellectual. But he |
is always thoroughly readable and many Of his !
shorter stories are excellent specimens Of narrative
art. Forbidden Fruit belongs TO this class Tho
plot is quite simple, and the end is almost too salts
factory for probability, but the of social life
animated and true to nature, the characters are
indicated by very slight individual touches. yet do
not become confused, and tho reader observes and
overhears them with interest. The translation is
fairly done, although it has a more stiff and formal
tone than that Of the original
-" Doubledays Children would be more vel
come acquaintance if they knew how to tell their
story There are three Of them, and they speak
turn about, which is always rather awkward,
especially as their voices are precisely alike. The