New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-30

then force the two to lie for weeks separate sofas
In the samo -ooml And when you break open
secret drawer by the falling of brass paper
weight why should you cause wife and child to
die from the shock occasioned by the discovery of
the missing papersi This is needless cruety-aud
all TO make matters little easier for the dowager,
Lady GTisell You have such a neat hand for de-
scrbng scenes aud characters, such an easy grace
fu STYLE and such skill in managing conversations,
that we have the less charity for your faults Of con-
stmction. You certainly can do better in this re-
spect, if you viii only try.
In The Cross Above tho Crescent" Bishop
Southcate gives under the thin disguise of story,
which reads like a piece of veritabe history, an
admirable picture of Greek and Turkish life III Con-
stantinopc. His hero is q Greek boy, who is
stolen and adopted by a childlcss Turkish pair VINO
bring BIN up in luxury impose upon him the faith
of Islam. and finally marry him to the daughter OF
q high official The course Of his fate IS then re-
vcsscd and from being Ria Bey. the fayorte OF
the sultan with brilliant sphere open to his ambl-
tiou he Incomes at the close Priest Gregory, and
breaches TO ms Greek brethren. The story is very
well constructed; one phase Is evolved naturally
from the preceding. and there is no incident in the
book which can be called improbable, or even I'M
common. The charm OF the work however, will be
found in It's faithful and admirable descriptions of
Oriental life, which have not been surpassed 10y any
former authority. The author writes from the
fulness of his knowledge and would therefore de-
serve less credit for The excellence Of his work. but
for the skill with which he has presented so many
picturesque aud Characteristic details. The story is
no less delightful than instructive.
Mrs. Prentss has selected the most difficult of
all forms IL which 70 cast a novel. 1t requires I'M
usual dramatic talent to arrange fragments from
"Ruths Journal" "Mrs. Woolfords Journal" and
monologues by Mrs Strong Keza and Frank,
so that each shall bring out clearly the character of
the writer or speaker 1t must be reckoned as sue
cess for Mrs.. Prentiss that she has not entirely
failed: yet her story, none the less, receives
broken disocatcd character, which is still further
increased by the cough, rattnG way of talking.
which several Of the peTsonages indulge ill., The re-
lieious ingredient equal parts of plety and cant
belongs, suppose, TO the times yet ii might GER
tainly have been made less 0btrusve, and perhaps
more practical One gets rather tired OF hearing The
Lords viii made the excuse for a passive acquies-
euce in everything that happens. There is, never
theless a strong native flavor of the soil in the
work. although Kczia's poetry is of the Widow Be
dot kind. Ii will be rclished in many New England
farm-houses.
-" Souc" is what might be called a fashionable
novel cleverly compounded Of two or three popular
varieties. little of "Ouida," little OF Julia
Kayanagh, and touch of Miss Braddon added for
pungency of flavor, mobiles and rich cOmmoners the
opera, gems and plenty of shining hair-such is the
recipe. There must be Italian scenes, of course;
few gimpses of Paris; some Alpine landscapes; one
two German characters who always say Aci, him
nell French reference 10 le ride ct le meant; and
death at the very moment when love becomes posi-
bic, followed by the immediate insanity of the
viving party. We do not mean TO disparagc the
skill greater or less. with which these materials are
used-but it is the skill Of the cook who finds them
prepared not the magic Of Nature who creates them.
Novels of this class are salads, not fruits or flow
ers; but SINCE a multitude of persons cannot live
without salads they have their place in the economy
of literature "Souci" we must admit, is we'll
mixed and fairly palatable.