New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
FOUR NOVELS.

M-N
a. ipidaCoit K Co. -.
THE GREAT MATCH. AND OTHER WITCHES NO
Name lfmc. Up. 293. Roberts Brothers
fhI lsibac inns a:r ls S' CO. A"' ''' ~
Mrs. Alexander has achieved such an agree
allc reputation as a novel writer that any new work
frcu, her hand is sure TO be heartily tCcomcd she mas
tire two gifts Of kuowng TO tell story and OF pre-
ser,Dr her characters distinctly to the readers mind
She takes Just enough Of the evil of human nature TO
Cvea piGuaucy the good, and avoids those rocks oil
cruel moNoable, ami often unnecessary duty and SUI
folug. upon which many female novests wreck
themselves IN " The Heritage Of Langdac," however
she tries a new experimental picture OF the English
lasL The time is Tie reign Of George l., ana the
place London and vicinity The work opens IN almost
sensational manner, with the marriage OF the herniue
g. an unknown brides The action, thus Violently
started sweeps onward without pause TO the end OF the
volume becoming last little eyerish and Irregular
The speech AID OF the time seem 10 nave Deeh
hastily studci in advance and and then lapse into
nolcyu folms The time chosen must lie the year l12o'
for ihe SoutE,ca bubble Is about to DaIst, ana MI
CYay,s Secretary Of But the historical veriIies
ar so carcessy attended TO that Mistress Maud repre-
seated as playing upon the hGrpSichord the music OF
Cherubini-t0 years before that composer was Dorm!
Worse than tins: on page 277, We are tod mat sue
was more than hall way through dthcd'c So"@1@ Va
Beethoven Afcr such bund'rs, the LADY readel o"h
mol 3o certain that the details Of costume whrA are
always infinitely giyeil are correct Lady Hcmsiords
Language Is cerainly that OF heT time ana Doh heI
deceit and Il 4uds agonzing anxiety are so prolonged
that thcy duay become little tresome The men are
better drawn the although there Is soNe
thing udiglOus toward the close IN the violence threat
encd by a man with broken l1gGt arm cafiivu III "
siu The secret OF the N! bridegroom soon
,,,.es,d ly In, reader hut the author has provided
Nm, her secret 10 fan back upon, and the SITUATIONS Oh
susuense do uOt Mrs. AleXanders skl!a Story
teller carries bravey through where another Won"
have lamontaby failed But sne has mistaken heF 'fHe
field q work. which ICES among the men ana women "uu
external sc,ugs around her. she ought not 70 venture
beyoud e Aozo OF her eyes ana her personal eA-
ptIigHcc. 800
stomDliven belongs to that class Of novels which
yoi8C people Of 20 GercabOutS are always eager "
read II has heroine but no hero tabounds IN sentl-
mcnt enough OF trying ANA touching passages 20 eN-
cite and Tro!ous the readers sympathy ana balances
good and bad fortune in way TO satisfy ever! Dooy ~
TIC close The story only occupies year OF two and we
do not feel sure that LII" the only baptismal name
given 10 the heroine) will profit permanently 10y her nara
experience. Her exhibitions Of strength are too htIu
her nature shallow TO inspire much confidence Inc
loss of her parents the plunge from wealth to poverty
the tormens OF her situation companion TO rlch
ana selfish widow, her suffering and almost starvation III
Paris, her rescue and prospective marriage constitute
the thread of personal history upon which all the Otef
characters are strung 1t is slight that we never at
tain TO more than a bowling acquaintance with any OF
them Miss Healeys style is clear and correct, ana she
has what she herself TO do honestly aud with
graceful picturesque tOuchts we take IL IOI
that the deeper analysis of character was not included
in her aim.
The fifth volume Of the ono Name Series illustrates
the advantages Of anonymous better than any oil the
preceding The author reporedto be this or that
person. and plenty VI friendly to the individual
named are preudced in favor OF the book We shall not
endeayor TO lift even corner OF the vail from the pub
hshers' secret; for having read 1.-THE Great Match
without making single guess, we feel all the more free
to declare it an exceedingly hppant and slangy piece OF
work. An Illustration facing the first page shows us
three sexess Cupds carrying what at first sight appear
70 be lbert and piece OF chalk but we presently DIS
cover after reading little further that the objects are
q baseball and club. Baseball and love are the TWO
blended themes, the former being rather the more I'M
porant Of the Muscular Christianity we nave long
had; and now treated to muscular love. Tho
good young man OF the story all in vain until he
develops his biceps This does not seem so remarkable
after we learn that the heroine, although OF rich
and aristocratic family says, N.Y." calls her uncle
sly dog" and talks the baseball dialect Ike man.
But indeed every person and incident in the story Is
alike carcatured and oyerdone in order to keep up
certain tone which meant TO be breezy and rockng
but is oftener only loud and 1ashy There is the son OF
respectable parents for example, who talks like the
yeries clOdhopper; and passages such as this, which
have no connection with the plot are frequent:
"Guess we shall realize handsome" said that lady,
rapidly twisting bag Of pop-corn and handing II 10
ayoungster. Have you hearn, Mr. Myers, now tmey
get on with their trouble over ter the Brown ehurchF
The baseball clubs throughout the country will no
doubt be delighted with the book, and promote Its
author-when his is dscovered-to honorary mem
bershp They will find flags feastng, games, and much
betting in fl q congratulatory telegram from wash
fngton two girls pulled dripping out Of river and
square standup fstfght which, by the by is the most
vorkmanlike piece Of description in the volume.
-Erekmann- ChatriaD, in spite OF their intense anti
German feeling seem to have modelled their Alsatian
stories upon those Fritz Reuter- With less keen and
brilliant humor than he, they have an equally delicate
perception Of what racy and really poetic in the life OF
the common people, and equally frank and limpid
narrative style In the descriptive passages they are
more thorough, and their characters painted with
more and perhaps finer touches Friend Fritz" Ia
charmrngly sunny and refreshing story. The air OF
warm and oloudess day OF Spring blows over it; there
are flowers on every page and the arks are always sing
ing The plot Is next TO nothing the chief character
and his associates not less distinctly individual
lied than he pass through succession Of bright AMI
mated pictures of Alsatan life The loveepisode is as
simple and uncheckered described yet is as
fresh as II no other had been written before 1t. The
reader is never allowed wander away from scene or
story every incident bit of description fits into its
true place. and reality loses the subtle grace OF
art which the authors communicate to it. Let any one
contrast Friend Fritz " with 1.-THE Great Match ana
coarse and patient refined intelligent literary work.
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LITERARY NOTES.