New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-08
d REMARKABLE ROMANCE.

"TuE STORY OF AVIS" BY ELIZABETH STUART
PuKLPS-CuARAcTER OF TIE NovEL-ExTRAcrs
FROM THE BOOK.
IyRoM an OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
BosToN, Oct. GA story of $50 pages from
the hand Gates Aiar" is worthy OF exceptional
attention and " The story Of Avis" by Miss Phelps
will receive immediate consideration Gates Ajar
has been reproduced in most OF the modern European
languages and Is sim one the books most read IN
dozen rival editions in England. It's popularity IN
America is great and ITS author is celebrity every
where in her own country viii The Story of AVIS,
her new novel; bear out its writer's reputatonf In
few DAYS It will be issued by j. II. Osgood Co. IN
handsome limo aud that question viii soon be decided
Print settles all that matter said Coeridge, when
some friend told him Of his contemporaries was a
of genius
Your correspondent has read the story and has
hesitation IN pronouncng Il work of genius one OF the
deepest and subtcs romances OF the time 10 deals with
great matters Of human lemsters that belong to the
sacred precincts Of the heart IL is love story but not
an everyday pretuIy conceived and executed one. No
hand but a woDans could have framed such story ana
only Miss Phelps in America has shown herself the pos
SCISSOR Of lust that alchemy which goes into great
protest in the form Of novel like The Story OF AVIS
Avis Dobol aud Philip Osraudcr are heneeforth as real
personages as have created by the hand OF ro-
nance writer The stage which they move il limited
one perhaps when compared with the arenas over which
have moved the characters sent into the world OF
fiction by Scott. George Eliot, Dickens and victor
Hugo; but the ndefnable magic OF reality and massna
Is held uuquesu0ned by Elizabeth Fhelps IN 'hiS
new and successful venture.
Tolndieate the drift of Tho story Of Avis" would be
unjust TO the writer Of IT, l shall attempt 10 such thing
But cannot resist tho temptation 70 print rev OK
tracts paragraphs only just 10 show the exquisite
beauty of the style which the romance is composed
IL was sim quite light The birds. in unseen nests
were singing themselves to sleep with lesseung erooi-
ing cry children do, one los one falling smotheed IA
sob came from tie farbor. like that OF a creature
in whom great struggle mad MOin 10 q PEI tg 20
tho pollen nom bly, But Che bees We're
awake. and humrned dizzy among tho fowers
Avs lifted her eyes slowly like one struggling win q
fugitive dream. He would have given years OF bis e az
that moment TO see her liz eInOe OF or e.sh l"l
color but 10 take on the color Of white FIRE ana
then the ANTIQUE cast OF h9r ieAIe' S1e o" whom
some light hand rad just dragged from the
saw S low, ancloGded Eastern SKY ire to the no
rizOn's rim; sand and sun; tie nhhite desert, 5 a.
what might be camel persisted Of thirst In the lore
ground the sphinx, The great sphinx restored, Inc
OF life tie wide eyes her The dumb lips parted
the solemn brow uuDent Inc n9ue OF sseS ~SrJlou
aud said. Speak for me- Now ana tneD
ma ifeT''h hold "a Of oSf %asnsohs as
moved as IS possible from Tue %stn'u S .' or
pattern of the wall paper in the room which mas know"
some tragedy ecstasy Of our lives We SIT enchaned
by trick Of speech in The we hate, or e cU OF inc
brow IN the creature dessc, tue shadow Undef me
liz OF Tie stranger neither expect nor care u meet
oFsin or the glance OF the friend III whose broken
faith eternity could not tempt US 10 c0hlde 4hese
things happen the comets march ana coun-
termarch by laws deeper than though apparently sub
II seemed To her that the heart OF Spring could
beat To stir her own ike tins October lulse.
What was the yigOr Of O violet Tue fire 0i sn0Wdopt
What did the young grass know OF hardy-yiediug and
sterny cucrOlchng Oyei one red leaf understood her
better than they all They walked day Tar out OF inc
town into OF young oaks, and stood clngng TO-
pothcr. awed by tie sea OF suOdued color
that broke against their feet, aud down the
knoll, to the Of which they haO
climbed I'm the violet distance the naples spashed INTO
Ee emotions quickly stung and healed. But the infant
oaks mere shrubs yet. gathered themselves in deep
Shades blood 70 the hearts core All the galcs o. VIM
Ter could hot stir their leaves. They would cling like
the uncasped fingers that dea had Oyeiaken they a-
pcalcd % the ina naton ike some super cOsnCy row
euuc above all lesser story. strength must pfrlorcc
tower over weakness and unity above dislntegItiOn