New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NOVELS AND STORIES.

pp aea Ts,es & IaarisE
EvssIAN T9 ss Sve ADAM Rg W S'O' M a.
THE FATAL SECRET BY Mrs E. u. I. n souTHWoRi,,
And SIheI I2 f9St' pp S7f r B. 90
WIDOW OF WINDSOR ny ANNIE 'AsNhN~ -'"''
pp. 2O2. LoTin$. Boston.
Berthold Auerbach at the age of 80, seems 10 nave
withdrawn from the larger field of fiction in which
he has been laborng for the past ten years. and 10
have returned 10 those quaint. simple, and pictur-
asouc stories of peasant life in the Black forest'
which cave him his first literary diStlhc-
ton His present undertaking must DC caiieo
nm experiment, and involves certain rsk.
He takes the early stories, now tceoP'oo
by the German people as part OF thon
permanent literature, and after an lntervai OF ~
years returns TO the characters and introduces
them into new stories of our day. The rlsk ICES LII
the rossibility of weakening an interest which was
already definite and complete, and injuring tho ef-
feet of d6nouement which has long been satisiac-
tory 10 the reader. 1t is not easy for an author 10
revive his first conception, and expand II In the
sane spirit and style. His intimacy with ms char-
acters has been lost through long absence and the
power of later interests; and the same causes pre-
vent an entire to his former manner OF treat
mcnt In "The Convicts," however, he has the adj
vantage of lingering desire in the minds of his old
readers to know something more of the fate OF the
two social outcasts If the cOmpensations they re-
ceve toucn the bounds of the Improbable, they VIII
not make this second story less welcome. 1t has ri!
the old deftuess of painting traits of character by
rapid subtle touches all the bright, vivid realism
of Auerbach's style. Yet the narrative instead OF
flowing with the old smoothnoss, abounds with abb
rupt transitions and unnecessary or imperfectly
sketched scenes. Sometimes the author seems to
forget the relations of his characters or 10 lose
little of his own interest in them. On the whole,
the old story and the new fit together like one the
latter part whereof has been hastily written. The
translation is admirable, of course. What Mr..
Brooks writes needs no comparison with the origi-
nal. We think Il might have been better to retain
the word Frau instead of Mrs" and the namo
Fritz" instead of "Fred7 some little German
flavor clngs to such slight particulars.
-Daudets novel of "Sidonie" has been crowned
by the French Academy and reached sale of
10000 copies in Paris These facts, considering
that the good true, simple hearted hero is a Swiss
with a German name and the mean, vulgar con-
temptible heroine typical Frenchwoman Of the
worst class are sufficiently surprising. We must
suppose that the success of the work is owing chiefly
TO its literary execution. Perhaps also, the cireum-
stance that it varies widely from the fashion III ic-
ton which has been too prevalent III France for Ten
years past contributes 10 lis popularity Alter so
many studies of morbid passion ore turns 10 a PLAIN,
realistic picture of natural basencss with sense OF
something like TefTeshment. Sldone rs an lncNita-
consistently INTO the form IN which We last behold
her Rislers innocence and his brothers weakness
are overdrawn and there is or less carlcatuTe
in the Dolobellc family. NJ. DaUdet has studied
from English models. There is a good deal OF Becky
Sharp in Sidonie something Of Dob6in in RiseT,
and n distinct touch of Micawbcr il Dolobelle pe1t.
TLe authors best quality springs from the keenness
and certainty of his perceptions of character. The
work is full of brief, flashing descriptive touches,
Do11 II l. worry into ING
and not at all agreeable. 1t lacks a Nemesis.
Mr. Ralston has made a most valuable contribu-
ton to literature He has combined brief hstcii-
cal outline Of the folk lore of Russia. developed
through .he different of the popular faith, with
TRANSACTIONS of the most original and characteristic
stories in the material OF the latter there Is much
Vi that is common to all the branches Of the Aryan
race since il has come TO us from common source
SO distant III time II style, nevertheless. they bear
distinct SclayGnic stamp. The Russian peasant
saws Mr. Raston. has genuine talent for narrative
aud the stories current among the people for the
most part exceedingly well told Their language is
simple and pleasantly quaint their hUmOr is natural
aud unobtrusive and their descriptions, whether oil
persons OF of events, arc often excellent. taste
for acting is widely spread in Russia, and these
stories are full of dramatic positions which offer
much opportunity for the display OF Elnetle talent
Frooucntly indeed a tag of genuine comedy has
been attached By the story teller TO narrative
which in it, original form seems to have been devoid
Of the comic element. Nothing could be more
Quaint racv and delightfully."- unsophisticated than
the stories which Mr. Italston has translated. They
are told that the reader hears the voice. and sees
the igare and gestures Of TIC narrator. The bright
mes and livelrcss by which they all character
iz,d distinguish them from the early legends OF
other races Even in those stories which bear dis
tinct mark of the oE Selavonic mythology. the
demons. serpents and other ncarnatons Of the evil
pr.bciple are more Gf1tesque than fear-inspiring.
They illustrate the gag, mercurial temper of the
race; while in the charming legends drawn from
the forms Of Nature we find vein Of pure and de-
liel,tful poetry. We cannot refrain from quoting
single brief story which best represents the style
a;,d character of the popular naTIatiye:
PRINCESS HELENA PAIR.
We say that folks, but our Old people dis
put 'te iae,I SYM IN t az SeoYe oar srdfaStrs
lad learnt anything before Their grandfathefs were
bOEL- -.
who instructed his in reading and writing and
ali book leaning. Then said lac TO them:
NOW, my children! When olt' Mihd you come anu
Very good, father very good" they replied. -,
The elder brothers such tnc stTaIplng lei
lows, - tall and stout! But for the youngest one
Ivan ne like halgrown lad OF atnedg,d duck,
ling tcrribly interior 10 the others wen tuelr Ola
fater died At that very lime there cane iidngs from
tbt King that his daughter, the PTl1cess Helena The
Er hal ordered shrine u be blt for her with twelve
canus with twelve Oh In that shrine she
wa, sitting hig throne. and awaiting her bride
,,rol,, ihg bold i0uth who with single bound Of his
ev,,t seed should nigh enough 90 kss her on the
lin, stir ran through hc whole youth OF the MACON
They took lckInE their dps, ana scratching tlclt
l,ads and wondering to whose share so great an honor
%H.otLcrs," said vsnyusla, "our father is dead;
which OF Us X 10 read PRAYERS over hIs srtve!
Whorycr feels Inclined let min ~" answered the
bro. .rrs. ,...,,. 49, 49,, A.,