New-York tribune., 1877-11-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NnVEIS- -ANn STORIES.

lGmo. IN. 800 Roberts Brothers
s. sURIY TIN AND OTHER STORIES by 11iSNcT LEhNGLs
HODGSoN BURNETT .l6mo' pp' %'V H0''""0''
Armstrong co.
4.PAUIINE BY L. r. wAIroRD. 16mo PIP S9l' Henry
Holt & Co.
r. MISS MIsAVTHROPE. 4 NOVEL BY JUSTIN Nc
CARraY svo pp. 23S. Sheldon Company
G. LAPsED BUT NOT LOST by tho author OF :, 9 Ihe
Sch0nherg-COtta Family 12mO PIP, 10. DOUu'
Mead < Company.
"Driftcd by the Sea is not a reprint but an
original novel; now first published. tis'a story OF
adventure in the South Seas of the discovery OF an
island bv means OF q double shipwreck, and ITS
colonization by The only survivors, strong man and
little girl The plot in its general outline, suggests
both Jules Verne and Charles Reade, but the authors
style is less precise and realistic than that of either
while his fancy is far more rich and glowing. He
does not shrink from infinitely describing the con-
trivanccs whereby natural cavern IS transformed
into a sumptuous palace, aud tropical valley into
gardens orchards. and preserves for flesh and FOWL;
but he seems most TO delight in pictures Of gorgeous
scenery and grand effects Of sunshine and storm.
The story is very ingenOusly constructed, although
its different parts fit into each other with 100
mathematical cXactneSs. Ii IS overriding all pTopa-
bility for instance, to introduce three shlpwrecks
and save from each only the one important person
the complete refined education Of the girl, so that
she is able to step from her lonely slandhomo into
an aristocratc drawng-roOm. is little too clevcrIy
managed; but the author has infused much warmth
and vividness into the incidents of his story that
few readers, presume will pause TO crtlcse par
ticulars. Mr.. Cleveland has but to prune his own
tendency TO tropical overgrOwth in order TO produce
works Of truer literary Importance. He has the
gift of interesting and entertaining his readers and
this is the best equipment for a writer of stories
-"Win Denbigh, Nobleman," is apparently writ
ten by somebody on the other side of the water.
Whether this be not the novel is bottcrin tone
and spirit than in execution II is fresh and cheer
full even in its gravtst passages the characters,
though slightly drawn. have some stamp of human
reality; and the plot never strays violently away
from the probabilities of ordinary lfe. Bat great
deal of the material is thrown upon the PAGES at
random as with pitchtorll; some of 1t has no rel
evaace to either the story its por5ouages and the
author is always confusing principals and suboTd-
mates So much cIudity suggests that 10 is either
first attempt OF very hastily and carclessly writ
ten second or third performance None OF the char
actOs are sufficiently pronounced TO be original;
even HcSteTs Spurts Of petty feminine jealousy arc
becoming very familiar to u.s. through the darker
agouies Of other heroincs. We arc grateful that
she is so downright and transparent in her spites
She speaks them ont, as felt, and the SubSe-
Oucut headache lasts but a day. This Is much bet
Ter than il She should close her pale lips,
speak calmly and smile C0nyulsiveiy, while
enduring heart-reuding pangs! But there IS
one point in this, as in many other novels oil the
present day. 10 which must call the attention OF
Mrs. H. B Stanton and Miss Susan B. Anthony.
Women arc represented as possessing an emotional
unconsciousucss which often borders on stupidity.
When a man Is in love- he at once discovers the fact
sometimes, indeed, forsccs it. But the woman
knows her own heart so little that she rejects the
one destined lover and never recognizes him until
dreadful accident the loss of or icgs in battle
or fearful attack of typhoid fever, shocks her into
the necessary knowledge. Ii this be verify female
Characteristic. il will seriously interfere with that
state Of perfect equality when the declaration OF
love shall come from the womans side as frequently
n from the mans. For, unless this trait Of emo
tioual uncertainty can he corrected, it will either
prevent the woman from speaking at all, or she may
htcoe so confused as 70 speak TO tie wrong person
Moreover, since the heart, in q thousand subtle
WAYS. Influences the BRAIN it viii interfere with her
intellectual development. We are speaking of
women as they are depicted by themselves not by
the clumsy hands Of male uoyelists. The inference
we have drawnis naturally suggested; and we
only commend IT, i'm the most respectful way, TO The
considcraJ ion OF tie prominent advocates Of Womaus
Rights.
1t seems to be IN article of faith with publishers
that collections of short stories never popular;
but 1t is difficult to understand Why the single speci
mems given in Os1ood's "Vcst-Pocket,n and Har
pers' HalfIlour" series should be welcome, and
half a dozen Of tie same quality contained in a vol
umc small cnOugh for the coat-pocket should en-
counter a prejudice the part Of the reading pub
lie Mrs Burnetts racy and original gift of story
telling is lust as pronounced in any Of the eight
short tales OF sketches OF character in this volume,
as in her Lass OF Lowric's." Nay. more 80; for
nothing she has Vet written approaches, in certain
new and vigorous Qualntncss Of type the chief char
acters in " Esmeralda' and "Lodusky." She has
found in the new land of the North Carolina noun
tain wilderness figures which deserve to stand he
SIDE the best Of Bret Hartc's fearlessly, but with
the courage Of a refined woman, she has diSsected
their natures: and she has the power to possess the
field she has discovered. Her stories, zone Day
M Arleo and Mere GirauG's Little Daughter"
show unusual literary skill, but they arc taken from
ayen which las been worked in England by Miss
Tytler and Others. In seth 'and "Surly lim,' the
Lancashire element prcdcmnates both sketches are
simply and profoundly pathetic, and are narrated
with very true instinct Of the limits within which
such characters should be prcsentcd,-yet we con-
stantly turn back to those native grOwths which 10
other hand has pluckcd--to Wash" and "Esmer-
aldy1 and " "Lodusly," whom we sec vividly from
slight description, and know entirely from single
episode
Pauline again introduces us to typhoid fever;
hut the hero is compelled TO 20 through with H. III
vain. She loves him, il i- tTue but rejects him ON
account Of ms rougb ways and pronencss 10 strong
drink. Unlike Hester in "Wil Denbish," she j.
reticent and inclined TO silent woes. When the
lover finally breaks his neck ~ steepe-chase size
sits cold and motionlcss for "ouc hour Of agony"
and then the story closes. We cannot get away
from the impression that it Is a mechanical per
forrnancc stuffed ont with simulated feeling and
cheap morality. We have but Single glimpse OF