New-York tribune., 1878-02-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS
THREE NOVELS.

DAVE. SYo. PIP So J. D. Lippucolt & 60.
TIE Story OF 4 NINE. By BEEr HAITE lC!no.
pp. ia. Jas r. OsgeOd Co.
MIRAGE No Name Series. I2mo. pp. SAG. Roberts
Brothers.
Mrs Harding Davis is too thorough and conseiei-
tious a writer OF fiction 10 undertake las certain
either women do) to supply the market demand by
producing two novels year. Her literary rcputa-
ton has been given by a very different class Of
readers, who have learned 10 welcome her works
because she writes only from sincere motive and
adequate materi j. Therefore, with all the nara
tive skill which she has acquired She never makes
upon rs the impression of mere mechanical clever
ness but secures orr earnest Interest simply oJ
being in earnest herself Her earlier works, with All
their unmistakable power and originality were
sometimes marrCd by inaccuracies OF DETAIL ana ID
nearly all Of them there was a prevailing undeTtone
of pain winch now and then rose into wall ana
left a depressing effect upon the reader
But she has outgrown both these detects,
one associated with the technical and the
other with tie moral quality of literary art. She
now presents life 10 under jjster aspects Win
proper balances of JOY and woe, and allows her
characters to illustrate themselves by contrasts and
deeds instead Of subecting them to continual spirit
nal dissection. "A Law unto Herself" might have
been considerably expanded, without doing injustice
to the subject. The heroine, Jane is finely, clearly
drawn character, with whose fraDkncss and firm
ness we are charmed, because they are so healthy,
and we are getting rather tired of morbid women
In novels Her father is less successfully painted
but the male and female adventnrers-inorsl ana
social tramps, they might be callcd-are the
best illustration OF Mrs. Davis's powers In Miriam
Combe. the undertaking." medium, and Mr.. Van
Ness the professional philanthrOpIst, she has en-
riched American fiction by two new types OF char
acter, which are familiar TO everybody, but have
nevcrbefore been artistically drawn Mr.. Neckart
and Miss Fleming are somewhat less satisfactory;
think too little is made of the latter who suggests
DO sibilites of an original third type. Sue IS an
artist, and curious contrast TO Miss Pheipss 3
"Avis.r However, there is not one person gifted
with painfully fine nerves in the whole book. Mrs.
Davis has the higher instinct Of finding motives
in the myriad-fold development of the men and
women, whom she has seen and known. instead OF
securing the world for phenomena.
In the Story of a Nine" Bret Harte goes back
toward his early material, certainly TO the delight
Of ninetonths of his readers. On the first page we
meet Concho and his mule, plOdding over the Coast
Range. and we breathe at once balsamic Californian
air. The pjetures of scenery are like those little
landscapes of Jules Duprez, painted without a
brush but where every touch OF the palette-khlle
sets exactly the right amount OF color in exactly the
right place The episode OF ConchO and the sprained
finds the construction OF elaborate plot difficult
or fatigung, substitute mosaic of such sketches,
wrought into The forms of q simpler storyf He is
thoroughly master of the Spanish-Cali'or-
nian element sees with unerrng eye what
is plquant OF picturesque in it, and sleeps
it in the very atmosphere of its life; but
he does not yet seem well able to combine
1t with material so heterogeneous as native American
speculation and politics. The incidents following
the discovery of the mine the forging of Governor
MicheltOrena's signature to the grant, and the
variations of ownership all described with great
yivacity and freshness. When the scene of action
Is transferred 10 Washington, however, the reader
becomes confused. The OF rraiSembtdHoe ceases:
we cannot understand either the exact position of
the opposing claimants, nor, at the end, why the
failure Of Congress to act upon the bill should have
been caused by the fact of Senator speaking for
seven hours This portion Of the story becomes
sketchy and fragmentary in character. We have
very rcpulsive description of the Hon. NJ CASH
wer; pale water. color of Mrs. Hopkin-
son; the stady of a Senator, intended for
Charles Sumner; bitter piece OF irony
applied to the Civil Service and especially
the present Administration; ana finally, Carmen dc
Haro in SO new character that we only recognize
her by the voice, not by her acts as the same per-
Sod A little additional labor might have fused all
this material into fine, coherent form, and have
placed the story among Mr. Hartes very best works
1t is certainly better than anything he has written
during the last two three years. 1t has touches
of his admirable literary ability, and less obtrsion
OF those faults which seem TO come from impationce
or carelessness Mr.. Harte deserves that should
measure him by high standard of performance, be-
cause he so often seems needlessly TO fall short OF
IT, This last story is fttingly dedicated TO MI Udo
Brachyocel, whose translations OF many OF his
stories have contributed SO much to his popularity
IN Germany.
-" NlirageDs by the author of "Kismet." so, Of
course, we are spared the trouble of guessing 1t
may be set beside the latter work, as the two best
novels Of the "No Name Serles" Although the gen
era plan is very much the same-beng romance
interviewer with episode of travel-there is an
entirely new deal of characters resulting in differ
ent plot and d6nOnement. the author is to be COM
mended for resisting the natural temptation of car
ryine forward the persons into another story,
after the method Of Blwer and others. Ii would
have been easier to do this but the evidence of her
ability as writer of fiction would have been far
less satisfactory. Not much constructive power is
developed, as yet; but we find two very necessary
qualities freely and delightfully."- manifested-essy,
bright pquant, yet seemingly unforced converse
ton and descriptive style which is brilliant, true,
poetic and all the effective because held with
IN the proper bounds Beginning at lsmailia,
on the Suez Canal and closing at Damascus. the
story has all Palestine its background, yet keeps
itself free from oveTplus Of local associations.
The courses of love told in the chances Of com
panionship in subtle attractions contrasts, msun-
derstaplngs and reticences, rather than By events
and herein the author shows a remarkable grace and
delicacy Of intellectual texture. Although the end
Is a half-dsappointment it is sad from past regret
rather than from misgiving toward the future.