The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-21


pleted in ten volumes; half Of the ninth volume
is in type. and the tenth may be looked for in two
4 years. A supplement will follow. containing the
neurology and other items that have rued during
the progress of the work" The illustrations of the
present volume copious. ana the typography. as
usual with the Harpers. excellent
''MooNDyNE."
Mr. John Boyle O'Reilly. poet of rising merit,
has made venture in novel writing which shows
that the literary forces he has used in metre may be
transfused with considerable into the less
constrained form of prose. His novel of "Moondyne
! a Story from the Under World" pilot Publishing
Company. BOSTON,. treats mainly of convict life in
England and Australia. but takes also into the
wilder life among the black aborignes IN the bush.
and is admirable in its local color throughout The
story itself does not display the fne art of the
skilled novelist. It presents to the critical two
grave defects-frst. to treatment in its incon-
gruons blending of the grimly real and the purely
fantastical and second to want OF unity in STYLE
the keen. crisp narrative manner of the
opening chapters too often lapsing into
sentimental prosiness diluted satire.
calling family now Bulwer and Dickens.
In the strong the author is at his best
Pretty and we'll founded may be the didacticsms
which we find through the book do not love
New England school Of washy characterization
that we are the more set against them coming from
the pen OF young writer with evidence of having
red blood in his veins.
The hero Of the novel is Moondyne Joe, young
Englishman convicted as . poacher during time of
great distress. He escapes from the chain gang in
Western Australia and becomes chief, revered al
most as prophet. among the black Bushmen. They
lead him to fabulous gold mine Of the Vase After
many vicsstudes recaptures and escapes he is lost
sight Of and the story is removed to England Hero
story of love and treachery is begun, intro
ducing two characters-Win Sheridan, a typical
good young man. and Alice walmsley be-
loved by him but deceived by another. typical
villain named Draper. She is wrongfully convicted
OF child murder. so. again. the story is within
prison walls We also meet Mr.. Wyvile, fabu-
lousy rich, who has devoted his and his life
to prison reform. In him we soon recognize Moon
dyne Joe. who. like antipodean Monte Cristo. be-
comes the deus machind of the story. All the
characters gathered in convict ship. and the
two lovers united at last. but the benencent Mr.
Wyve is rather needlessly killed in the last chap
ter in bush fire. The Characterization is not subtle
enough for the demands Of the best modern Action
the light and shade in individuals being too broadly
laid on, but the book the whole is q
healthy effort at portraying the strange life. not
under world Of humanity. We cannot excuse the
very doubtful geology of his gold mine. and can
only palliate its phenomenal existence and those Of
its goody goody savage guardians in the belief that
the author was the victim of his imaginative bent
The scenes of Moondyne's recapture and escape, Of
the reawakening OF Alice in the CELL Of the voyage
of the convict ship strong and vivid that we
welcome a book containing them, particularly with
the promise they give OF more Of the same kind
when the author has fully measured his powers.
Let him tell plain, straightforward stories.
s-4 BUFFALO BILL.
For once We have In print the history of o scout
of the Plains in his own words aud without any Of
the hideous red glare Of melodrama to read it by
Hon. William F. Cody. better known by his honestly
earned nickname OF Buffalo Bill" has been we'll
known on the border for twenty years. although
thirty-fve years of age. and his in his
peculiar line has been remarkable; but it all came
about in the most matter of fact way the world he
having been born west Of the Mississippi at time
when men scarce and boys who could handle
plough gun considered good ss adults.
1t s hard realize that the subject of this volume
WAS q full tesmster in government train 1t
the age of twelve, killing his first Indian
at the same time; hunter at thirteen. pros
pector for gold and rider in the dangerous wearing
pony line at fourteen that at fifteen he lay
for thirty days alone In dug out" hole in the
ground, with only his own thoughts and broken
leg to keep him company, while his companion went
back to the settlements for supplies aud convey
ance, and that when the civil ended he had been
four years soldier and scout yet not even then
of age. Mr.. Cody tells his story in q simple, un-
affected style that commands belief and 1t is about
as full of incident and adventure its pages will
allow. We doubt whether the perusal of the book
will lure single boy to run away from school.
steal revolver and tramp to the border. for
how the men who know what frontier life really is
always give the impression that there great deal
of downright hard work about the borderer's life.
IF. e. Bliss, Hartford.)
s'AN uNMIsTAKABIE FILTRATION"
Gan Unmstakable Filtration" is the title of q
novelette, by Louis Gasner 70. w. Carleton co.,. In
which there is considerable brightness and great
deal Of diffuseness. II the author, whom we feel
confident is lady, Notwithstanding her masculine
de plane, had boiled her material down to the
length of an ordinary magazine story she would
have gained in strength The latter part OF the book
does not fulfil the promise Of the first half. 1t be-
gins with little interest, but this interest is not
sustained. There is not enough OF plot or action to
make even modest volume this. To cover
this deficiency the author has elongated the
dialogue until there is little else in the
book and in drawing It out she has made it often
thin and inconsequent. 1t reads like first novel.
yet not like the work of person unused to writ
ing There is q certain facility Of expression that
shows either some natural gift considerable ex
psrence. What little plot there is has the merit Of
originality. II the author is beginner we would
say try again and scratch out the of what you
have written then carefully rewrite and you will
have good story. Such conversations as that on
the moral character of the Bible not NICE and
lover who recommends Bob Ingersoll's books to his
sweetheart ought to be ashamed of himself. The
pruning knife. used with discretion. would have
made q much better story of IAN Unmistakabie
Filtration"
ELSA"
"Elsa"--J. d. Lippincott Co.'s an interesting
novel for several reasons--one that II deals with