The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-10-27
woman would hardly say that girls shoes were

woman would hardly say that girls shoes were
cut out In "slats to show her stockings and would
not be likely to describe two talking with
perfect frankness of man who had trified with
them BOTH and whose trihing had just caused the
death of third woman. Moreover. there few
feminine intellec;s which clearly work out
description of male character fascinating spite
Of weakness and attractive even to those who
recognize its faults The hero of this book such
nature. and his portrait is the best picture of
male frt that has appeared since Agginsol's
..Malbone' was published.
1T makes all the difference in the world" he says
of himself, whether faces the possible the
rrevocable-thc difference between u continent aud
prison. The moment knew was bound should
want to get loose. can't settle down and make
eud of it yet After thirty perhaps loses ones
hopes and vasaries and accepts without blindness
what only the loss of his wits would induce him to
accept IN his youth. I'll wait for that dull period
1t is coming; feel it, but have year or two yet
to rnn."
The woman who loves him. to whom he has made
love- and who hopes that in time he will marry her.
because. to use her own phrase 'He IS prudent.
prudent, prudent, and have hundreds or thousands
OF dollars, says:-''Oh. we all listen to HIM and we
all bury faces i'll our hands like that. You are
only do it, that little Brant Ghost did it, and
now you. You are only one. We are OF all classes
and conditions and your hands don't cover any
more happiness than ours. Ho is complicated. you
know-complcated. He has no simplicity of heart.
no singleness of mind He wants anc he does not
want. He holds loosely. He idly. But hope
you don't think there any evil i'll him. He IL fine,
retinsd, supcrfne. Nothing would induce him
to be other than u gentleman All your pleasant
ment AID when you reached it it was
still and dry. He may love you in his
way. but he will never ask you to marry him. 1t
isn't in him. He isn't made OF that simple stuff.
The raptures OF that young man are as fluent his
phrases. He has but one rosebush for ALL and he
let's sit by it III happy summer rotation while he
treats us like priest and talks to like lover;
but when 1t comes to marriage 1t won't depend upon
the length of our eyelashes or the outline OF our
chins."
The girl who dies simply says. "He is very kind
at is his misfortune to be too clever" says his
friend.
Such is the hero. the bad genius OF the story.
The man with whom he is contrasted to his great
disadvantage. the who wins the heroine is
thirtysix years old. has skin that is brown and
not without suggestion of leather of mouth that
is large" and wears the look of
man who never dwells upon himself and has
intentions with regard to his appearance.
titude of error aud practical perception Of the
fitness OF the correct for him. and of his fitness for
and principles" "Men generally approve OF him
whether they like him or not, says the hero. "Dut
they don't expect to fost their unqualified appro-
baton upon those from whom he himself doesn't
ask deserve 1t. He is obstinate He
goes his own way and you can't do much for him.
You think you doing something, and the first
thing you know you are over head and ears IN his
debt. and he doesn't seem to intend it either
The heroine has been reared in absolute seclusion
and meets the hero and his friend with lack
Of sef-consciousness that makes her placid to
unnaturalness in conversation. She is beautiful,
had breathed the air OF Parisian salon from her
earliest youth but she is all this only i'll the
dun as the heroine Of Mr.. Howells' last novel, and
| one cannot sympathize in the admiration which
men and women alike have for her. She is such
| heroine American men draw; Frenchmen are
WISER The subordinate characters include several
admirable types. Among them is Mrs. Cotter who is
fond of explaining. how things happen and can al
ways trace misfortune to personal imprudence ex-
cept asthma, which comes straight from heaven;
Robert Cotter her husband "who is nothing il not
wi hen ask aI ia Ia rpiO nj nA
81 am perfectly happy. perfectly happy; haven't
even thought" and the Desborough sisters.
Then, too there bits of humor in the book, and
plot. that if not altogether novel contains not a
few variations old theme, and so altogether
Earnest Trifier." if less finely finished than lone
Summer" the anonymous novel by novice which
the firm published few years ago. is likely to be
Roberts Brothers bring out to-day 'The Amateur
Poacher," by the author of 1.-The Gamekeeper at
Home" 1t is very much like the authors other
books far its style aud manner concerned
but it deals with sporting matters in way different
and bright to one who has read both the other
books The following description of pheasant shoot
ing when the birds thick affords vivid contrast
to Blacks method of treating the same subject
| "a subtle flavor Of sulphur filled the mouth and
the lips became dry. Sunshine and cleaning leaves
the fever OF the moment. The gun burned the
hands, all blackened by the powder; the metal
got hotter and hotter; the sward was poached
| through the air and battered its showers the
opposite plantation the eyes. beared and boodshot
| with the smoke, could scarce to point the tube.
| Pheasants tell. and no one needed; pheasants
escaped. and none noticed it; pheasants were but
| just winged. and ran wounded into the distant
hedges peasants were blown out of all living shape,
and could hardly be gathered up. Not word
spoken, breathless haste to load and blaze. storm
Of shot aud smoke and slaughter"
Bret Harte's Twins OF Table Mountain" which
appears to-day contains three California tales and
story and sketch inspired by Mr.. Hartes expert
ence at his consulate. ''The Great Dendwood Mys-
terry" is the best of tho tales.