The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-19

onllBt inc inner feelings on the eide OF tom pte-
ton. and to bring his heroine's honor, as Il
were. through an ordeal OF ilro Such is the
case with the lady whose perplexities and trials
are recounted In this narrative. She begins by
surrenderinR TO school friend a man
whom she loves and who loves her for
no apparent reason except that self-sacrl-
nee is noble, and that her character is pitched
In key OF lofty remuneration. Moved by like
motives. which the average reader must be ex.
pectod TO regard with moro admiration than
sympathy. she gives herself TO a cripple 50
hopelessly manned that the unfortunate
creature Ii only the fraction of man, with
these data those who know Fouillet can fore
cast the plot without much difficulty. or course
the ill-assorted couples arc brought together
in the closest intimacy. perhaps under the
Same roof. and. OF course each individual, with
the solo exception OF the heroine. does every
thing which he or she ought not to do. I'm
luckily the author after maintaining his piece
OF feminine perfection on the heights OF self
denial and amid tho rare ether of an angelic
pity through the greater part Of the volume,
cannot bring her down to common sense in the
course OF a single chapter. Accordingly, al
though her own husband and her lovers wife
have both died, she prefers to blight two lives a
second time. rather than tarnish the memory Of
an unworthy woman by confirming very natu-
raj suspicion.
Not a few Of the brightest things In Apple
tons series Of foreign authors have boen culled
from the pages OF the RerUe lies Detir Mondes
and we observe that other American publish
ers are beginning TO resort 10 the same reposi-
tory. Ono OF the stories that have recently
attracted special notice in that periodial was
Jacques de Trevannes. whose author. n lady.
is said to have been encouraged by her success
In this. her earliest venture 10 make literature
| her profession An English version Of the novel
! Is now issued Nv tho Pctersons under the title
Of a Hom0n's Mistake. The motive Of the plot
was probably suggested by that Of the Dame
aux Camelas. but there il this difference. that
the heroine instead Of belonging to tho class Of
heidbT. IL n lady Of the veritahle monde who
has forgotten her self respect In The interval be
| tween bctrothal and the expected divorce OF her
! lover, which was To preface n marriage. As in
| Dumass narrative. tho deus er mdchid II In
this case tho young mans father. who is drawn
| I'm the traditional lines sacred t. the pSre noLle
! Of French drama. II appears that the secret Of
the ante-nuttial liaison had become known in
! society. and the lady oycrhcars the father des-
cant on the social ostracism 10 which the son
would be- condemned 10y q union with one UNI
derstool to have been his mistress. She dis
arpenrs and presently dies. whcrcns her lover
/ hllfF u III f'l llftrNs Wul'u WIS obviously r.
/ quircd TO saw his honor. becomes rcconcled Ia
his wife and ahandons the proje,to divorce
As regards distinctncss and vigor in character
drawing. this II a book OF much more than
average merit. and there is not n little charm In
the authors style. But tho climax ~ the story
| is essentially repulsive. II there was dishon1r
in the ease u was the lovers hu-lurae t. share
1t. and In real life he would have had no fever
except tho fever 81 Impotence To- discover the
hiding place OF his too generous bctroihcd.
The Monks ~ Th,ir1,a. bv Mossrs. BFsANr
and Ricr Rose Brlfori co.,. contains some OF
| the clevcrrst descriptive writing which has ap-
pearcl in nm English novel for twclvcmonth.
/ The structure ot the story il sufficiently fun
tastic. porlrnying As it does the reproduction
in nm Englsh country house Of Rah To-
lais's famous abbey. where. the reader will
remember. monks ind nuns were D. li,,
! together and do very much NJ they pleased.
/ Tn" striking and mysterious thing about the
novel Is the style. No previous venture Of the ,
| authors has come anywhere near il IN this re-
| spcct. We cam only account for II on the theory
that hitherto, in the Literary eopaunership ex-
listing between these writers. one supplied plot.
incident. and character. and he other diction.
but that inthis instance the roles were reversed.
| II this surmisc be correct We cannot Int hopo
! that the Joint work will hereafter be done on the
! Plt-''uA ihelHs lhT nc .hthkN Rl 1 uflfflh -
greatly superior to anything that Mcssrs Be-
SAINT and Rice had given us. Indeed. 1t merits the
attention not only Of novel readers. but OF all
students 81 style.
very pleasing story is NJ Guardian. ly
ADA CAMBRIDGE tApplrtonsl Ii Is usually "a
mistake u choose the aLtoDiographical i,rm.
since narrator cannot easily do Justice TO her
self without tinging her recital with prgg.sh-
ness or mock mod.sty, Even such an expert
n FeuilIet could not wholly surmount this d.f-
nculty in his Journal dune Femme" That
it should bc surmolnied by a novice bears inn
prcssiye stmony to the uprightness sim
plicity. and transparency OF the authors own
nature
Quite n remarkable tule has been lately pub
| lished by the Putnams. entitled The Ledra-
irOrh Ease. The pivot Of the narrative il the
unrayelliug Of mysterious murder. and 1t is
trcnted in Il way not unworthy OF Emile Ga
boriau. The business Of detection j. followed
w with singular ingenuity. and So plausible
ARE the false clue, suggested that the author
contriyes 20 mask tho real perpeirntor %. the
crime W to the last chapter. or course such an
achievement. which ranks among tho con
spcuous merits ascrbcl TO WiiSie Collins.
| demonstrates unusual skill In construction.
In a word this novel, which is plainly the work
81 novice, eyinces n surprising capacity Of
invention, and the reader therefore may be
willing e. excuse oc,as.ona! faintness in char
acterizatiOn.