New-York tribune., 1880-06-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MIR UoWELLs,S NEW STORY.

Mr.. HOwes has given us remarkable novel. 1t
belongs to higher class of fiction than his earlier
stories The trtistic purpose is moro ambitious the
analysis of character is more searching. the expio-
ration of mental processes and influences is more in
genious and brilliant and in clearness, beauty
and symmetry the work is model. The subject
has been used by many novelists before, but
it is new as Mr.. Howes treats it. and
we lay down the book feeling that here is an Ameri-
can novel of the most piqu0nt originality. whose
scencs-familiar enough but never so vividly de-
scribed-are peopled with types real that we all
seem to know them, and yet so fresh that we study
them with pleased surprise. Nor in tracing the
intricacies of psychological action has Mr. Howelis
tOrgOtt ten his gifts Of acute observation, lllmaoe
grace and proprety of expression. and gentle hu-
NOR which charmed us years ago Ill his Venetiah
Life" and have grown more and more dear TO us III
his successive volumes.
The theme Of The Undiscovered Country" IS
Spiriualsm and the story is placed partly III Bos-
ton, but chiefly in a Shaker community at " Nard-
lev {" in Massachusetts, which the reader is at hb-
ertv 70 identity with either one Of two neghbOring
villages Shirley or Harvard DR.. BoyntOn IS an en-
tbusastic believer ghOstly rapplngs and tile ma
terializltiOn Of disembOded spirits. lie regards
his daughters Egerla, rs medium OF extraordinary
powers, and has trained her from infancy to submit
TO his mrsmcrc passes and take part in his expert
ments But it is all delusOn. Dr. B0ynton Is
thrown INTO association with professional charla-
tans who swindle him as well as the public.
Egcra. hating aud drcading the whole business, has
no powers whatever as medium; she
is merely tho passive instrument Of her
fathers WILL Failing in certain public
undertakings in Boston DR.. BoyntOn and hs
daughter set out for their old home in Maine; they
90 astray at railway junction they are left with
out money ut little country station; they walk
far through snow and rain and find shelter Win
the Shakers at Vardev, just as Egera has lost con-
sci0usnCss IN the first stages of violent fever The
character of the good old doctor is masterpiece.
lie is bustlinG buoyant man, with fair complex
on a bright and eager eye thin light halr, wavy
aud lustreless mouth of dclicacy and refinement
and q smile of infantine sweetness. fantastic
lhcorist in many things he was Erotesquely lgnor-
ant; hc was man of very small literature. and he
had the limitations of a country bred person i'll his
eonceptions of the world but his mind, Ill the
,peculations OH which it habtually dwelt had
vast and bold sweep, and his theories spraug up
fully formed under his breath. like those plants
which the japanese conf urcr fans to Hover III the
moment after he has put the seed i'll the ground"
lie lodged in Boston, in street OF fortune-te!lers
believing that tho element, the atmosphere OF SIM
pie unouestionng faith" brought into the neigh
borhool by the dupes Of these people. was Ill some
OF the hiRDcSU Use 10 nIni III tH' dtlCHPV
yelop Eceria's powers and establish more satsfac-
tory intercourse with the other world. lie had
theory that seight-Ol-hand tricks might be cm-
ployed TO lead up to genuine manifestations of spir-
itnal presence
Nothing is clearer to my mind" lie proceeded I'M
prcssiyev, Ethan that is our business after the iirs
for OH tIe part OF spr-
its 70 AFFORD them every possible facility to suggest to
to % & for 1T te hn sS SS of
stuffed gloves; at the very moment when you srnc9
upon the artIeial apP1Iition @ Sn 10
the eNampe given" any dear Sir" cried Dr. Boyncn,
Were Ford sat; have gone to tie very bottom Of this
matter. and find that in almost all cases there Is de
this Is most daring The results are Dost valuable ana
whaI wish now to establish as the eehifai prneple .,
the dsembodied spirits do not voluntarily approach
invite them II they cannot manItest tner pfeSehcS' %
Depend upon 1t the whole science must dc ou WltnOut
some such direct and vigorous effort on our part'
But there comes an unfortunate evening, when
glostly hands appear at the spiritual circle. part
of the deceit is exposed. The landlady is induced
to confess that she produced the phenomena of tile
dark circle -" Well" said Mrs. Le Roy, with sly
look at each Of her listeners and smile that ended
In small. thin cbuckle, give the spirits chance
that was the doctors idea, as L understand It,"
Exactly" said Hatch. :" just want to know how
much of 4 chance you gave em - Mrs. LIE Roy
hesitated moment Well. pretty much ali they
wanted guess" she answered at length.
DIR. Boynton leaves the house disgustet but not
discouraged. lie has philosophical hypothesis TO
account for every failure, and no sooner is theory
knocked to pieces tqan hc builds a new one ont OF
the ruins lie fancies that Ford, stalwart young
literary unb.icver who discovered the tricks, has
opposed to the power of Egcria an - antagonlstic
sphere he ceases to be angry with the man; hc thinks
of him only as "a biiud opposing force ot nature
which is simply to he overcome" Among the
Shakers nc believes that he will find the ideal con-
dtions for the prosecution of the search after truth
lie arranges test exhibi ion in the community 1t
utterly fails; lie discovers that Ford was
in the house at the time, though not in
The room; there is scene of excitement
and the doctor falls senseless and is put to bed.
Through his long sickness tie amiable enthusiast
builds up one fancy after another, and when the
last has fallen to pieces and left him convinced that
the belief in which he has wasted life is foolish
ness after all and there nothing to cling to except
faith in God, he calmly dies
Eceria "the modern pythoness." if a less strik-
ing character than her father, is not less WINNING
She is presented to first as tall young girl IN
somewhat theatrical robe Of white serge. with n
male green scarf her shoulders. Her beautiful
serious face had 4 palia quiet, broken by what
seemed the unnatural alertness Of her blue eyes.
which glanced quickly like those Of a child too
early obliged To suspect ana avert; hcI niO"o hai
which had IA plastic massivenesS. was drawn smooth
back from her temples, and lay heapcd IN a heavy
coil on her neck" She was naturally Of Il gay
and sunny temperament. and fond of simple
earthly pleasures. Loving her father intensely,
she was trained almost from birth to
obey his slightest wish and to think that whatever
he said was right. Dnt she shrank painfully from
tue role which he imposed npon her; and nothing
could be finer than the contrast Mr. liowells paints
with few quick, firm touches. between her
natural impulses and her forced employment
"WcI VIC have right to our life here" she ex-
claims, in moment of revolt. Let the other
world keep to itself" Are you sure" she asks her
father. at another time" are you sure that 1t VIII