New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-12
served them, among The sweet, modest, and unpre
tending wild flowers Of the spirit"

tending wild flowers Of the spirit
A ROMANCE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. BY
W H. MALLocK. 1Gmo, Up. AS. G. p. Putnam's
Mr.. Mallocb's essay in novcl-vriting betrays tho
fasciuations in style aud in habits of thought
which distinguished his earlier and more phiosophl-
cal Writings but bctrays them in q much smaller
degree. 1t IS marked also by the faults the
previous books, but these faults are much less IN
teresting and engaging than they vcrc before. In
short, although the romance has both force and
originality il indicates a distinct descent in the
authors position. 1t Is concerned, as Mr. Mauock's
other Writings have been, with the crayost Of prob
lems-the existence Of God, the nature Of sin, the
end OF man, the essence of virtue and happiness
ana 1t abounds in religious discussions equally re-
markahlc for elevation of touo and for pithy and
elegant expression. Throughout these passages Mr..
Mallocll shows as before strong tendency to seek
refuge in submission to the teachings OF ccccsiasti-
cal dogma from the distressing nceatons OF modern
Positiyi-m. Perhaps the tendency appears even
stronger than ever. But the end of it all is still
doubt and vacilIation. Faith appeals 60 him with
certain poetic charm, and at the same time with an
intellectual attraction Matcria,m violently
airont, not only the higher aspirations of his
turc, but also his aesthetic sense. Yet if ne has
found any way OF accommodating the supposed con
tiict between divine authority and human reason he
conccalS his discovery, and continues to present
himself as Waycrer who tribes with thc superficial
aspects OF grave subjects and lacks both the moral
courage and the mental discipline to probe them to
the bottom. Nor is this the worst. When MIR.
Mallock published " The New Republic" he inn
pressed rs with his sincerity. In 4 Romance of
the Nineteenth Century" it is impossible to shake
OH tine suspicion that lie is using the spiritual COM
bat Is nero literary material. He seems TO have
lost carncsnos and so of course he loses sympathy.
OF the story told in this boo, il is difficult 10 con-
vcy perfect Just idea. The motive i. admirable
tho influence OF love in developing the religions
instinct in two lovers and purifying the character
and upon this idea the author has wrought with
rcmarkahie depth OF insight and strength of de
ln,ation. Up to a certain point hc commands our
unqualified praise 10y the acueness of hi, philoso-
ply, the essential purity and dignity OF his thought
aud the pictorial charm which enhances the beauty
of dialogue, of iuoid Mt OF medation and even of
prayer, with the most exquisite accomplishments Of
landscape, moonlight, marble terraces, FLASHING
waters, brilliant women and all the sgnsuous APP
paratuS of luxury ana refinement in villa on thc
Mediterranean. But, strange to say, \ Romance
Of the Nineteenth Century is d,signrrd by indcli-
caceS which quito unfit it Cor the pltlor table. 1t
m'uglos IN the most astonishing way tho Confess
slou5 OF st. augustine with the confessions of ia
D9@e arr CoRaii1s and ;ne free conversation Of
"mcn of the world; and it does this witha
minu'onoss of detail which is unnecessary anl in
the i;gh $. degree Offensive. In this part of his
work, and even i'm the genuine lovc-paS.ages Mr.
M0'lo"l expose; a vein Of co1rscness Of which he
has olly given occa onal hints in his former books
and we look uoon its open display as a marked in
dlcation of the intellectual decline Of which VIC
have already spoken. Considered merely rs a story
moreover, the Romance" is, like the discussions
i'll The New Republic" provo<insy abortyc. 1t
is a story with purpose, and at the end we do not
know whether tho purpose has bccn accomplished
or uot-an uncertainty which We probably share
with the writer INNS If.
1t only remains to add that a certain careless ness
in writing, which we have observed before in Mr.
MallocNs musical style, is here STRANGELY agra
waited. Not only does he frequently construct such
ungrammatcal sentences as the following: Il
should like to hare been in Parliament q" but we even
lind: " have now drove my reading ont of blue
sncss;' &" l know who it has come from; :" "whatI
am anxious is that you should have sccurcr
helper' She knows nothing, and she never will -
and the question, Why should il distract you thus
to put a vet worse insult upon you r. followed Ivy
this inconseGueutial and incompre hcusige answer:
Perfectly she said, it is an extremely sjmrlc
one" There is nothing in the context t. show
what was i'll the authors hind when he wrote tins
blind sentence. Probably he altered his first draft
of the question ana forgot to change the answer to
match the new form of the inquiry.