New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MIR. HOMELESS NEW VOLUME.

This is one OF Mr.. lowslls's lighter publications.,
bat. like everything else from that sure and deli
cate hand IL has lasting value. The bricieSt and
simplest stories which MIR. iiowes gives Ms dllier
from those of nearly all other living Writers OF tales
in certain fine quality winch entities them to a
high place as pure literature quite apart from the
interest attaching to their felicity of conception or
ingenuity Of structure. Ilc least of them are not
titles They all irradatcd by the play "l al
exquisite fancy, AMI adorned with the Sraccs OF Il
pure aud elegant style; a'id 1t Is Tact upon winch
this country nav plume itself that of the five con
Temporary authors in car language VIII" apply the
highest standard of literary art 10 the production of
short stories fcur are AmcricauS-Eamcly, liOweiS.
Aldrich Henry James, jr. and Bret Harte; the ijfh
being Miss Thackcray. IL a Fearful EeSpons-
hihtv" We are introduced to an American couple
living quietly in Venice, where the hushaI Il is
gagged upon a history Of Venice, work which
many literary Americans have projected " that it
may row fairly he regarded IS national crter-
PRISE Their dull life in the romantic city-a
watcry mausolcum Mrs. Fillmore calls it-then in
The last days of the Austrian rule, when the patriotic
yeuetans thought il duty no: let the oppresSors
them happy and sympathetic Amcr ans co.
operated to some extent in the national djmoStrG
sy0Re and stunned the society of the Austrian
officers, charmiugly described. Professor Elmorc
was boolish and distracted man, deep in his
studies. and inclined to idealize the SITUATION
which Mrs. Elmorc was quite unable to do.
His fancy cast a poetry about these Venetian
friends, whose conversation displayed the occa
sioual sparkle of Ollcndorl-E English on Il dark
ground OF lagoon Italian and whose vivid smiling
ana gcsticulation she weared herself in hospitahlc
Efforts To Guido 70 his eyes their historic past
clothed them with It's interest. and the long pa
tience of their hope and hatred under foreign rule
ennoblcd them, while to hers they were too often
nIy trcsome visitors, whose powers of silence and
Of eloQucncc were alike to be dreaded. 1t did not
console her did her husband to reflect that they
probably bored the Italians as much IN their turn
When young man, very sympathetic for literature
and the Americans. spent an evening, as II seemed
h her, in crying nothing but Per Baccc" she
owned that she liked better his opprcSsOr who once
came by chance, lii the figure of young lieutenant.
and who ulbucklcd his wife. rs he ca led his sword,
and, putting her in corner sat up n chair in the
middle of the room and sang like bird and then told
they reminded her of her girlish enthusiasm fer
German. Emoro troubled at the lieutcnaut's
visit and feared il would cost them all their Italian
Friends; but she said boldly that she did not care
and she never even tried to believe that the life they
saw ii Venice was comparable to that of their little
college town at home, with its teas and picuCs and
simple easy social gayctlcs.
Mrs. Emore grew listeSs and dull, until one day
;here came letter from home to say that Lily
Mayhem shortly to arrive in Venice to rccupc-
rate her health under the Elnorcs care. This was
The fearful responsibility" which weighed upon
The Professor. and it must he confessed that the
'orebodings of that excellent and somewhat I'M
worldly man were justified by the event. The figure
Of Lily, bright. beautiful intelligent, Lively, in
nocent girl, with an American ignorance of certain
rigorous conveutOnalitieS of Old World society,"
and fatal facility in making people fan in love
with her, is most artfully contrasted with the ac-
cessores among which she is suddenly thrown
Besides the Emores have the California sculp.
tor who discharges the functions of American
Consul the Austrian captain who is the first victim
% Lilys destinations. the insu1crable Englishnan
70 whom Lily administers awful rcbukc, and
several less prominent perSonages, all drawn with
an exquisite fidelity and all deity introduced to
hcighten tine general elect not to confuse it. The
Ease and judgment with which these varions COM
ponents of the picture arc handled, show the work
Of true artist.
We shall not he unjust to our readers rs TO
give them premature idea of the end of the tale
We may them, however that they are not to
expect dramatic dcnOucment. The habitual
nove-rcader indeed, viii complain that there is no
plot. no solving of perplcXitles aud that the in.
tcrest does not eliminate in the lat pages This
VIII he the complaint because the hahitual novel
reader believes that the chief subject of polite ic-
ton IS marriage. But the interest of " 4 Fearful
Responsibility" lies much less in Liys love affairs
than in the pcrplcXitcs of the Elmorcs These are
developed with delightful and easy humor as the
story runs on and have not to wait for the end
in order to enjoy them. Elmorc, with his sim
plicity, his scholarly preoccupations his absurd
bundcrs, is delicious, and Mrs Elmore, whose dis
Gus; ions with her husband, pervadng the whole
book, exhibit tie very ideal of feminine unfairncss
Is of the most truthtal and amusing of Mr.
liowellss creations. Several of the scenes between
this afectionate but qucerly dissmilar couple are
models Of drOllery and wit. Here is a passage be-
ginning with Liy's street encounter with the Aus.
trian whom she had met the day before in the rail-
way train. Elmorc had left his wife and her youpq
guest on shopping excursion and gone home be
fore them.
he was fitting his key into the housc. door when
ne happened 10 look mp the little street toward The
bridge that led into it, and there defined against
the sky on the level of the bridge, he saw Mrs Ell
niofS &na MISS Mlyhew receiving the adicuS of
Ilstingnished- looking man in the Austrian uniform.
The officer had brought his heels together III thc
conventional manner and with his cap in his right
hand while his left rested on the hilt of his sword
and pressing it down. he was bowling from the hips
once twice, and nc was gone.
ne ladies came down the calle with rapid steps
ana Hustled faces, and Gilmore let tcm ill., Ills vile
whispered as she brushed by his elbow, " want to
speak with you instantly, Owen. Well, now (" She
hided, when they were alone in their room and
She mad shut the door, d" what do YOU say nOr2v
What do J say now. Celia I" retor,cd fillmore
with just Indignation. " 10 seems to me that it is
Tor yo% 10 say somethine-or nothing"
W ny, you brought IL us
Gilmore merely glanced at his wife and did nc
speak, Tor this passed all force OF language
- Didn't YOU see me looking at you when spoke
d gong out III gondoia, at breaiIastg7
What did you suppose meartH'
i" didn't know
"When was trying to make YOU understand that
II we took n gondOla could 20 and come without
being seen Lily hat 10 do her shopping But ii
own, was | To blame, should like TO know ? No
indeed! You won't gel me TO admit it. Owen"
E!mora continued narticulatc, but he made a low
miserable sbaton between his set teeth
Such presumption, such perfect audacitv I
never saw in my life" cried Mrs. Elinore ieetly
changing the subject in her own mind and leaving
outrageous Her words were strong but She ala
not really look alronted and it is hard 10 tell what