New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-28
AN AMERICAN NOYEL.

A REVEREND IDOL Novel lGmo PIP 450.
James II. OsgJod * Co.
Among the little problems Of life which are diff
cult OF solution to the average mau-animal is the
great liking of the average Woman-anmal for cler-
gymen. That women should respect the ministers
OF religion and that they should 90 to them for
comfort for counsel for rcproof and for obstruction
in righteousness, is natural. But this is not the
feeling which il puzzles the ordinary man to account
for That feeling is lie personal attraction which
clerrvmen have for women the feeling which takes
tie form of personal admiration and devotion. and
which, rs lis mildest and most innocent mantle a
ton, blooms and ripens INTO an annual crop OF SIP
per. This personal worship Is of very ancient date
with the sex. II is centuries Old although it must
he confessed that its origin dates within TIE Chris
tiau era The priests Of Jupiter Ammon may have
been orcd By The women whose personal graccs
have been perpctuatcd by PraxItclcs, but therc is
no evidence Of any such adulatlon on their part :;
it is with the pr shood Of modern Rome that these
manifestations b gin. 1t would not seem that the
natural instincts of women would lead them 10 look
with special favor on frock. cowl, and q shayen
crown but th4t they did look in ages past there
is ample evidence in the Dccameron, and i'll other
books written sometimes by women for the in
struction and edlfcaton of the Christian
world. The Reformation produced no
change in this female fashion Martin
Iuther's inkstqnd may have frightened the Devil
AZ whom he threw it, but it had no effect either rs
missile or as fountain of truth, upon the personal
devotion of women to priests. On the contrary,
result If his Protcs antisn beng the Introduction
Of a new order of priesthood, the marrying priest,
Luther largely increased Instead OF diminishing the
personal mttrcs that women took IN their splri ual
advisers. However ali this may be, as to the fact
there is no question; even military uniform pacs
somcwha, its Intellectual fires by the side Of the
Llac, coat of clergyman in the eyes OF women Of
all civilized countries. An unmarried clergyman
who is under seventy years Of age lives in field of
female clover.
II seems somewhat strange that this trait OF mod
ern society has not becl made more of 10y nOyelsts
For. although it has not been entirely neglected, we
DO not remember any book in which It has been
made the chief motive power. Bat such n book we
DOW have at hand a Reverend Idol" is a novel
Of which the story has It's spring in thi pricst-wor-
shipping tendency OF women. The book is one OF
unusual interest and power and it is written with
knowledge of men and WON n. and, with cc,tain
notable EXCEPTIONS Of HE society which it pOrirays
that ere not common in American novels. and MT
too common in novels written anywhere. Ii is
ANONYMOUS the title page not bearing even a pen
name; but wecau hardly hcin error we think in our
conclusion that d il written by a woman, and that,
although il may be "a first novel IT is the work Of
writer OF some literary experience. This although
the writer has in some passages made social mis-
takes which, strnge in anyone who could proIucc
such BOOK rs Il whole, are doubly strange on the
part Of 4 woman.
The reverend idol who is set up before rs is the
Reverend Kenyon Leigh rector of 81. Ancieuts in
NcN-York, parish OF tie highest social grade The
congregation is not only rich and fashionable but
largely com oscd of flnile, which have for gener.
atoms held the highest position IN society To this
society kenyon Leigh himself belongs. by birth and
by association: end he is by inheritance rlch enough
to be independent Of his profession He is neycr.he-
less an earnest devoted minister of the gospel. and
a preacher of great power and popularity.
bachelor, thirty-ive years old, "A man of noble
presence and Of uncommon personal vIgor lac is
adored of women. Indeed, ne Ia, for years been 50
woishpped that Ii is sick of the sweet incense that
is burned before him, and he is inclined to lee the
sex. II Is partly with this purpose that he chooses
the little house OF widow at Cape Col as the place
in which TO pass his summer vacation. There lac
hopes to b. alone with his books and nature unds-
turbed by the rustic of pctticoat. To his disgust
he finds that the widow has another inmate of her
little house-a young lady Hamel Monny Qittle
name of Anem0uel Rivers-who has been in the
habit of going there frem her childhood and who is
on such terms with her humble hostess that she
calls the mariners widow aunt" Mis- Rivers
Xix, Kenyon Leigh, is of the best social position
She is an orphan. but has been brought up
BY wealthy aunt. and she has a little
income of her own. She is singularly
beautiful, and is girl Of uncommon intelligence
and independence of character The reverend
ancboriics first impulse is TO flee and find cell
somew less open TO the entrance of the tempter
of St. Anthony. But he finally determines to re-
main. Mss Rivers, however, learning from her
hostess his general Dissemination for female society
and his feeling the discovery of her presence
keeps out of his way and takes a strong prejudice
against him Unavodably. however, they soon
begin to be thrown little by little into sort of dis
tant social contact and Miss Rivers coolly and in
differently shows her reverend frllow-boarder that
his cisucinaron Tor her society not greater than
hers for his. Well, there story made 20 your
hand. A man and u woman shut I'D ia "A country