New-York tribune., 1882-08-15
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
. NEw.FNGLAND NOVEL.

A NEW-ENGLAND NON Ell.
r,~, rv HOLLOW A novel. Py g. ii. HoLIds1EE'
~iTIe eisure Hour seres.l 1Gn,o. pp. N., ISL
Henry Holt X Co
The late Mr. Hollster is known in literature as
,he author of q very careful and elaborate HIS
torv of Connecticut" ana of poetical drama on
the subject of "Thomas Beckett" which has nad
SUCCESS on the stage lu this posthumous novel it
Is NOT difficult to trace some Of the best qualities
which distinguish both those widely differing
works a skill in the deliIeation of character
which befts the playwright, and the faculty OF
realizing the tone and manners of past age when
Gives charm TO the labors of the historian Inc
tale is not one of plot and mystery. thvueh IL Is Os
no means deficient in interesting incident; the ao
ton indeed Is lively and remarkably varied' III"
il is told with great narrative power ana
touches of humor but its chief purpose Is 10 Illus
trate state of society which prevailed III 0ol"o0'
icut mt the beginning of the present century an"
has left traces more or less distinct oven 10" III
COM. NJ the onieter old villages AS vivid picture
of n mcde of life and thought which must nave n"u
n or,at influence in the development oil the Amerl-
con character. but las so nearly faded away that
,ho nr,scnt generation hardly understands it, the
hook has distinct value apart from It's merit as "a
novel.
The ,ural community into which il introduces us
is one in which the meeting house, the school-
house and the wn-hal are the only public build
ings and the minister the doctor, the two deacohs
and few country gentlemen are the only ere"'
men "-the minister beinA the first IN rank anu en-
dOwinents While the story has Dy no mo"n'
controversial tendency, it is occupied more VI S'
with church concerns the minister and the two
deacons being among its prominent pefsohases' an"
il makes slngular--we may almost say starting
exhibiton of n school of Puritanic theolosy'
whose harsh spirit is tempered, indeed, but never
r.alv hidden by the essential goodness OF the men
who profess it. The hard, represslve, uncompro-
missing nature of q gloomy creed is illustrated nero
IN several effective ways we see itS influence upon
different temperaments, sometimes Iii uagIcal ie
sults: and we observe its external policy In such
incidents as IA revival ecclesiastical connch ana
nm inuuistion of heTesy which are described WIN
an admirable dramatic gift. 1t is not 70 oe sup
posed howe,e err that the author treats TINS part VI
his subeet with the least Iancor On the contrary
be is truly sympathetic student OF the lie nc oe
scrlbes. He keeps always in mind the sweet keInei
of Christianity under the rough she'll and his ex-
posure of a vanishing variety of New-England Cal
yinism is made in the spirit OF the antiquary anu
the historian rather than of theological censor
Certainly we cannot understand the LIE ol a New
England village in the time of our grandlatheis
without knowing the religious peculisrlties which
affected so strongly their habits and manners and
the formation of their character
The three typical products of this creed repre-
septed by the novehst-Dr Stanyan and his two
deacons-are very finely Disseminated Inc
manly pety, spirituality, gentleness and force Of
the scholarly preacher, whose doctrine shows some
thing of the freer tendencies of later days is con-
trasted with the Hebrac sternness of the rigid but
true-hearted Deacon Everett and the coarse and
snnctimonlous sefslness of Deacon Irowbridge; (;
and the effect of all three is heightened by the
iuxtapositlvn of the Epscopaan "G1andfather
Barker" q delightful eccentric, whose character,
for all its Oddity, the most hfellke in the book
MIR Barker is hale and stately gentleman OF
seventy subject to moods OF mental eXaitatlon
which he calls his herOcs," followed by periods OF
reaction when he believes he is about TO dle OF an
astonishing complication OF imaginary disorders
He has a passion for Shakespeare and for auctions;
and mighty hatred for Calvinism and for Thomas
Jefferson The copious discourse of Grandfather
Barker as he PAGES the floor in one OF his herolcs
would be an annoying interruption OF the story IL
il were not so we'll done; it is, the charming old
gentleman is always welcome aud we should De
sorry to miss page of his amusing and original
talk The female characters are less striking than
the men, but they very delicately and pleas
antly drawn, and their action III the story Is natu-
raj and touching Several of the minor personages,
such as the country attorney the village editor and
the constable, are sketcheo with a free and firm
hand.
We have said enough to show that "Kinley
Hollow" is quite above the line of the ordinary
novel, To the merits upon which we have specially
remarked, the skiful and effective delneatios Of a
past and gone society, the realization of old lash
ions of thought and the faithful representation of
types of character which had much to do with max
ing New England what it is it adds the further ex
cellences of vlvacIous dialogue which serves really
TO illustrate the speakers and a strong feeling for
the beauties of nature.