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

house together under such circumstances, if they
have not humps ON their shoulders and scales on
their skins may be trusted to 90 mad for each other
in o little while: how much the more so when Doth
are personally attractive.
We cannot follow tho story but after much
fencing back and FORTH and much mutual msappre-
hension which excitcs constant mutual interest,"
matters are preciptated by the incidents OF wreck
in which the Hercuean clergyman behaves grahdiy'
and the young lady twhO. by the way, Is an ANA
teur painter of unusual skill fails utterly IN uohg
what might be expected of a woman under SUCH oii-
cumstances The result is much self-abaseneh. on
her part and in her humiliation she sits at the ieet
of the Reverend Kenyon Leigh and looks
up at him with eyes the expression VI
which he finds quite to his hearts desire NO" APP
pears another female motive power IN inc
story. Mrs Van Cortland, n very DeautIul anu
wealthy widow of the parish of ST. Anclenrs' mas lor
some three or four years determined that she VIII w
Mrs. Kenyon Leigh. She has followed the REVEREND
idol TO EuroDe and followed him back again. and
now she follows him to Cape Cod. Immediately
meeting Monny Rivers, she recognizes her. at hrst
vaguely: but soon discovers that she is a girl whom
she saw some years ago at the South IN very ques-
tionable position. and thereupon she resolves to
destroy her rival. How she attempts to do TINS
Reverend Idol to discover from its pages.
The story is told with remarkable yiyacity and
picturesqueness of stvle AMI its relation is accom-
panied with a running commentary OF renecuon
upon society. and particularly upon the woman
question:" which is so discreety and artfully intro
dnced as never to seem obtrusve or TO become IN
the least wearisOme Character painting is perhaps
not vet the writer's forte, from lack OF practice
possibly but Monny Rivers and Kenyon Leigh are
living creatures, with strongly marked lndlvldual
traits; and they are both attractive and interesting
We sympathize with them from the beginning 10
the end of the story. Aunt Persis the hostess, Is
very truthful and is the more admirable because her
speech and her manners arc free from those touches
of extrayagant grOtesqueness and that exaggerated
rudenesS which American nOyellsts are apt TO De-
stow upon their humber persOnages for the pur-
pose Of contrast and with the intent OF supplynga
comic element in their pictures of life, which hence
are quite untruthful Indeed one of the chief merits
Of this book is it's generally truthful presentaIonot
certain phases of our society. This it atlains by
simple matter OF drcctness mere matteT-ol-courso
correctness, which is the consequence Of well-as-
sured knowledge. the writer Of "A Reverend
Idol" is evidently acquainted with the society TO
winch the prncipa personag,s of the story are de-
scribed as belonging and has been able not only to
describe the habits of that society but 10 express It's
tone. Wherefore do we all the more WONDER at GER
tain grave apscs in this respect. young lady OF
Miss Ryer4s position would not be likely 10 DO left
by her friends 10 pass the summer alone IN Cape
Cod clearinghouse and although this is made less
improbable by the fact that the young
lady has been in the habit of gong there from her
early childhood, yet on the appearance there OF q
bachelor clergyman, or other man, she would have
been quickly summoned fway, and indeed could
herself have hardly failed to take her departure
And when Kenyon Leigh, having won her. asked her
of her guardians the very first step OF h,r hlgh-Dred
prudent aunt after conscntIng to the marriage.
would have been TO take MOnny away to her home.
which she would not have left until after her mar
rage But alas then we should have had no story
There is, however yet another error Of this kind,
which is even more striking. Kenyon Leigh, when
he has come to suspect Monny's foudness for him,
but before he has yet spoken a wo d of his love TO
her, goes 10 NewYork to make arrangements for the
extension Of the vacation which he is passing SO
pleasantly. While there he determines to take back
with him present to her. The ladies OF Miss Riy-
crs's social circle will be astOunded to learn that
this present is a bonnet-nay. verify. two b0nnets
one dress bonnet and the other garden
hat. Both these made in the most
expensive manner by the "sweest" milliner
in New-York Miss Rivers's friends will be
sill more astoni,hel when they learn that tie
young lady accept, these articles OF dress from the
strange gentleman whom she had not seen five
weeks before, if they had been a box Of bOnbons.
and putting one of them Immediately on stands and
In k with him about il, and next morning marches
of TO church with him in it. This they will rcgard
rs simply mOnSrOus according to their CODE by
which, indeed the acceptance of an article of wear
ing apparel or of anything of more value signIli-
"a
woman from. an unmarried man is regarded as
siinp,y impossible If Kenyon Leigh had then and
there taken Miss Rivers into his arms and kissed
the sweet lips unior his bonnet, and said not
word Of marriage then or aftcrward, she would,
seton les rcycs, have had ground for complaint.
We express no opinion TO the essential prOprlety
of THIS code 30 not that in circles o. society
equally respectable with thAt in which Miss Rivers
Is represented a. mo ing there are no such re-
straintS; we only point out the grave error COM
mitted by the writer in making Kenyon Leigh and
Miss Rivers and her family all disregard social
coarenaacos which they would not have broken
sooner th1n they would have put their hands into
the i-c We pass by few other lapses of this kind,
of less import and significance
The language OF the book, however, presents oc-
ca.ion for remark 1t is written on the whole, in
very goOl English. the meaning of which Is not
easily mistaken. and there are here and there
phrases remarkable for felicity and originality. On
minor points however. we have observed somo sin
eular anomalies. The author worry plainly has been
somewhat fa,tiliouS rs to purity Of English; so
much SO that any lapse in this respect may be justly
attributed to ignoIaHce. Yet the word beauX,
as in attention from all the beaux." is not SO
used in Kenyon Lcg's society. In this sentence,
TO lift astonshed hands that a man. even min
lister. who had Monny Rivers, face should not
be pleased with the idea of having her r0und." we
have decided vulgarlsm we also have in " the
fir nhcctinn WIS so trle aware of whele her OBJ