New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS,
SOME RECENT NOVELS.

A n study of temperament NJ. Daudets new
novel takes rank above all his previous "o'A' %nu
indeed above all novels IF the past TWO years.
book has no pot-it presents merely sei''' "a W
sodes in the life of French politician whose SUI
cess is more matter of chance, oil hatuI"l e'oI"0
and insipuatinc ways than of pracucai "oliiN'
NINA Ropmestan is Provencal, a child OF the
South fervid nconseQuent, noisy, iull OF PROMISES
he forgets as soon as made, passionateiy ue'o'eu
~ ona moment thoughtless and cruel as the grave
,be next: a trader IN words, not troubing hlilSei
about their worth and whether they represent MS
Thought il only they are brilliant and souno we'll
VAN disloya and violent, his weakness makes MN
crave approval, while his sel6shness constantly
creates for him enemies The hot sum- the colu WIZ
wind of the South IN him; he is ike the hs'i"i'
ardent and ruthless prorc to all quick passions and
vices inconstant summer cloud WIN us
frank amiabe face. his audacity and Southern SUD-
tihtv the Provencal pushes his way past oetter
n,cn and finds himself deputy and prophet 10
his own province lie is by temperament an ACTOR
and nowhere shows it than in his native ioWh'
PEOPLE had ewes only for the municipal platform;
which in a moment had become lnNaued Dy d crown
OF persons who bad come to saiute Nuiha' ~
comprsei his friends clients AM Iorlhei VuI , -
cnuus, who were proud OF iheir inthdtS ",I IN
great man, and eager to show II on I'se e"ple
tull sCht Thy were shOrt-hechtu P0up..I
ru,ly aud persprng, like terra-eotta VASES W."
black BLAZING prominent eyes, with lainil'" go
lures 1pu received them without noting dis
tinctnn OF fortune birth, with the same pr9iuNe
demonstrations. nc greeted them with " It; VI;
u'i,spallon' and, How are You MARQUIS -;
INV Ola Cabautous. how Is pnotlnE NJ, ~ r ies.
dent Bedarrldc, accept my cordlai sieetns; iHr'0
greetings were accompanied by hahi-s 'dhIhE eHI'
brace, and those hearty slaps on Tie shVIu'I
which double the yalue of words lh9t are Always
Too cold TO express Southern sympathy. Ne cor
yrrsation however. did not last long. ne icadeF
Laif listened and looked with lndttehtiVe JNts
aud. While talking, sand good day WIN hIs nau' ~
Inn
bru~uuo manner OF disnisSal win thv k"u NoitS,
We'll we'll. | will take care OF II. resent your
ngi ", nro,,sI OF HEcco-snops lie OWNED even
what was not asked. and encouraged ana a"ah-
encd tmid ambitions 40 iIe", 10, my send me
your papers They adore me IA the navy depart
meni. We will repair thiN INJUSTICE niI VII Ii
rang out warm ami meiaillc' anu IL "'I - 49,
from hi, lips sharp and clear. one "ouIu nav '"A
cled them gold pieces r1ihng ioi'h' EltI9oHG
went away delegated with TINS uI4tHaht ON d'u
descended the platform with the hcalu!uE uIuW u
the scholar carrying away his prlzc NAdt wa
moi noticeable in this strange man WAS H. VOL
d,rful way of assuming most naturally ana III, on
s. lou Nv the mduncI and tone OF Tie people 10 "oH
he mike an impressive frank aud simple ar with
President lrdarrlde, with hi arm eNtrn""4 IKE Il
magistrate. - II he were shaking Ms i0ga al lht
bar a martial ar. ana Wt arng Ms hat !4he 'ou-
batant when speaking to the Coionel de 40. ht-
innTre; hIS hand, IN ms pockets, and IN, legs
curved and shoulders rolling like those oi an Ola
sea-doG with tabautous. FROM time L" tIh'e' DC
twre thu greetings. radiant ami w'pIng his steam
I'M forehead. ne returned to ms P4rslan ladies'
But, my good \uma, sad loIlehsr III Il LOW
voice with pretty laugh. when VIII you Ncuie
them all the tohaccO-shops yod have PROMISED
them'' g., 49,, 18th III;
crinky haIr. somewhat thlnned on the TOP ana
Ibsy are promised little sister, not given
And Owning a rcprOach in his wlIcs silence. he
aided Do not forget that we are III Tie south
among cOmpatrots ana speaking tne tj,lc IAN
OF a promise, and expect their lobacc0-sh"ps no
more than / expect to give them Only thev TAX
their IMAGINATION. Why deprive them Of TINS JOV
Besides ,ou see. among SOuherners words never
have more THAI q relative meaning. IL Is merely
putting things IN favorable Hght Nh'ch a. lie
cxpresS.o1 pleased him. he repeated two or three
times with an emphasis on ta\0i able hght.
=" like these people, sall lioltehSe VINO was
really much amused; but RoSallc was not con
WINGED. Words, however, mean something sic
murmured very seriously, As II III the lnnttmOsI
depths OF her being she were speaking 10 hefS.!l.
"My dear that depends on ldttudeS. sad
Roumestan confirming ms paradox Win inoNe,
rnent of the shoulder peculiar to him. ana Ike the
forward movement OF a pcdBBr Pultiu L.; on us
hab!ts Ike tins. OF which he hal never been able
10 md himself and which, had he been lp any OtLei
marty would have made him pass for man OF me
common classes; but on the ariStocralc hclRh'S
where lie reipnrd. between Prince Anhalt ana tHe
Duke de la ROchetaillade. 1t was Sigh OF power
and great originality, ana the Fau1OuIg ~; yer
main raNeI about ths movement OF ihe sh"uIdc4 on
the rounded back winch bore the hopes OF Inc
French monarchy If Nine. ROumestan had Tor,
mery shared the illusions OF tins iaubourg she hat
ceased 10 do So now to Judge by her dIsench1nted
io"p and the slight smile which cured her lip as
the leader went on Spe1klng-a slilie laIes even
with melancholy than disdaln.
The characters which surround Roumestan all
contribute high lights or deep shades to the central
portrait. and none more emphatcally than Rosllie
his wife Her sweet, sincere and wholesome
nature is in remarkable contrast to the teyerish.
decaitfuJ tickle one that is bound TO her. Roumes
tan feels her strength and leans upon it, he loves
her as much as he can love anyone, but not enough
10 snare her the torture OF his dIsloyalty. line
story is sad for it is too much like lie to show any
poetic Justice The law of Roumestan's tcmpera-
ment works itself olt as does the law of conSe-
uuences: and this must mean only dIsilluson and
patient grief for his wife as 1t means success Tor linn
nnonc natures as subtle and rs shfty as his own.
This novel it should he said is not milk for
babes It could not he given to schoolgirl. Ii Is,
however. as far above the filth OF lola as is an
Anime snow-peak above Il dunghill; 1t Is an ex-
ceptionally strong and earnest delineation of the
traits of race Virginia ChaTplins translation IS
nsually smooth and neat though she occasionally
forgets to put verb loses sense in literalness
"Madane Lucas belongs to the tribe of " clever
stones which an anonymous series naturally
evolves Ii is written in reasonably good English,
1t has SOME excellent suggestions OF character the
conversation has spirit and vraisem dance and the
movement OF Fthe story nowhere Tags. Yet with all
this il is a bore and the reader closes it with the
same feeling that anmates him III walking away
from one of the modern type of clever" women
who nose In talk as in person. and who warm and
rewarm for successive auditors the same pretty tiny
kuckshaws of their conversation. The story with
ont being exactly dull lacks vitality. 1t belongs TO
the class of novels wherein the dropping of flower
or the picking up of pm has immense significance,
wherein the window curtains reek with SATELLITES,
and Gowns express the dIvinest harmonies of soul.