New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-25
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
GUENN.

IT, T. No doubt that Miss Towards work I'M
- Cpenn is not pleasant story, but II Is
a.r;tino niece of art strongly conceived ana cale-
r',,,, and svmmetrically finished. From young
~ who is capable of this we may expect almost
oovtbine IL derives special interest from the un-
somiliar society with which it deals. The scene Is
Rretop fishing village Quimper visited III tiio
season by a small colony of artists; we may saley
assume that Miss Howard has sketched PlonVenoc
from the reality and that tourists acquainted WIN
tbe coast of Finisterre about Concarneau ana
Aven. will be able to identify it, her description Is
extremely vivid; and we have never seen tne narSn
coarse, brutal aspects of peasant i1e IN brittany
denicted with more vivacity. If there is any poet
;caI charm in these simple people. it has not re-
vealed itself to Miss Howard. To her the villagers
NJ the Breton coast are population OF ternagaht
fsbwives and drunken sailors. Perhaps their con-
yersations are reported with superiuous 1ulness
and realism; but few readers Will quarrel WIN
narrative which bears such marks OF quick ooSerN"
tion and dramatic instinct The manners Vi 'h'
brave toilers of the sea, and the picturesque ooh
frasts between their hard and sordld lives anu 'e
saunterings of the artists, whom the common peopi0
neither love nor understand, are presented WIN au,
mirable effect There are lively sketches Oh "
incidents ALSO such the landing OF the saI'lino
catch and the odd mjnglng of hilarity and devo-
ton at the " Pardon" ,u.
@Guenn.n however is a novel less OF manners
,hon Of character. and the three characters upon
whom Miss Howard has principally expended her
nowers of analvsi; are the W i'd, beautiful ana
nossionate sailors daughter whose name she mas
taken for a title; the American artist Everett
Uamor: and the young priest, Thymert. Uuehh IS
mot n new figure in fiction, but she Is preSeh'eo
under conditions which give her a wholly new
effect. Small and eXquisitely formed, she Is the
prettest girl in the place and she is also the strong
est the boldest and the most wilful She has a
tongue which can hold its own against the oluesV
and most vituperative of the Plouvenec washer
women and it is lntimated that. with an innocence
attributable the universal popular practice, she
even swears. When she begins by hating Hamor
with the intensity of young fury we know OF
conrse what is coming. We grow little impatient,
II NAV he with the obstinate duration of the vlo-
lent demeanor whose inevitable end is dlscerncd
from the first but even her passion is attractive
for il is made to disclose gradually certain hoDh-
ity of Temperament. After she has resisted lohs
and angrily HamOrs desire that she should pose
for him. she surTenders suddenly and yields 10 ms
;pAuence The incident of her first visit to the
studio is well imagined and well described Inc
chief merit in the analysis of Guenn is the ART WIN
which the change in her relations to Hamor is H.
dcaied not as the result of softening and break
the consistent development of an emotional and
lofty nature under move! and to her mind an
elevatinc companionship. Her womanly love for
The artist is nextrcaby combined with spirit OF
heroic sacrifice He has appealed to her for help III
naintng n great picture which is to he the triumph
of his life and the strongest passions lhef e"r''
love- pride ambition, generosity, respond 10 tho DIP
peal She is to be the central figure OF the picture
She feels that she has an intellectual share III H.
9Oh love it So" she cries, as il it were hVmg'
breathing thing. tell you. 1t is monsieu's best
picture / am helping him make 1t. No one else
could help him as much as do" she saves the
picture from destruction at the risk OF her lie; ana
more than once she saves the life of the artist The
end of it all s pitfu tragedy. of which our read
ers will probably prefer to learn the details from
The hook itself We shall only say that the catas-
trophe seems artistcally necessary, and that it is
managed with bold and vigorous hand and true
pOetical feeling.
Guenn is the most striking of Miss Towards char
neters but the artist is drawn with much skill as
the girl HamOr is one of those fortunate men who
fascinate all women and children, and charm all
their comrades for whom life is all sunshine and
good-humor who delight in little acts of kindness
n and ciyity who are welcome everywhere and
praised by everybody; but he is without a heart.
He cares for nothing but his art. Guenn interests
him as a curious study and an invaluable model
but far from returning her affection he is not even
aware of it, He wounds her with a cruelty which
would be repulsve if it were not unconscious. He
leaves Plouvenec suddenly, without seeing her. his
great picture becomes famous but size has share
in the triumph 1t is ten years before he hears of
her DEATH and then it does not move him, nor does
he know that he was the cause of it, He meets the
priest Thymert in Rome, and in his prOvokingly
genial way asks after his old Breton friends:
of oil of l. eha aYria1
Is she happy Has she half a dozen babies, sun
Drowned, rosy and beautiful like herselfr He saw
them in fancy, the sturdy, pretty little things, and
began to smile on them genially.
ThymertS face looked as if it were carven in gran
ite "Guenn is dead, monsieur"
@NOi Poor little Guenn! Poor lovely little
Guenn. 1t grieves me to hear that, upon my word
One really can't associate the idea OF death witt
Guenn Rodellec. 1t always seemed to me she wou.t
live forever. Upon my word, you have given m'
quite q shOck,-after these years, tOO-but wa
ALWAYS fond of her. When did it happen, monsieur
lie reeteurf You will surely tell me that" he sai'
Ten years ago" replied the hollow voice.,
Mh%i The VERY si PSaGe1r
sAnd how 7" HamOr asked softly.
Drowned, monsieur"
little Guenn All her lightness and brightness
gone! / have often thought of her since assure
you. | have never found model so atog{ethel
her much. You remember that my picture of bel
brought me a medal of honor! That was the true
beginning of my good fortune. L sent her some
pretty things from Paris just after left Brittany
selected them carefully. 1t amused my friends
but wanted her TO know had not forgotten her.
The dark priest made strange, deprecating, un
ineligible gesture then stood motionleSs and ST.
lent before the sunny-faced artist.
SWELL" reflected Hamor, all have TO say IS il
Rome has done il, Rome has much to answer for
This man was the most superb creature ever saw
the most glOriously alive Now he is lost to human
ity,-dead, petrihed."
Gazing kindly into the inscrutable depths of Thy
merits eyes, the. painter said, with his fine muSca
information: II will not detan you monsieur Il
cure. see that yon are preoccupied. May beg
You to keep this card In you should care tC
talk with me For me- it would always be pecu