New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-05
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

stsies i}y W. Il ADAMS 12mo. PIP 3o7 LONDON
Waller Scott
Tho English author OF this modest volume has
proved himself Singulariy fair and nnpIejndiced
traveller While be could not be blind to the faults
and follies of our political and social order, DC
saw tho. the virtues which serve TO hold
togetbsr such diverse elements. lie writes oil us
with Justice and without fattery; and wiuie ne
naturally prefers his own country, shows hS4I'hy
faith in the future of her mighty daughter.
IL is not without something of humiliation that
an American can read Mr. Adams's candid ana gen
efous pages The kinder his criucislns' the moie
hopeful bis predictions, the moro uhpieasah'
looks the record of local msgoYernmeht OF Suplho-
ness Of iladi listed conditions and unoniorced law
All these evils are, he declares as small uuSo
in the balance compared with the grandcr features
Of Tn. country :" vet thus small dust" cannot but
be uortifying TO contemplate. The records Of the
CITY government Of ew-York, the story
nf the James boys" the "reminiscences
of the disgraces of Guiteau's trla arc not ex-
bilarating reading The extraordinary failures OF
iustice in criminal cases amaze the EDgHshmah'
who can hardly understand the state OF hurry ana
worry and business absorption that makes the
average American Indifferent 20 most things out
side his own peculiar occupations. AS Tor Tue
dangers that lie before the RepuDhc'
il is natural that our visitor should see the greatest
of them in the influx of foreign immigrants VINO are
admitted after brief probation and almost "i'h-
out inquiry" to political equahty lie laheS, !"
short the short-siehted view of old Charust llV-
ing in Massachusetts who wrote 10 nm
soon after the State elections OF last
YEAR. "Wbat fools these smart Yankees were
To Mace their birthright at the mercy OF loreign
bordep Mr. Adams's comments on this matter
Vould he more interesting ard valuable mad he not
made serious bunder as to the legal limits OF tla'
"brief probation All bis observations on the MS
takes of our system end however with TINS cheeIlui
strain: with pol teal equality, with aDsoiuto
religious equality with nearer approach 10 soci'i
eouahty than exists anywhere else on EARN,
the personal comfort and the mo'iou''
dignity of American citizens are III
M way and at no time disturbed by
artificial restraints o. unnatur" le0.'''''o"o'
SO many advantages are enjoyed by the American
neonle-material prosperity, equal nights, freedom
of social intercourse, chances and opportunities
which have never been surpassed - tDaJ
tho studeut of society cannot look forward
tbrougn the msts Of ages without ieehhs Oh
satisfaction and confidence" Popular errors con-
corning the American people which are prevalent
in England the traveller takes pains to contra
dict
First of all. the caricature of Brother jonathan
Is no more like the general body OF eltlens Oh tDo
- no h,c than the carcature OF John Bull is ike
the average run of Engtshmen. The typical AMER
lean, instead OF being lank and lean, Is rOouSI'
n0rfiv peTsonage, with a pondeiOus head on an
eouaiIv p,uderOus pair OF shOu derS. NOT d3eS 10
faik m the nasal twang people here commonly sup
nnse The IntOnatiOu of the educated classes indeed
is admirably and pleasantly reproduced by MI;
Edgar Bruce IN his imDeTsonatIOn or Ihe Colonel
Again. the common notion that Americans arc d
S,n0uIarv 1unuiStiVe was NOT sustained OE NY
eYnerieuce There is Impression IN EnGlahu VI
ms received some countenance from American
hnmorisTs hemsevesl that stranger IN the >. airs
liv nj led
ness hisintentlOns, bis family affairs MS private
opinions on men and thugs noticed n3InlIs of
Tho kind | certainly was asked what thought oil
The countrv Ii was the most natural inquiry I'D
The world But the INQUIRY did not come, as rom
what had heard might have expected II 10 come,
W tbis snreod e.gle fashiOn-"Wal, stranger, !
gness Won air pretty considerably astonshed at the
greatness and elegance OF this magnincehU ana
mighty natiOn-an't that s0T lt was leIt w me 10
,,uSctnatp m = opinion with notes of admiration Inc
fact is the American people as rule are nearly as
retcent and reserved as we are ourselves w heh,
however there was a chance of obliging felioW-
traveller never found them TO fail IN either frank
ness or ciyllity.
Mr. Phil Robinson's accusations as to the man
ners of the American at table are not borne
out by Mir. Adams's Investigations. "Ibe persons"
he declares whom | saw going through
the prandia operation occupied as much time III the
process as we do in England"-a statement which
may serve as a salye to the wound inflicted by the
lively but superficial Robinson.
WOMAN OF HONOR; By f. C. B B. ES lemo''
pp. 1886 James X. OsEOOd q 20.
five did not know that Nh. BURNER had already
osed his novel for dramatic purposes we think that
we should suspect at least that he bad the
theatre in his mind when he w:ote it. Almost every
chapter suggests the stage. The construction IS
dramatic rather than literary; the personages are
types familiar to the boards aud the story
pIoceeds not by succession OF natural
incidents and the development of character, but by
theatrical situations in which probability Is sacr-
feed for the sake Of striking and unexpected effects.
The night scene in the studio, which Is the origin
of all the compica tiOns of the novel, is of these
picurcsque situations. excellent device for bring
inc down the act>drop with applause. KenGs ex-
periment upon Swift with the bundle
of letters is another theatrical invention.
The boldness, however, which may he
allowable in the rapid action of modern comedy
does not always satisfy when it is applied to a
novel. Here the work should be done with finer
hand and more deliberate method; we require a
nicer balance between acts and motives, and q
siricer regard for nature and reason In the novel
of "A Woman of Honor" never can get over
the feeling that the studio scene upon
which everything depends. Is too gross viola
tion of probability and that the motives
or impulses of the women concerned in it are en-
tirely insufficient TO account for their actions. The
story nevertheless is interesting. the style IS bright
and rapid, and certain aspects of contemporary life
are sketched with great ceyerness. We cannot say
that the woman of honor" impresses rs any
thing more than pretty and Woll-dTessed
walking lady; but there are several chaTac-
tsrs more entertaining than the heroine.
There is Kent, for instance, cool and
,naomitable Lester Wallack sort of man.
who conaucrs all the unruly persons with godhke
eomposure and sets everything right with cigar
81. ia fba n
who il conceived in the widest spirit of broad
farce but ~ often extremely amusing.
Nem Publications.