New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-11-30


very carefully and faithfully followed and many OF
the stories are but little changed from the originals
Perhaps the book would have had more peffilId ia
nent value had the author given the sources 9l ms
information and shown his reader now 70 dislui-
guish between legend and pure Invention AZ
must be confessed, moreover tnat 81 'o od
venture in which bouts with the quarter9tan
constitute the principle amusement IL III soile
danger of palng upon the rea1eI' us' nc ~ pos
enthusiastic upon such matters. ne sIor'es are
interspersed with q number OF BALLADS many
of which are excellent copies or ln9 geuu-
inc article, and the, mechanical and aF rho
illustrations are delightful, poetical IN spirit
and good in technical execution. lhe whole design
of the book is Mr. Pys ana IL nf T Ss artistic Work
has been recognized IL only just TO acknowledge
the unyarying conscientiousness, the Inc paihS-
taking which characterize H.
THE JEWEL IN THE LOTOs. A Novel by MARY
AGNES THICKER philadelphia: J'b' Lpp'neo'~
COZ $50 . -. =,
The author of "Signor MonaldinPs Niece" is
naturally expected by the readers of that well-old
story TO write ably Her present work unqueStion-
ably offers many evidences of talent, and yet 1t Is
not on the whole satisfactory novel III ls fuIl OF
pleasant and even charming writing. The descrlp-
tons are often very graphic. and tue sentiment Is
refined and not seldom pOetical. But the plot Is
sbadOwy and thin, and when the end is reached one
is compelled to doubt whether the motq really Justl-
fed the expenditure of so much skilled labor Inc
bestdrawn character in the book is that ot Aurora
the Italian girl who has inherited poets soul, VINO
possesses peculiarly sweet and attractive nature
vet whose life after all to be failure linen
there is Glenlyon a Scotch Catholic philanthropst
of the haziest conceivable character, who Is lar 700
fond of uttering ddactic sentiments of the kind to
be found in the Broad Stone of Honor who real
Ives when he is threescore and ten that all his re-
form theories his lifr-wOrS in short, have been de-
lusons and whose nam excuse for existence seems
TO have been the education Of his ward, Aurcla'
into a very narrow escape from that unlOycly con-
summation a female prig Aurelia appears to have
bnt feeble passions, and not particularly trust
worthy munitions. Apparently intended to be
model of lilal obedience and suhducd womahiy gen
tlcness. she exhibits fobles which at times come
very near to rendering her dlsagreeaOlc. She de-
cines without apparent excuse, to engage herself
to young man TO whose advances she Is plainly not
Indifferent and she nearly compromises herself with
an Italian rOu6 whose character she has perceived
and finally she accepts the man she had tred win
under circumstances which dctrnct considerably
from tbe Righteousness of the situation. There is
plenty Of clever character-drawng in the book, but
the people do not correspond in their actions to the
qualities ascribcd to them. Aurora is certainly
very charming and original young woman. but 1t /
can hardly be pretended that she is a real person
Ohe does not meet prop, VIM "'0 Nv ~ " -,
life in fact. The Duke and Duchess are well I
drawn but they have very little 10 do or to say I
The fault of the book, is that there is 50 much /
preparation and little comparative performance. /
The best bits of description, moreover have no /
special connection with the story. They do not /
help il on at all. and gt almost a well have been
printed separately Tor All the '"hn'c,"" t"'' nave
with IT, Inc utle Is my H''IS' INV Sl''S "'''
not explain H. There II mace" vague I'I'I''''' ~
the beginning to the Jewel IN the Lotos but IL does
not indicate the application. There Is an American
heroine who has engaged herself 10 the wicked Mar
gus of the story but without any other idea than