New-York tribune., 1884-03-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEWPORT.
NEWPORT.
NEWPORT. BY GEORGE PARSONS LA1hkor' ~N'''
ScribneT's Sons.

last and IL on the WIOlC IL NNNS 49,
the most agreeable impression, the uneonliOi
80 met ho attribnted T., the fathfulness WIN
which the author has described certain Pm"''S
.oo,et,, which are not charming when coiuS 90
,vzod Whoever undertakes 10 paint h1e aV No"
MORT must il he is to "hold the mirror uP ,i.'
,noy den;ct n good deal OF 1rNon'S,
IN, ;ranitv conventional servituue, an"
soslionab,e absurdities of various xmas Suon
,ooietv cannot be made TO appear SERIOUS so"'''
earnest and since nevertheless, there are perhaps
-, hottrr reasons for painting 1t than for pctur-
inc less idle and superficial circles, II pialny hcc
ossorv that the artist should produce cahVaSSeS
,,h;cS attract by their power aud truth rather
.ha, hv their grace or profundity. And Newport
- :. - dur;pg the season, with all its lmperlec-
.;ors and also with all it's faScnations Is repro
1nood in these pages The story is one OF diSap-
no;ntment such as must result from the EXPERIMENT.
of sterling WORTH taking life seriously, upon
fashionable beauty, not knowing Hs
own mind. incapable of real and profound
omotions. selfish shallow and cold. The tragedy Oh
Fupene Oliphant's love for Octavla Olhord Is hueH
conceived and sustained throughout. MIthouV
anticipating the catastrophe. concerning wnen .no
reader must inform himself 1t may DC saio 'ia.
there was no other possible ending for oilphah.
aftor what had passed. But we are disposed to hnd
fault with Mr. Lathrop in one particular Ii seems
IN ne that Mrs Clifford would not have been caPaoio
of the penuine love which is described as growing
IN her after Oliphant's death. woman VINO could
,raot n man as she treated him would have forgot
4on him in less than month save IN so much as the
Samembrance of his devotion ministered TO heT
vanity.
There is some excellent character sketching the
hook which indeed is perhaps altogether rather 100
much in outline, and suggestive OF better ana
fnller work than is offered Rash Porter, the keen,
a1v q
honesty brings him to grief is well DONE so IS
Mrs. Farley Blazer the coarse and parvenu society
leader who has literally fought her way TO distnc-
ton and who still seems to hold her place by force
and armsr and to fear defeat and degradation even
in the midst of her triumphs The hgures OF
Mary Deering, Atlee, Justin Craig Vivian ware,
her brother Stillman, Thorburn the vulgar and un-
scrnpulous millonnare who deliberately
swindles his son and then laughs at him, and
who in the crisis of his life shows himself capable
of the worst crime in the decaogue, are in most
cases rather outlined and indicated than clearly
drawn, but they are not the less distinctive, and
tbey can be grasped and vivfed, which is the cru
cial test in this kind of literary work.
Mr.. Lathrop is very happy in description, and we
nre tempted TO quote of his most graphic bits.
Here for example is a pen-and-ink sketch of New
port in the morning, with the genus " dude" In the
foreground:
Morning at Newport is disorganized period, in
which the general gathering at the Casino about
midday is the most definite incident Strangers
wander about uneasly; now and then dashing
roupage speeds along Bellevue-ave.. or hired vic
toria creeps languidly through that thOr0ughfare.
The coachmen and footmen attached 10 the dashing
cqupages glide rgidly onward in their appointed
Sa the GhPm ali the ned
MONKEYS; their yellOw-tOpped boots manybut
toned 1iveres and bug "-adorned hats increasing
the likeness There are also good many young
men on the street who bear close resemblance to
these hired attendants: their dress, though differ
rnt is inst as artificial and they Just as much
bound TO conduct themselves according to an
arbitrary fashion. IL is the height of luxury for
human beings who have the requisite means TO dis
tort other human beings who taRe care of their
horses and carrrlages,-on the same principle that
once made il the fashion at EurOpen courts TO keep
awarfs, who had been specially stunted and twisted
to meet the deuetnd. The young men OF the avenue,
finding no else TO disort them, have TO do IT Tor
themselves. They arc debarred from becoming
ackeys but they enjoy all the appearance of being
employed salaries to make themselves absurd
There they go, trotting about in theit SMALL tight
yaistcd cufaways, or in lOng-tailed lncr0yable
coats that give them playful likeness TO moths of
an exaggerated size. Their shoulders are held awk-
wardly forwards they lift their tight little legs and
stamp heir small, uncomfortable shoes down on the
pavement with studied Oyer-eamestness, producing
startling imitation of persons who really have a
purpose in going somewhere. They cling each one
to Il small cane, with certain desperate tenacity
that makes yOn suspect it is a sort of perch, to
which they have grown accustomed III the cage
where they served their apprenticeship But what
are we talking abOut7 Are not these little creatures
menY Most assurcdly. they wear that painful look
of experience so carefully assumed by an order of
give them the benefit OF the doubt.
And here is an animated and faithful picture of
apollo match:
Half an hour before the time for polo, the next
afternoon Perry ThorbUm issued from a street near
The Cliffs. driving his trap sOemnly down Nara
gansett Avenue. accompanied by groom with arms
dscreetly folded. Perry had already mdued his
tjcbt-ftting riding costume. but it was en-
frsaly bE
which allowed only the ycllOwbOTdeTed boots, that
projected below to betray his errand. He held the
rens. however, with peculiar gravity: he was con
sciOus of his exalted mission; yOu might easily
have supposed him volunteer victim going TO
some heathen sacrhce, lor the good OF the COM
captain of the opposing side, the reds, made his
entry upon tho polo field from another quarter,
with cOual state. People IN carriages. on horse
back, and on foot kept assembling until the im-
mense inclOsure within the high board fence was
thlckly fringed with brilliant cOncOurse Ban
nerets flutteTcd from the marques in one corner
and band dispersed brazen melodies through a
wide warm air; there was great array Of pretty
costumes, and waving ribbons, and lovely, expect
ant faces: the scene was testa yet the fashionable
crowd was under the spell of subdued proprety
which threw solemn tinge over the scene. Sol
cmnly too, the eight players came out from the
tents, and the blues rode down TO the lower end of
the field. Then at a given signal Thorbun and
DE Peyster charged for the centre crease where the
ball lay awaiting them.
For few seconds nothing was heard except the
thin sward. Thnd thud thud. they Went every
one was bTcathlesS. waiting 10 see who should get
the first stroke; but DE Peystel's pony was the
swiftcst, and with a sharp, nervous click he sent
the ball flying, before ThOrburn cOud reach it,
good halfway toward the enemy's goal Instantly
ThorLurn wheeled, and the other players closed In
They made queer sight dressed in tight flannel
shirts with fantastlcally patterned ornament of
stripes. bars, and spots, and wearing round, fat
topped caps. They appeared like so many imps
starting into sudden action. Flying hther and
thther wheeling abruptly, bending forward and
skmmng the ground with their long unwieldy NAL
let's they scurrled after the ball with the agile
inconsequence of kittens, yet in deadly earnest, and
never ufteTing a sound except few short sharp
cries and then which came TO the spectators
a. inarticulate bursts The silence of the whole