New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-07-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

A COUNTRY DOCTOR. By sAHAT onst Jrwfrr
iGmo. pp. 35i Houghton, Minln Il Co
Mise Jewr,t has made 81 many warm admirers ny
her sketches aud short stories that her hrst mover
will be taxi en- up withcSpeCial curiosity. Inc nasty
reader who cares only for plot and incident VIII
~ ,bably not 6nd much IN "A Country Doctor.
for the book couia aims no adventures. and the mag
,nnty problcns which II sctS forth are solved
with an almost nonehalaut ease. II may
bc called IN fact magazine article
oa n large scale. treating very simple
subject In direct aud quiet manner, and II
Therefore locs not differ much from Miss Jewetts
preyinu. writings except III size Nevertheless we
look upon IL as Il work OF decided merit and impoi-
tauc'; and We are far from meaning to complain
because the artist, n choosing II broader canvas
than she has usel before has t 30 keep to the
style IN which she won her first distinguished sue
ccsses. The story is counterpart TO Doctor
Breens Practice" only waile the heroine OF Mt
Ilowells suffers a happy defeat in the attempt to
follow the proc sion of medicine. the heroine oi
Miss Jewett overcomes parallel obstacle. and we
leave her the last page thanking God for the
victory. The most prejudced stickler for old con-
Nentionasms must admire the spirit in which Miss
.Jewctt treats her rather trying topic Nan Prince
is not . professional refoTmer she has no theories
of woman's sphere aud privilege; she is an lnCe-
pendent and spirited. but delightfully."- feminine,
little person. who devOteS herself to the healing
art because she has an instinct and a passionate
love for 1t, and her career seems to be heaven
directed vocation. Miss Jewett rarely allows her
self to preach; and she says little more o. the
general subject than that there are certain eX-
ceptIOnsl women who are result OF natural
progression and variation, not for better work than
that of most of their sex, but for different work,
and that such false to themselves If
they do not follow their natural bent Certainly
there is nothing startling this doctrine. nor rs
there anything to provoke dissent in the gentle yet
effective manner in which the author sets 1t forth
The value of a a Country Doctor" is not so
much in its lesson as in the vivid and charming
pictures of quiet New-England life for which it
supplies the excuse. There some aspects
of New England, the decayed ports, the
sleepy and grass-grOwn old villages, the
quiet reaches Of tidal rivers, on whose shady banks
superannuatcd sea captains rust away, the farms
which are gong to ruin along with their gray and
rheumatic owners-there are some of these scenes
which Miss Jewett draws so much better than any
body else that she has made them almost her own.
The village of OldlieldS aud the town of Dunport,
ia the preseat volume. rank with her best work
The quaint domestic interiors Of the rustic commu-
nity III fine and formal but somewhat petty gen
tihtv of the f0rsaken seaport, are described with
cha m ~ grace aud precision. the realistic
details being adorned with deit
toneh of fancy which nearly brings them
into the domain of poetry. Miss Jewetfs descrp-
tons have fascination which is not to be ac-
counted for either by the subject the style OF the
exactness OF the inventory 1t is Onlyto be eX
planned by saving that she looks az things with the
eye of the poet rather than Of the auctoneer The
same subtle quality which animates the descrIp-
tons glows also III the sketches of character Sew
eral of these are delightful; all the Dunport
figures for instance, and Marilla the dcspotic ser
want, aud Ferris the navy surgeon; bat two
of the Pcrsonages in the book, namely
Dr. Leslie and Nan Prince more
careful studies than Miss Jewe;t has
attempted before and that bo'h are successful is
sufficiently proved by the strong hold winch they
take upon the readers affection We do not know
but that Nan should be hailed distinct addition
to the gallery of American heToines. At any rate
we can say positively that studies of American
types so penetrating, sincere, SO refined and
artistic Miss Jewett has given in the old doctor
and his ward deserve warm cOgnitiOn from ali who
are interested in genuine American literature.
These portraits of course developed lelsurely
the story proceeds, and passages which
We could quote would fairly represent
them; but here is fragment OF the always enter
tanning Marilla, which may cute example
of Miss Jewetts art III making paragraph suggest
more than IT says. Marilla has been put ont
by the sudden arrival of guest, and the reader
will not fail 10 note how vIvidly her remarks con-
vey the sense of a domestic slam and hurry
Marla had descended from her room arrayed FOR
church-cOug, but now her bonnet was pulled of as
ii that were the prime offender and when tho child
looked wOnderiucy around the kitchen, she saw the
bread box brought out from the closet and pu down
very hard on u table, while MaTilla began directly
afteTwaId to rattle at the stove.
Pd like To say to some folks that we don't keep
hotel" grunbled the good woman " wish to my
heart Id stepped ii sht out o the front door and
gone straight To meetm' aud left them there he
holdi1' of me. Course he hasn't had no supper, nor
dinner neither like, Z, and If men ever gong
to drop down on family unexpected it's always
Friday night when eyerythiDgs cat up that ever
was IL the house. ] spOse after | bake double
quantities tomorrow mOrnin, he'll be dTlVm' of
before noon time, and treasure II up that We
never have HOtun decent 10 set before folks.
Anna. you've got to STIR yOur-eit nd help,
while get The fire started up; lay one them big
dinner ndpalbs over the red cloth, and SET a plate
an tea-cup for a. for laying the whole table over
again, " n { aud Shau't. There's water TO cart
upstairs ana Tie bedroom to open, hut Heaven be
thanked was mp there dustin to-day, and If ever
Won set mug of flowers into one o the spIreIeo
aasIn and II there week or ten days to sple,
III speak about il TO the doctor Now you STEP out
o. nv way Ike a good girl don't know whether
you or the cats the worst for gettin' before me
when { IN IN a drive. I'll set him out somethin to
eat. and then In gOin to moetn if the skies fall"