New-York tribune., 1885-07-12
SOME NEW NOVELS.

NJ, MW1,iiIHI1SSAfREs COUSIN. BY the Hon. EMILY
LAwIEss Henry Holt a Co. Leisure Hour series'
"Upon Cast" is very good novel. in fact one
of the hest really American stories that has been
published this season. 1t is indeed perhaps TOO
entirely occupied with the doings of that peculiar
class of people who occupy positions midway be-
tween the aIIstocracy and the rich bourgeoisie OF
Europe ; but it is brilliant and faithful picture
of this class and there is dlstinctveiy American
flavor about ii which is refreshing at time wheh
so many American nOvelists seem bent on showing
how small share of national characteristics we
possess The principal scene OF action is new
broekn fourshing country town near New-1orH,
much affected by wealthy New-Yorkers pu'
possessing a native aristocracy OF Dutch
descent. and cultyatng in its many handsome cot
taces and villas as perennial and varlegated crop
of scandal as the smallest village could furnish
The ways of the Newbroek people, their petty
meannesses their social ordinances and their hospi-
talities form pleasant background and set OH Tue
main action of the story, which centres III the
wooinc of Carol Lester, by Chaunccy Dearborn
The latter is by far the best finished character III
the book and very manly and agreeable 1ehow
he 49, Carol Lester the heroine. is rather too cola
and seIf-contained, and her hesitation between
Oliver Floyd and Chauncey Dearborn Is scarcely to
the credit Of her udg rent Still less so, IN fact
quite un.hinkabe concerning a girl in her posi-
ton is the extraordinary episode of Floyds gift oil
the sinners and the impossible attendant clrcum-
stances Floyd himself the clever lawyer who
has had his life wrecked by a bad marriage Is
skful piece of analysis. His character is so mixed
rs to leave on the mind that impression OF doubt
which is so often the only result of real efforts 10
gauge our neighbOrs and friends. The rest OF the
characters Mrs Dearborn in particular, are well
conceived. and they all talk both naturally and to
the point The description is fresh and suggestive,
foil mn
pie action Us is natural there Is no obrusion OF the
deus cr machina anywhere. and the conclusion IS
delicatcly artistic. Altogether, Upon Cast is a
sngularly pleasant and clever novel.
Mr.. Norris has in Adrian Vidal written one OF
those quiet, humdrum stories OF modern lie, IN
which all the tragedy seems intenslhed by the
monotony of the prevailing tone. Adrian Vidal is
selfish, talented pleasure loving young man who
having written one successful novel, has his head
turned. He woos and marrIes girl who Is country
bred hates London life, and isboth jealous and un-
forc:yiug. Naturally Adrian's reckless acceptance
of AL the ephemera onizing his vogue brings him,
is disagreeable to Glare, his young wife, and the
Vaccinations of an improper Lady st. Austel, who
desires to bring the young author to her feet merely
to amuse herself, affords plenty OF opportunity
for complications The hero very weak and
yacatinc person, and the heroine Is quite as
unreasonable and exactiDg as pretty women
sometimes are-or can be. With the unsolicited AID
of an ex-lady's maid to whom Adrian had offered
marriage in his callow youth. and whose story he
was afraid to tell his jealous wife, things are
brought to a very disagreeable condition. Both
the yonng people are blameworthy, and both are
selfish and unreasonable-whichi is really COM
fort since so many writers think it necessary to
attempt the union of impossible perfections III their
fayorite characters. There is an od-fashioned,
wicked lord of the Marquis of Steyne type and an
altruist millionaire with angina pectoris who has
all along been in love with Clare. and who
thoughtfully dies just in time to keep Adrian from
financial collapse. But 1t must be said that the re-
lance upon this kind of rescue shows either lazi-
ness or poverty of resource. The novelist who
elects to paint phases of life in which all the main
difficulties are evaded by endowng everybody with
unlimited money may make al interesting story,
but he thereby confesses either inability to treat
the harder scenes of human life. or he avows an ln-
dolence which the public not always inclined
TO excuse adrian Vidal" is moderately inter-
esting if not wholly weil-flavored
The heroine OF A Little Upstart" is a youngand
pretty country school-teacher, who has written
very successful novel upon the simple plan OF keep
ing diary wherein she recorded the dongs oil all
her neighbors. and which diary, changing only the
names she has transferred to the novel form III all
innoce ice. The idea of course is derived from the
genesis OF cape CCu fOiks.' lHch 'Heic 10 'ho
hero a Boston literary genius of long descent and
dreadfuy priggisb ways and ideas, who fails III
love with the little teacher. and having married
her. simply ignores her strong literary ambition,
fostered by vulgar American, Mrs Leo Hunter.
The Young wife undertakes a second novel. but
having no diary to heip her this time and really
possessing creative power, she mikesa bad mess
of it. But the mschievous friendship of her first
patron, cooperating with her husbands priggish-
ness creates breach between them. She is made
to believe that her husband is jealous of her
literary reputation, and presently she leaves
him. runs away to Europe, and while there
learns of the dead failure Of her second story This
is not the end of the story but reviewers must not
telleyerything Ii must be said that literary Bos-
ton as portrayed by Mr.. Rideing is not very pleas
ant to regard. AS to the genulneness of Mrs
Amelia Bailey Ames, who aspires to found salon
after the manner of Nine. ADAM aud who gathers
about her all the hangers on of literature and art
It may be that such persons exist, even in the
Athens of America, aud that the type Is here de-
scrbed with scientific accuracy But it is odd that
while so many people at present write about liter
ary men and women these are SO generally repre-
sented as eminently unpleasant persons. 1t can
hardly be that the citizens of the Republic OF Let
ters fall into two great divisions. namely, Snobs
and Prigs: vet so lanentabe a conclusion might
be derived from current fiction. Then again there
Is the American Politician. Must he always be
Ribbetted as a cross between Colonel Mulberry
Sellers aud Robert Macaire Must he always figure
as an uneducated conidence-man" with strong
addiction to whiskeyf 1t seems almost time to
suggest the possibility of different type of poll
tican modern Mugwump," for instance. would
at least seem to offer nOvelists an opportunity to
brighton the picture a little. HIS sef-recordcd
virtues il not wholly Trustworthy, would beyond
question afford material for very exalted concep-
~. Iaaf Anie anfhnr seems to think