New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS
RECENT FICTION.

RECENT FICTION.
"M;ss Brethcrton,p by AIRS. Humphrey "aro
(Macmlllan & Coz, is a story OF the stage LUG ne
roine is beautiful actress, who taxes Lohoon Wy
storm through the charm OF her personality ra'he'
Than tho mower of her art She is In fact an excel
lent. h;g,i-mind.d ignorant and narrow young
woman whose limitations are painfully apparen'
20 small knot of her admirers and it is with Miss
Bretherton herself aud these few critical ana &C
csnplished friends that the tale is exclusively oc
crpied By modification, serrew. experience anu
most of all by the quiet working OF an ihna'o
nobility of character, the actress develops an un
expected genius. and the most exciting por"on Vi
the book is the glowing description OF tho new play
in which she discloses her long-hidden soul. The
sketches of theatrical life are exceedingly viva
aud entertaining. and the account OF the AWAKEN
ing of the herone's powers is admirably presen'ou'
Nus Ward comprehends that the art OF sc'ihs
does not come by nature alone; 1t Is not neiey
matter of good looks and impulse; but 1t Is an
affair Of the intellect. "What you want"
saws Kendall to Miss Bretherton, "is knooiedge
London has taught you much, and that is why you
are dissatisfied with your werk-it is the beginning
of all real success. But you want positive knowi-
edee-the knowledge you could get from DOCKS
and the knowledge other people coud teacn YOU
You want q true sense of what has been done anu
what can be done with your art, and you want an
insight into the world of ideas lying round ~ anu
about it. You are very young, and you nave had W
train yourself. But every human art nowadaysi Is
90 complicated that none of us can get on Without
using the great stores of experience others have
laid ND for u.s." This is sound doctrine. which The
TRIBUNE has been preaching for a great many
wears Mrs Ward cnforces it in clever, even a
brilliant story through which runs suficiently
effective amatory strain, leading to an excellent
denouement
"The Duchess Emilia" by Barrett Wendell
flames R. Osgood & Coz, is a romance of an ex-
travarant and even lurid type ingeniously devised
and told with considerable force The conception
of the soul Of O Roman Duchess beng snatched
from hell and merclfuliy granted further hte OF
probation in the body of q male Yankee VINO, gong
to Italy. becomes mysterously implicated with the
connections of tho sinful beauty, and works
out at last tho atonement for her CRIME
is certainly bold enough TO satisfy
the most oxacting lover of new sensations
and the daring scheme of the story is executed
upon the whole adroitly. Tho suggestion OF Bev-
.rIv,s insanity seems to us a beIsish for which
there was no sort of occasion; it would have been
better art to leave the story in the realm of pure
fantasy and mystery; but this fault one forgets III
the reading since it is not allowed to become very
intrusive. The narrative is sustained on hlgh
level of oxaltation. tho spiritual and poetlcal ele
ments full play, tho disclosure of the secret Is
made at the right moment, the action Is full oil an-
imation and picturesqueness, the Incidents are
striking and tho management OF the plot Is Ora
matte. "The Duchess Emilia" does not belong to
an important class of fiction; but it shows mag
ination and literary skill.
1.-THE Knight of the Black Forest" by Grace
DEMO Litch6eld g. p Putnam's Sons Is short
simple and winning story of the experiences OF
two American girls at a small summer resort In the
Black Forest. They have romantic yearnlng Tor
the devotion of some chivarous and hlgh-born per-
sonage and chance-heped great deal by their
own man1uvres-gives them the means OF compar-
ing the behavior of handsome German count
with that of a hopelessy undistinguished young
man from Troy in the State of Ncw-YOTk Which
turns out 10 be the true knight the reader who
doubtless prefer to learn from Miss Ltchheld her
self. The girls are charming creatures, audaclous
and foolish and not very well behaved. but entirely
fascinating; and the little tale is told with ANNA
ton, delicacy and hnmor.
In Jan vedders Wife" by Amelia e. Barr
modd Mead g. Co.., we have fine sketch OF life
In the Shetlands the back ground of an excellent
domestic story. The scenes are striking the char
acters are natural and strong. and the motive oil
the tale shows right feeling and insight. The con-
structlon is perhaps little inartifclal, but most
of the incidents are we'll managed. aud some are
highly dramatic. With these qualities it is almost
superfluous to add that Jan Vedder's Wife" is
interesting from beginning to end.
a Carpet Knight" by Harford flemmng
Moughton, Mifiin g. Coz. is much below the
standard usually indicated by the imprint which it
bears 1t is a novel neither of character nor OF
incident but of talk; and the talk is vapid COM
monplace. ungramnatical, and wearisome to the
last degree. "Harfsrd Fleming" appears to
be young woman, who has no story to tell, and no
experience of personages VINO are worth putting