New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-21
SOME NEW NOVELS.
LATEST WORK OF ENGLISH AND AMERICAN
WRITER'S

National Romance BY GEORGE ALFRED Towns
nASkR sns ne @ Rn A H%ssaa SSye BY
sn WsSos le@o Pp 81, Mr TcsnCy Co. ,em
PIP $40; IIoughton. Minin & Co.
6IR PEHCIVAl Story OF the Past and Of the Present
Macmillan & Co.
The idea OF "A Demigod- is in enious Al
English physician who lived in Amsterdam at tn,
height of the tulip mania became infected will
The prev ailing Madness but in his its object
was changed and instead Of improving bulbs hi
undertook TO improve his own For this pur
p sc he retired to the mountains of Greece married
the most beautiful woman he could find and de
v1sed for his descendants system OF living suta
bic to de eop their bodily AMI mental powers to
The highest point We come upon the product
when the experiment has been faithfully con
Quoted to the seventh generation The original
patronymic OF We're has been transformed into WYE.
and Hector, the ner of the name Is presented
as macnifcent specimen Of manhood. marvel
OF heath. stIcnrth and agility. as handsome as
an ORmp'an deity virtuous higbminded, intelli-
gent masterful and wholly unaffected by the con
ventions and inSncerities Of a society with which
lie has never been in contact lie inhabits a
imprcgnable fastness with his mother who is Eng
fish, and there he is brought into companionship
with a party OF Americans whom he has rescued
from the brigands Some OF the earlier scenes
between the young demigod and his guests the
men'a'y rlanncs Of speech the puzzling contrasts
between the natural and the cultivated man, the
development OF love between WYE and Madeline
Paul and the qua nness OF the mans eXprcssi( OF
1t. in his piQuant In ,lish-these thines treated
with in cnrity and often with genuine wit, and the
author. If Inc had tit TO develop his subject
On this line. would probably have made brilliant
Philosophical novel. lie has preferred however, to
turn 1t into no ci OF nd, enture and we dare say
hot oloAr x.-lo fofle
COMPLAIN OF the decision TIE story OF the seizure
of the travellers by the brean S. the weeks OF cab
uNity. an the rescue. Is told with init and the |
happy conclusion is brought about with the help |
OF another series Of stirring events in which treach
cry hShtin., imminent eil and salN alton in the
nick Of time take Cher due prominence The ami.
mated narrative is enhanced by lively sketches of
Character. two Of which, Major Paul and Professor
nsaras are highly am sing. Griffin too, is anus
In, until he becomes very serious and then he is |
much too mitdy wicked for such common young
american Still his vi.lany was a needed n,1e
dent IN the plot At any rate nobody who reads
"A Dcmi 'od' will feel like picking at flaws in it
Rather we shall all be Cnlering who can have
written such bn hit book
Mr George Alfred TownSen1s story Of "Katy
OF Catoc,in is a brilliant attempt TO con eft the
crime of John Wilkes Booth to the mIrposcs of
hcti' n lie goes ba k for the becinn No of his
nal1at'c TO John Browns nvas on Of Virsna
and this device enables him To bring within the
Scope OF his book the two most thIilln n eIiSodes
In the history OF emancipation well as a variety
Of striking pictures OF wartime. The connection
between the two conspi' acics which together form
his prni al subject is well mana ell by means of
Tie subordinate characters. that without too :
much political didacticsm The author sets the
events of the six PREGNANT years OF tic story in
their proper historical relation and we are made ="
of md
Straight from the introduction TO the concudino
tragedy. MIR. Townsend has given close study In "
Lie Iiaipers Ferry affair. and to the details and "
ramif ations OF Booths plot John Browns at az
tempt is described with great PARTICULARLY and in -
many PASSAGES with great power: some OF the "
Scenes indeed of that memorable uprising are more %
Nividly painted in this novel than in any other :,
publication we have read and there is little =,
fault Ia be found with it except exubcance Of STYLE
and too persistent intrusion Of the fictitious a. "
cess)1es, which delays an so weallnS the move -
ment No such obstruction. howe, is allowed to
mar the narrative Of the Booth conspiracy That
Is admirable. Imaginary incidents and conversa- ! -,
hons used Just enough To heghten the effect of "
the true story. The charactcs OF the assassin and '"
his accOmplices finely diSsected and we follow
their actions with Thrilling interest from the concep
ton OF the dasarty scheme TO Rooth's miserable 70
Heath This Is really the climax OF the book "
The novel, however is lovestOy which touches ~
The adventures Of Booth only lightly here and there "
and upon this part OF his task, also. Mr. Townsend
mas spent great pains lie fin Is his heroine among ="
he Dunkcrs Of Western Mary land and KATY
3osler gives him opportunity to depict a strange ~
life among a rude religious people whose very VI
xistence in the midst Of our pushing communi W ~
les Is curiosity. There is sometime coa,se AMI ~
rotesque In Mr. Townsends representation of the
)unkcfS; even their simplicity is n t altogether -
uacuve; but Ignorant afectiOnae, devout -.
enlc STOUT hearted Katy Ia q charming figure ~
Tho Keeps our sympathies from the first page to Wv
ne last AS for the rest OF the fictitious personages
nd their deeds and complications it will be e"'
noueh 10 remind the reader that Mr. Townsend
yies his book romance and that the privileges ~.
romance arc large There is defiance of reason 'u0
nd FEASIBILITY in the proceedings OF the Guam 10y
els. Hannah Rtner Fenwck and the rest which "
.se n;oh,,oro ,ha,,a.,.s 49,. - W " '. dr
weak and meodramatic wholly unnecessary ~
ference TO scandal connected with Booths A'-D
thrr is pointed 30 forcibly innocent and sens oDo
70 PERSONS living that the reader rccoils from
with shock. IL a.
RanlSells Remains arc The remains of the late
4. Stewart, and the climax of Barrett Wendel's u
oc;na,,, so,,,; % o., .. ~ W. 80 "i' III read
&C. The book. however, has claim TO be 49,
led novel II consists of three episodes in the nap
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q families ,,ro,,ah 49, - . y. ''"p' long
pkecl or. third represents RankelI manipulate -,
National Convention In this last chapter - HL
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