New-York tribune., 1886-02-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
,p uowpIISS NEW STORY


0;scourse that the literature of romantic ideals and
heroic characters is a thing of the past, and that
Gbuman feelings and motives, AS God made them
and as men know them, are good enough for novel
readers There is certainly nothing heroic in the
tale of Indian Summer; and If a romantic ideal IS
exhibited in the behavior of lmopene Graham IL Is
only that we may laugh at it. or fret with hali-
amused impatience at the trouble in which 1t In
wolves its fair owner and her friends The person
AGES with the single exception OF tue little glr
Efie. are of a common tyne In one respect at least
thew are good enough for noye-readers" accord
ing TO the Howells standard for they have no fine
traits and are not touched by high motives. We
believe that In the authors opinion they ought to
attract us because they exactly like the people
whom we around us but III point of fact they
do not. We cannot help thinking, il spite OF Mr.
Howells, that a picture is not gOOl merely because
It is faithful representation of the subjects unless
the'subject itself is good the art is debased.
In this story Mr.. HOwells has invented highly
interesting situation, and has traced the actions
and sentiments of the three characters involved in
1t with wonderful ingenuity. His power OF mental
ANALYSIS is seen at Its fullest in some of the
passages and he follows the various threads of
motive with sustained discrimination. The work
manshp is in his best style-pOlished, exact and
even the we-wrOught product of master. But
he has made the mistake of developing his little
drama by tho means of actors with whom we can
feel no real sympathy, and for whom lie seems 10
have no respect himself, and impulses OF conduct
which never rise above the prosaic level, or as he
would saw human feelings and motives as God
made them and as men know them.' The bero.
Colvie, is a cynical der in Florence whose con-
yersation is never quite serious. and whose only
distinct purpose seems to he the uterance OF SEMI
iocose epigrams and paradoAes and persiage
II, In +ha honL he il intr lrralQm
at an evening party:
81 began to doubt wEethcr Mrs. Bowen was
going to bring you at ALL" she said frankly with
an innocd0. nervous laugh, which made favor for
her with Colville "She promised II carry III 'ne
sShe has used me much worse, Miss Graham
said Colville. She has kept me waiting from the
beginning of time. So that have grown grey on
nv way up to you.' he added, by an inspiration.
u was a comparatively young man when Mrs:
Bowen first told me she going to introduce me-"
SOh. how good p said Miss Graham joyously.
And her companion, after moments hestation
permitted berSelf polite little litter; She 9ad %
made a discovery: she had discovered that MT
Colvle was droll. 80, 49,, III,
gravity that did not DECEIVE them. ,.,, ....o..
I" oh yes" sighed Miss Graham with generous
ardor. "Who but an American could say Just such
Things! There's the lOveliest Old lady, mere IN
Florence who's yed here tary years bac aux aUS
she's so homesick she doesn't know what to do. and
she always says that Americans may not be better
"That's very pretty They're different IN every |
thing but thinking themselves better. Their native
modesty prevents that
I" | don't exactly know what you meah' salu |
Miss Graham after little hesitation
"Well,' returned Colyllle, 81 haven't Thought II
ont very clearly myself yet, may mean maj ,ne
W ell of themselves or they may diner IRON them III
not thinking well enough. Bat what SAID had
very epgTammatlc sound, anu l prefer hot ~ III
vest. gate it too closely"
ont son" in delighted doubt OF ms lntehiloh' |
They both insensblv drfted little nearer to HIM.
After Colville and ImOgene have become engaged J
the Jokes go Oh as usual They are talking OF a
fancy ball and Covlle asks the girl what she is
going to wear'
"Wear2 Oh! At the ball. Something Egyptian
/ suppose. It's TO be an Egyptian ball. Didn't
"Oh, yes But l supposed you could go in any
sort of dress" .
"You can't. Iou must go in some Egyptian
How would Moses dol In the bulrushes you
know. You could be Pharoahs daughter. and rec,
ognize me by my three hats And toward the end
Of the evening when became very much bored,
could go round killing Egyptians
"NO no. Be serious. Though like yOu to joke,
too l shall always want you to joke. Shall you,
"TIere may he emergencies when shall fail
like family prayers, and grace before meat, and
dangerous sickness"
sWhy. of course. But / mean when we're
together. and there's reason why you shOnldntT
"Oh, at such times shall certainly Joke"
saving that IT'S sobered yoa that you uscd to be |
very gay, and now you're cross, and never say any
thing" 49,
public demand"
little of this is very amusing Imogene finds it |
delightful Il should always want you," she ex-
claims to keep that tone of persihage. You've no
idea how Intoxicating it is" But for our part we
long for one of the emergencies when it is to fail
We cannot help thinking how OdiOus such ceaseless
trfng with the art of conversation would be in |
real life and how surely we detect the note OF false
breeding in man who never pays lady the COM |
pliment of talking to her sobery. When Imogene |
at last cries ont in moment OF mpatience, " Oh, |
don't joke about It'll This perpetual joking, be |
leve it's that that's wearing me out" we feel like
applaudng. But the badinage flows on forever In |
deed it is the only thing about Colville which |
leaves any clear impression upon the readers mnd
Mr.. Howells contents himself with exhibiting his
hero's manners which are not good manners either.
and gives no glimpse of the man underneath. |
Colvlle's actions are guided by instance not |
by character lmogene, with her exaggerated and |
unreal sensibility, is more agreeable parsonage !
than Colville because she is governed by impulse,
and impulse even when absurdly romantic, is q |
more respectable spring of conduct than accident. |
Yet one is always tempted to cry out upon her, |
4" What fool" She exclaims, of her friend Mrs. |
Bowen. al hate her. And she-she's so good to |
me! 1t must be tLat I've done her some deadly |
wrong, without knowing it, or l couldn't hate her
as l know 1 do" But Imogcne never could have |
said anything smart. Colville and she become |
engaged. They do not love each other, but they do
not know that Colville loves Mrs. Bowen, q |
widow the hostess and protectress OF Imogene, but
he does not know that he loves her; and she loves
him. but he does not know that either, nor does |
Jmogene suspect it. Mrs. Bowen on the other hand |
knows their hearts and knows her own, and there |
is something every strong.int the authors conception
of this state of affairs in which one of the person
ages alone perceves the tragcal of the sltua