New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-27
RECENT FICTION.
MISS WOOLSON. THOMAS HARDY. HUGH
CONWAY. AND OTHER NOVELISTS.

CONWAY, AND OTHER NOVELISTS
EAST ANGELS A Novel By CONSTANCE FEsIMoRE
wooIsos. 16mc. PIP. sol. hnrprr & Brothers
THE MAYOR OF CAsTERBRDGE Novel. BY
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1855 Henry Holt & Co.
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FACE TO FACE. 12mo. PIP. 1876. Charles scribners
FELLOW TRAVELLERS. A Story. By EDWARD Full
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east Angols' is n story Of remarkable interest.
which. unlike many interesting Stories leaves
very strong impression. The central idea IS the
struggle of "A noble aud lovely woman to be true to
a lofty ideal of duty. Splendid constancy under
extreme temptation. heroic silence and self-sacri-
fee. uncomfortable magnanimtv, a passionate
heart controlled by an exalted conscience are tho
elements which make Of Margaret Harold one OF
the most striking characters in recent fiction. She
is composed and self-restrained those whom she
loves best call her cold; but Miss Wool
son has the art to let the reader pene
trate quickly through Margarets reserve. she
fascinates and delights she is altogether WIN
ming and beautiful, in her moments of spiritual ex-
ctement, in her cruel life of rigid and apparently
unrcwardei virtue. She has been married young
10 a man who has put upon her, more than once
the greatest wrong that husband can put upon
vile; he has twice deserted her. and twice re-
turned SEX and in need of her care; sho has long
loved another man who Is worthy oil her Affection
and the forces that draw her toward him.
are almost irresstible-ihe arlor of his
pursuit the strength of his VIII. the
worth'essness of the coarse and impenitent
In ms itic1
the combination of innumerable accidents Mar
paret. however maintains her fine conception Of the
marriage relation with a hrnnass proof alike
against fervors of desire and snbtletes Of argument
Her tragica story is an inspiring lesson III the
highest domestic morllity-a lesson which we re-
ioice TO have 80 clearly set for in these days when
sentiment seems so much more precious than dntV
and MIS-, Wo0lsOn has done we'll III leaving MargareUs
reward to the only Power by which such herOsm
can be recompcnscd We leave heron the last page,
still taking OF selfish, crippled Lansing Harold
" He sat idly watching his wIfcs hand move over
her work. DO You know that you've grown old.
Madgc, before your ums 7 Yes, know 1t,
'Well-you're "A good woman said l.anse." One
of Miss Wooson's characters complains that in
Judging of books and of works of art IN general
people to pay too much attention to details
aud to neglect the leading motive and Its develop
ment The leading motive of East ANGELS y can
hardly be put aside. even though the author has
embellishel 1t with richness and variety OF de-
tail III which one finds an unalllng but always
changing charm.
The scene Of the story i, laid IN Florida. The
landscape background of coast. barrels. rivers.
tangled swanos and sleepy little town 10 adn'ra-
bly, drawn and large company o. effectively con-
trastcd persohages, Northern and Southern, take
part in the action. Several OF the subordinate
characters are ske'chc with vlg)r and brlliiancy:
one at least Is al original conception who divides
our interest with the heroine This is Garda
IhOrnc creature of eXtrijr inlry attractlyen ess.
in whom shallow an essentially selfish nature
is SO oyerlal with supe icial trIthfulnes', frank
ness aiiec iona I'm Dul 'es and WANING graces of
temperament, that she captures all hearts, and we
hardly realize until her story is tod that she is
only the tantallzlng. unsubstantial vision of n
woman, a fairy without sOul. She Is always
bright and ALWAYS full Of nrprIses. her talks win
Winthrop in the first chapters are delicious nat
aral. bat never comn)nplace; SPIRITED wltnont an
effort at sinartness: humorous. yet always in char
acter But Miss WoOlson is one Of the few novel
isis of the day who know how TO make CONVERSE
ton how to indivi luaIlzs the speakers how to
exclude rapid realism without falling Into literary
formllitv. AMI ID make even tn, chat Of dali PEG
pie entertaining an Illustrative The conversations
and some of them. sparkling With wit, drollcry and
uncx pectednesS. are Jewels of art. The speech of
Dr. Kirby the Rev. Mr.. Moore and Aunt Carew is
always DELIGHTFUL and these three anIabe ercen-
tics arc themseve among the richest decorations
of the story. As in all COOL art, however. the ac-
cessores directly set out the central thought; and
one great reason why East Angels Is strong
novel is thar all the elements IN Its elabor-
crate texture. the humorous, grotesqne, pct
uresque idylIc romantic and tender,are adroItly
used to produce one clear, welI-planned effect.
1.-THE Mayor of Caserbriag e exhibits in high
light some of the fine qualities which have secured
for Thomas Hardy so distinguished place among
the noyelists of our dav. Its pictures OF Engllsh
rustic life are fresh and vivid. The author has not
only observed tho n lnners of rude peasant ry.
and of the people of snlll aud remote towns, with
"A keen eye, but he seems to have n sympathetic
COMPREHENSION of their simple aud nten ~ey prOsalc
minds, aud the usual turn of their thought. HIS
country folk often gro esque, sometimes bumor-
GUS almost always sordd, narrow and unattractiv
He has not made 1t his business To describe the
prettness and poetry of rural England, but rather
the rougher side of existence; and his literary
effects are produced far less by striking contrasts
than by stern fidelity to monotonous and unloyely
truth. In the new novel, IN some of the most
famous of his other works, the company to which
he introduces us is, with few exceptIons coarse,
ignorant and even vulgar. But it Is not necessarily
unsuitable for the purposes of fiction, and 1t Is pre-
sented with completeness of which no other. liv
ing novels; seems have the secret. Mr. I!ardys
realism would be offensive it 1t had no
other object than the description of an ugly life.
IL is always used however. as the ckground OF
an ingenious story. and the numerous slight cpl
sodes conversations of subordinate personages, aud
descriptions OF local customs through which the au
thor pursues his lelsurely way have ample artistic
justification in hcghening the color Of the nara
tive. But 1.-The Mayor IF Casterbrldge' is not one
of Mr.. Hardy's best books. fundamental fault Is
that 1t contains no character whom we can really