New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-04-18
NOTES ON BOOKS.
BY AMERICAN AUTHORS AND THEIR RI.
CEPTION IN ENGLAND

Mr.. Bret Harte's Snow Bound at Eagles y has
convinced his English crtics-some of the best Of
them--that they were wrong in thinking he had
worked out his richest vein. His latest story mas
been welcomed az it deserves. "The charactersy
saws The Alhenaeum " are struck of with the an.
thors invarable precision, and tho story is told
with his own inmtabe terseness and careful avoid.
ance of any reflections descriptions which do not
make directly for the end he has in view" That Ia
a criticism VIII CHI, though 1t may not hit the mark
aims ut it, Wide as Is Mr. Bret Harte's reputation.
doubt whether he has been. on the WHOLE ade-
auatey Judged In England. He Is what so few Eng.
Qlish writers are. artist in literature He hasa
conception of form. he has strict idea of the re-
Iation between the end which he wishes to attain
and the means by which it is 70 be attained. It's
Of his sketches and tales and some OF his poems
that tins Is TO be said most truly. Then who Is his
equal in purely descriptive writngi The English.
men seem-and it was quite time-to have dropped
that notion of his pupiags TO Dickens which d OK.
ems himself was perhaps the first to set af,at Inc
two writer's sometimes no doubt, approach SUBJ
iect in similar attitude Of mind but there can
be no stronger contrast than between their meth
dds of handling It, Dickens never knows
when to have done. He overloads his theme. ac-
cumulates phrases lays on coat after coat OF crude
color Mr.. Bret Harte has mono of this heavy.
handedness. His touch is as delicate as 1t is sure
one stroke and the effect he desires is obtained
The literature of London society continuesto be
popular in London. The latest book near Of on
this inexhaustibie subject il Mustard Leaves
first published in New-York, republished here al
most at once by Messrs. Sampson Low q Co., and
now. am told, in much demand American critcs
have spoken of this feature OF society such as
does not and could not exist. Ii Is nevertheless.
a book in which the author has undertaken 10
draxv fraif loft n though
very often more individuals than ole 60 to the
making of a single picture. Some OF the very .
people thus drawn among those who have COM
mended the accuracy OF the drawing. IL Is, IN
fact within the world which the author OF " Mus
tard Leaves has sought TO describe that the book
finds many readers. Well-known people IN society
dissent from the American verdict. and have been
heard to wonder how the writer could have hit
lis off 80 wellD Certain it is that the writer has
seen a good deal Of the society she deals with IN
her book She is known TO be an American lady.
Miss Balch, and MISS BacRs relations with an IN
Auental sec ion of society also known, and are
of some standing Whether this lady's name has
been mentioned IN print do not know She chose
NJ first that her book should be ANONYMOUS bat
she has since dropped the veil aud does not refuse
to accept the compliments she receives from Ing
lish sources Naturally enough it is the society
journals which chiefly concern themselves with a
book on society," and many of these have commended
it without stint
Mr. Andrew Lang who is to be identified by in.
ternal evidence, devOtes column In The Daily Neo
to the dsparagement of Longfellow; beginning
with an epigram in two parts: The nations are
happy whose history is dull Mr. Longfcilow's his
tory is dull and no doubt that is because he was
happy" Through all his review runs cuIreht OF
allusion TO Poe, whom Mr. Lang-rightiy. as people
| ba "a :
follow in genius as he was inferior in prosperity.
What ranked in the true poets heart was his
own evil temper and evil luck and poverty, ana
seedy life Of expedients. Naturally he was con-
scious of a genius compared to which Mt. bohge''
! lows Is as mi * and water to haschIsch ana
absjnthen However, Mr. Lang is good enough 10
defend Lon gfelOw against the charges ~ Plagiarism
brought by Poe and Others These accusations he
pronounces baseless and worthless 1 am afraid
MANY readers of the Life will agree With Mr.. Lang
when he says that the letters which Longfe low
| wrote from Europe are unusually commonplace.
and that the Life is long, and that too many cx-
tracts of no value given from the journals. But
| MI Samuel Longfellow. | apprehcnd had IN view
chiefly the American and not the English public
The English may not care for that charming pic
ture of Puritan boyhood, and may think many OK
its details trivial. But who that was born in New
England can read ii without delight Who can
freshened by this simple and sympathetic story OF
Longfellow at home, at school, and at college
Major GreeB's Three Years of Arctic Service"
has had an unexpected success IN England UneN-
pected because of books Arctic adventure the
English public was thought to have had enough.
One OF the houses believe. declined TO 'aSc the
| 900 copies which the American publishers de-
81 ed to put upon the English market Me'srs.
Bentley's judgment has proved souDder than that
of their rivals. The first English edition Of 1000
copies at two guincas $40 copy has been ex-
hausted and second is advertised Nudes L.
brary alone took 500 copies. The English reviews
of the book have been without exception, 80 Tar rs
know eulogistic including that of The at"ddy
Rerie,c.
Persevering In its novel and praseworthy fair
dealing to American books. The Saturday Rer'e"
has a good word for Mr.. Adam Badeau's Consplr'
ocv n Cuban Romance" This book has, indeed
TO be described as "a novel with a purpose. which
TO many people-I hope to most-is revolving
thing IN itself and only to be excused by exccp-
tona excellence of Treatment, as in General Ba-
deau's case II is well to show up the horrors OF
Spanish rule in Cuba; whether 1t might not DO
more effectively done than by means OF a novel;
a question the author may be left to consider. Inc
book IN any case, is in the opinion OF the fngIIsh
critic, decidedly interesting, and some of ITS de-
scrptions are particularly good aud full OF local
color These are opinions not hazardous to ex-
press
Nor is it hazardous to say, the same periodical
| does that Mr. Howells's Tuscan Cities Is re-
| pete with charm Nor Is 1t noveltyto hear thlt
| Mr HOwells has before now written delight
fnI stories and essays of many lands The novelty.
If any there be. consists Ii the expression OF theso
| tr,te and true Opinions IN the place where now
| find them Mr. Pencil, too whose etchlngs illus.
trate Mr. Howellss book, comes In for his share or
praise Those inserted amongst the letterpress are
| hexousiteiy suggestive Of sunshine and distance
| Mr. fiowclls OF course, has reached position IN
| England which makes censure or praise compara-
| tiyey unim portant to him. His reputation Is Sc
cnre but for the success of each particular book he
| ike Others may still be dependent in measure on
| the good words of the literary press