New-York tribune., 1886-08-22
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
FICTION.

ROOSEVELT l6uo. pp ooV nhrlof ~ D'"'"''"'
NY FRIEND JIM. BY W. c. NORRIS Crown svo Ip.
223. Macmillan & Co.
GOLDEN MEDl0cRrTY A Novel: BY Euekss
HAMERToS. l6no up. 273. Rosers brotners'
MISS MELINDAs OPPORTUNITY. A story: By
mxlES CAMPBELL l6nlo. pr. 2i7. Roberta Brothers
HANNIBAL OF NEwYORK. BY THOMAS WHARTON
I2mo. pp. s2e Henry Holt & Go.
rUE PHANTOM CITY. Volcanic Romance. By
WILLIAM wEsrALL. i6mo. pp. 2ss Cassell 20.
BoNNYBoRoUGH. BY MRS a. ;,, D; T. w whi'S1''
Mr. Roose vet makes his story of "Love aud
f.uckn the occasion of good dea! of vivacity OF
acme pleasant local sketches. and of many cis-
tressng puns but the story is the least part OF the
hook The account of two or three months ,oii-
day on tho Great South Bay of Long Island Is MS
true subject. II not record Of what actually did
happen to any particular party OF ladies' "nu gen
tlemcn, it is realistic narrative OF wnat m'en'
hammer 10 any body disposed to follow out the sens'-
bic scheme which our author has indicated. Inc
characters to whom he presents us are comfortaois
bestowed In a large sharpie. type OF cralt whicn
po,sesses mauy uudcniable advantages Tor family
crn,se IN the shadows of the Grcat South bav. IL
draws very little water and 1t is safe. roomy' anu
fast. Thus it combines the comfort OF yacht with
the rrnctical usefulness of ideal fishing boat IL
can reach all tho best grounds. and can even take
sheepshead without the aid Of dingy. And what
6.hing Mr.. Roosevelt's people do hodl With what
N ze,t and moreover, with what captivating air
of truth does the genial author describe the capture
of.the various game in those teemlng waters. IRON
the patient clam to the mettlesome bluehsh! Every
kind of sport with hook and limo possible in that
famous locality they enjoy in turn. and no man
who loves fishing at all read the spirited story
without longing to take the next train for Baby
lon Snipe- shooting relieves the mohotony OF con-
tuual success with the line; and there are interest
ing voyages among the islands and inets OF the
ayxd
visits to the beach hotels Nor must we forget the
d;.ouisitions on cookery Mr.. Roosevelt not only
tells No how to catch fish. but he gives US equally
precise and precious instructions in the art OF
preparipg aud eating them He sets us down at
many feast which makes the mouth water. and
discloses mysteries OF the kitchen when almost
bring tears to our eyes. Indeed it is long since we
have read a vacation book so full of relish. we
wish that he had selected his characters little
more strictly. Mr. Osborn, to be sure. is fine old
fisherman and ia k is a gallant and useful young
fellow but the rest do not deserve their good ort-
une in being admitted to the party. Kate IS
petulant and iii-mannered mink; Dolly Is
tiresome goose and Cyril is an epicene ass-three
types of the people with whom life OF yacht
would be unb arabic. But we are not disposed 10
quarrel with the material after the work upon the
whole has turned out 30 agreeable The incident OF
the bathing the suspense. and the recov-
ery is told with considerable force, and is clevery
used in bringing on the crisis of the tale.
The manner of the author of Matrimony" was
long ago said to remind one of Thackeray. and the
remark will now he made again tor the principal
parsonage in NY Friend Jim " is a suggestion OF
Becky Sharp. The resemblance however. is not
too close; and in adopting Tbackeray's device OF
telling the story in the character Of reflective
observer the author has not been guilty OF admir-
ing his model too slavishly. Maynard's comments
upOn the story not at all in Thackeray's vein
wish that they were a little more after the
ct, le of that great master Whenever the narrator
exhibits himself he leaves the impression of a
troublesome prg-a sort of person of whom one
cannot have too little. The story otherwise is adj
miratly told Its NOV ement is quick and direct,
Its incidents varied aud natural, Its episodes
and accessories help forward the principal action
and heghten the general effect All the chef
actors in the drama we'll drawn Hhda Turner
is o very striking study of q selfish, artful. and
intrnsically worthless girl who, at tho beginning
OF the story exhibits only snch moderately detesta
Bile traits as may find play In q quiet and obscure
career. but with enlarged opportunities develops
into an atrocious woman. The scene IN which
after being thrown over by Lord Bracknell. she
instantly returns to poor deluded Jim. whom
she had Tilted for the sake of Bracknell. is a tine
stroke of surprise. bold but not overstrained-a
stroke ia which 1t seems to us that Thackeray
would have delighted. Hlda marries Bracknell
after all under circumstances of peculiar per6dy
and the rest OF the story shows how husband AID
wife, both bad at heart. unconsciousiy cultivate
whatever 10 worst IN each others nature. until
Brackneli ends in bankruptcy and drunkenness and
her lad yship in a full ana irrcdeemabe scOundrel-
ISM This connubial interactiou is not expoundcd
by moral observations but IL Is adroitly indicated
by the progress OF the story. less clever novelist
would have made lIlda repulsve; Mr.. Norris has
succeeded in giving her certain fascination we
are csptivated by the audacitv and ingenuity of
her wickcdness. and the inImitablo efirontery of
her manners, and We are always curious to know
what she will do Dcxt. My Friend Jim 10
noble and winning character. who holds our
sympathies throughout. lie takes less Of our
interest than the woman TO whom be serves as an
effective fol-; bat It is tho woman who is desigred
as the central figure OF the story
Readers Of Mrs. Philip Gilbert Hamerton's tale
will wonder To which Of her characters the epithet
of mcdiocrity 10 intended to apply until they dis.
cover that her title Is mistranslation. Mtdiocrih
in French means a small income but the parallel
word in English means smail taleut The Golden
Mediocrty" which she celebrates is Che happy
condition OF two young couples who are conteut to
MARI, upon an extremely moderate fortune. She
presents an interesting contrast between the
ambitions aud wavs OF life Of refined midd class
French families and the comparatively extravagant
customs OF their English friends dra wing from the
exhibition a sufficiently obvious moral A dis
closure Of tho French domestic Interior with its
small economies. its cheap comforts. its pretty
simplictiss. aud tho spirit Of affection. potsness,
aud gentlcncss which rules tt. Ia tue best feature
Of the book. All the characters who move In this
decorous society are made attractive and the :ove
affairs which occupy the younger folk are neatly |
introduced. The sketch OF the old nobility at the
chateau. old nobility drcadinlly run To seed is
far less agreeable. The story hardly reaches tho
dignity Of no, el but II 10 never dull and is well
worth reading
@Miss Melinda's Opportunity 10 made plain to |