New-York tribune., 1886-05-07
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MINOR NOVELS.

MINOR NON LIS.
rroIrrTA Romance, after the German OF URSULA
Z"GA vox Ml>rFurrEL BY Mrs. A L. WisItR.
Pm 363 Philadelphia j. Il. Lippincott Company
NEXT DOOR. BY CLAEA louise BcnNHAM' C rp' '''
THE MIDNIGHT CRY. A Novel BY JANE MARCH
N''@ PAnkrE. Pp 293. Dcdd, Mead Co.
.Violetta." as adapted by Mrs. Wster. is clever
novel The characters are clcar-cut natural ana
strong. The situations are full OF interest 'no
dialogue is bright and vigorous Inc he'o'"''
Violetta the daughter of La Beatrice "a i"i,ou'
singer is particularly happy conceptioh' woih'"
ont with much skill rurer. sveeter' more 'o'""'e
vouLg creature never tripped through the scenes "i
y ro.noroo orl the sterling qualities which under
Co bcr Echt hcartcdness are developed III mas
terlv way The two serious moral characters
Trcacnbach and Marie Iousc-who because 'hcy
take life 50 seriously and are so full OF pity pur-
moses are thought 10 be made FOR one another Out
who fortunately for themselves are MT peImlttel
IN marry-are excellent studies and their moral
cure from their false pride and codness forms the
most interesting phase of the story. The training
OF the bua-stockiug as il might be called, IN whch
the naughty and sels-c0nceited Marie Louise is
brought from state of cold dsdan Tor her gay
bat frn young husband toa condition o. happy
srh,oissjon and womanly moekness and domes-
tcity.i Is pleasant bit of work; ana Nlole'tas
ronnue,t of the literary baron, who aspres to
tupOlrUlc1l ~'-
which shall say the last word about the creeds' is
scsrcelv less adrot and interesting. There is
dcc,dcd mower in the book. and n delcacy OF ma
n,nnlation so rare as 10 be very agreeable. MIS-
Wister has so skiliuly adapted the story that II
could not read more smoothly if it had been writ
ten in English.
Mrs Burnhqin has written gOO1 novel in Next
Door" Ii is called by the Publishers summer
story though it is quite as well fitted for any other
season OF the year and 1t certainly does hot
deserve to be put among the filmsy tiliies WHICH
are commonly supposed to be specially auapteu W
hammock reading: curious class OF literature the
man virtue of which apparently Is that IL Is heA'
70 no literature at all. "Next Door," however
contains plenty of really conscientious work III
Is full of good character drawing and the dialogue
Is much above that Of the average novel IN sparkle
and cr:spness Indeed, one comes continually
uuon odd and mex pccted and often witty turns
on1 remarks The two sisters, Kate ana Marger!,
who haze been orphaned and thrown upon thel
own resources in Boston are well-Drcd, hatuia-
Girls Young Ray Ingalls, is a capital picture OF the
hest kind OF yOung men OF the PERIOD. Johh LAtoh
oloro s rather conventional: speak OF the lite
r.ry convention which demands that certain
kind of Rostonian shall be always grand, gloomy
and pcculiarr John tnrns out to be an eXceleht
follov lint he tires Us With his somewhat Byronic
fcmpcrlment. ana he lnahcS uS htViO "'""'-"'
whether after all the woman who married him had
a very fortunate lot in store. Aunt Ann is pleas
ant old lady, thoroughly typical of genial sunny
class of spjnsters inlabiting NewE England. HE
maltese cat Kits is entitled to special mention as
one of the few cats IN fiction who justify their
Introduction and Kits is drawn with the loving ana
apprecative touch of one who has studleu INC
feline character carefully. Mrs. Exton is dis
agreeable old person. but necessary ana her seinsh
ness sets oil the beautiful generosity of Kate and
her haprly frustrated sclt-sacrhee Altogether
Next Door" is a bright and wel-written story
md must strengthen Mrs Burnham's reputation.
sThe Midnight Cry" is strange story, poth IN
matter and treatment The title refers to the Mill
erlte excitement of 1913 The story contains VIVA
pictures of the excitement and fanaticSm oil that
neriod when so many thousands had become con-
WINGED that the end of the world close at hand,
and when farmers abandoned the tillage OF their
folds storekeopcrs ceased to replenish exhausted
stocks. many people in the funess of their 1alth
even neglected to collect their debts ana thcre was
n fearful expectation of the second coming OF
Christ. The author appears to nave had speciai
opportunities for studying this curioua phase OF
human creduty but her graphic power Is not
sufficiently under control TO produce clear plcI-
nre The story as whole is indeed strangely
co,fused and indistinct. Much of it seems to be
from actual eNentN puV 'Ae oNoH'' ''' Wv
AWAY TO he recalled completely, or the memories
nj them uld not be materalized with dehnlteness.
Many scenes are drawn strongly, but the connec-
tons are weak, and here and there dreamy con-
fnsion apnears to intervene. The Millerlte propa-
raudism is perhaps the most interesting element IN
the book though it is not always easJ 10 ascertain
how the author regards that movement. Inc
pco-le OF the story lack sharpness OF outilne anu
solidjty. For the most part they are air-drawn
shaues Priscilla Ottoway and Letitia Barken-
,tone stand out in curious contrast to the rest.
They are probably both sketches from the actual
and a strange pair they are. On the whole the
story IS well worth reading. if only for its outoi
,l.-,ro,. ro,,in iccencas and sketches.