New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-01-24

short the realities of the battlefield Invested OF
elamor and informed with faithful local color.
are represented in the simplest terms and without
the least striving for effect.
In the later volume, dealing with tho Battle OF
Borodino the burning of Moscow and Napoleon's
terrible retreat. Count TOlstoPs narrative becomes
sngularly lifellke and full of the details which
fasten such pictures In the memory. But the
military side of the book does not dominate it. 1t
is balanced by a curious and valuable study OF
Russian character; n study in which perhaps 1t
NAV be surmlsed that the progress OF national
thought has been aleg0rizcd. The career OF Pierre
Besoukhoff is typical of the Development OF the
Russian character. and especially of the growth OF
that tendency to mysticism which mas during inc
last century had so close an affinity lOr the olaV
mind The melancholy which is so universal
characteristic OF the Russians which constitutes
the outward expression of humanity depressed alike
by the aspects Of nature and tho despotlsn OF
government visible under the surface all through
the book The pessimism which, as Mr.. Noble mas
observed "penetrates all spheres of thought, gives
its hues to every cotere aud school, creates rosen-
blances between the most diverse productions of
the pen, restores as with bond of gloom the
shattered solidarity of society, and between human
beings separated by impossible gulfs Of rank and
position creates connecting link of dreaIy
despondency and common despair" appecrs less
strongly in Count TOlstoIs writings than in lurge-
neis but still it is there, producing the vague de-
preston which a leaden sky, a barren moor wet
day cause and nevertheless adding interest to the
narrative, and nameless charm.
One effect of this peculiar temperament is to put
most Russian works of imagination in low sey
Even when the frivoties and gayetics of JenHe'S6
dor6e are being described the reader is made to feel
that the laughter is not very FAR from So too
tla of fnr IL theOgODhV
met by the gloomy pessImsm of Prince andre. who
refuses to believe in any future life, or deity. or
anything that can Tighten the burden of life.
" War and Pcacep in fact is essentially Russian,
and therein lies much of its atractiyeness The art
alone OF the author does not suffice to explain tho
success OF this work. Viewed from tho artistic
point of view solely, it is seriously defective It's
diuse, not seldom tircsomcy so. and judicious
editing would certainly have improved by condens-
ing the story But its simplicity, realism and local
tone and color together give 10 an unusual value,
and there can be lutte doubt that IL will live. The
translation is fair but by no means excellent. 1t
bears marks of haste and careessness. cursory
comparison with the French version shows that
considerable liberties have been taken with il, and
when it Is considered that the present is the third
version it may easily bc concluded that the
thoughts and expressions Of the author have under
gone not few changes for the in passing from
Russian, through French, into English.
Testers Secret is n good old-flshoned novel
full of incident, with a comfortably intricate plot
and plenty of sentiment The story Is unusual,
being that of young girl who con Facts Scotch
marriage Just before she falls heir TO great estate
and separates from her husband because she thinks
he knew she was the hciJess and married her for
her money. She hes wrougel him, aud she has to
pay heavily enough for her fault though every
thing right IN the end. rs the majority Of |
readers still think it ought 10 do in fiction. 1t has
not yet been explained either why il !, that the
" art for arts sake writers lean so Pcrsistenty
toward aggrlyating and dislgreedb'c endings
Surely in actual life thing, get AZ uted at least
often as not. Most people > III prefer Miss Hays
plan 10 the never fiction probably, and If auusc-
mcnt is the chief end OF novels there would seem 10
be very little room for controversy the question