New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-04
MINOR NOVELS.


per Brothera
MERE IRISH STORIES by W. H. FloredIce. lemo'
PIP 32l scrbner & Wexford
BAPRARAs VAGARTEs. By MARY LANGDoN IiDBALi-
16mo pp. l75. Harper Brothers.
THE MAGIC or A VOICE Novel BY MAReAnEiI
RUSSELL MAcyAELASE 16mo. PIP. z7'' '''''"
ASPIRATIONS. BY HELEN HAYS l2mo PIP o'i'
Thomas Whitaker
Mr. Anstcy in The Fallen Idol has mace
amusing use of the Theosophcal doctrines ABOUT
the supernatural which are current Just now. iho
central idea Of his story is of certain llrthah-
kar" or Jain adept, who achieved canonizauon
long while ago under false prctences. The man
was really Brother OF the Shadow. OF student OF
ack Magic and dying sudden aud violent
death the supposition is that his astral shell TO
NAMED attached to the image Of him which had
been set up IN the Jain temple, and that the occut
power which the she'll still retained was employed
in securing due veneratIon for the image and III
avenging all insults to It, This prest-adept nved
two three centuries ago. ard ID the courso
of time the Jain temple was overthrown
and all its images scattered. The idol which
forms the subject Of the story remained
barred for a long time, and was then dug up ana
found It's way to England. where it at once began.
through the maign influence of the deceased
"Tirthankar's" shell" TO make trouble for everV-
body INTO whose hands 1t fell. 1t will be seen that
such conception affords opportunity Tor minnie
odd incidents and Mr. Anstey has managed SO
ceveIly that it is III almost every instance optional
with the reader to attribute what occurs to the
influence of the image or to natural causes. Inc
one exception, the apparent transforms
ton of the image INTO Hindoo baoy
at the moment when Camplon IS
gong to bury il III his garden, admits only or
supernatural explanaticn since it is obvlous that
an haucination was produced-aDd collective
halucination at that-by some dlsembodied lntelii-
eence. The whole story is skllIuiy worked out'
and the German Cbela Is particularly funny. not
wIthstanding the obvious intention OF tue author
that he should not be regarded as altogether what
he would have called "homboa." While hght
tone of r1dicue apparent here and there the gen.
eral impression conveyed is that basis
of possibility exists for the occurrence
of such mysterious Incidents and that the authors
scepticism is perhaps not confirmed. thorough
going Asatic. If told the story, would unhesita-
tngy affirm its FEASIBILITY, even to the concud-
ing phenomenon-tne dispersion of the astral
remnants of the wicked Tirthankar through the
destruction, by lightning, Of his image.
1.-THE Man Who Was guilty" has the merit Of
freshness and novelty of conception. The scene 10
laid in San Francisco. The hero is a real convict
not an immaculate martyr. but young fellow
who actually robbed a bank in which he was en-
ployed, and was sent to the penltentlary
for ten years. The description OF
his struggles and the rebufs he
encounters after his discharge while trying TO gain
an honest living is realistic. 1t is deserving OF
study, for the facts true. and this part OF the
story illustrates strikingly what has always been
and still il the most difficult problem in penology
the problem of the future OF the liberated convict
No one has been able to solve this hard question
Society Furnishes crime by imprisonment. Nominally
the full serving OF the sentence expiates the
crime. Practically il does nothing Of the sort.
The man VINO has served term in
prison is thenceforfh n suspect. The police
watch HIM. Society rejects him. If he tells the
truth about his past he get no work II he OBJ
tains work by cOncealing the truth somebody Is
TO inform against HIM II the police do not. No
body regards his punishment rs an eNpia' ion Inc
majority look upon il rather as aggravatng his
crime so he is made an outcast aud if he often
returns to evil courses it is because society denies
him he opportunity to live honestly. Mrs. Long
heads hero IS fortunate enough to roam some
friends and having strong will he succeeds
after a desperate struggle in reInstating HIM
self. I'll this IS forciby told and without
straining or exaagerad1 IN. One 81 the incidents in
the book, the sacide Of DarimlOr. IS perhaps
rather TOO literally taken from the tragic death of
W. H. Ralson, the cashier of tie Bank of Cali
fornia The story evinces much careful study IN
several directions and 1t is interesting throughout
Mrs Campbell-P raed has written agreeable
tale of Australian life under the title "Ihe Head
Station" 1t must be said that she gives her read
ers credit for too much familiarity with
the peculiar kind of "pigcon-EngIsh" used
by the "black-felIows and the settlers
in converslng with them: whilo almost
as much may be objected concerning the Australian
names of trees. shrubs animals, etc many OF hich
will no doubt meet the eve of the general public
for the first time in her pages. 1t is true that there
Is brief glossary at the end OF the book, bat IT
not full enough. AID few fool-nOtcs Will be IN
order if second edition is prcplred. The storf is
full of Ove-msking AMI cro5s-purpOses and there
is plenty of clever descrIp'iol IF life in tn, bush.
1t appears to be an existence which involves
good deal of "roughnr," vet is alleviatcd,
at least at head stations by many
comforts and pleasures. The author had an oppor-
tunltv to paint rea live buslranger bat though
she has HIM n tho story for exIgencIes or the plot
refrains from displaying him in acton until tho
very last, when he comes to sud Ten grief There Il
an unsat sfactory hiatus IN the story. Nothing ia
limited 90 the ultimate fate of Isabel and Robert
Westmorcland. alias BraddIck. The presumption,
of course. is that they must marry. ana live happy
ever aft r." but It woud nave been just as well to
say instead Of leaving the reader to conjecture
the sequel
Mr. Floredce says that his stories picked up
during months huating and fishing In Ireland.
This is remarkable for they the best Irish s,o-
mes that have been published for long time and
they re told with a skill and "a knowledge of ma
tiona character suggesting complete familiarity
with the subject Some of the tales, especially those
the scene OF which Is placed III the ould ancient
Tunes are as good ~ any hing of the kind amt
/ ne brogue Is faithfully reproduced in all cases.
and the local atmOspl ere also. The story OF the
pursuit OF the Lcpecaan and the one in which every
other paragraph begins But tne Queen had more
wit are particularly racy and fall Of local flavor.
Barbar4's Vagaries belong to a class of ex-
ploIts nj winch we are thoroughly tiled. The M