New-York tribune., 1886-04-04

is represented, moreover, could nevo- have accrmn-
lated So vast a fortune. In short the story swarms
with crnlitios aud impfobabitics.
sour Sensation Novel " is clumsy joke. haoh
chapter is written i'll traNcsty c the style "i soo
prominent author. Bul Dickens 1hac"'rY'
Wilkie collins Victor lingo. are initiated III Il
story the plot of which is a iuInble of" Strange
Story "The Woman in White, 4" Les Mser-
ahles" ami half Il dozen other weil-known npVcs.
Some of the limitations are pretty good: oih'Is are
barely recognizable The whole Is OF course ahSu'''
Tire mistake of such an experiment CONSISTS IL 'ie
extent of il. Blrlesque and extravaganza 'nuS' uc
light and brief to be enjoyable. In TINS case 'he
farce IS spun ont to weariiess. and produces Il
heavy effect which is not pensnrabie
When an an.hor', first book is marked Success
and especially when such success Is largely due ~
the originality or quaintness OF the conception tie
second work is to some extent Handicapped even
if be rs mcritorious "a its predecessor but III
wholly different vein, il is Liable TO siiler from
comparison which may not he JGst. lie auIh"r o.
"As il was Written has ne doubt something TO
apprehend froIa this tendency to Judge the secoh"
book by the first one, but there Is III " hrs. rex
ada " quite cn0ugt force and freshness 10 give IL
inGependent end creGitahle standing. Not that IL
is without faults. The author, perhaps IN his lie
sire to .yoia Ii kneycd situations mas taken 100
uuch freedom with the probabilities, and this Is
not good art In his first book lie chose his ground
in that mysterious and unsurveyed region which
escopes criticism because 1t passes beyond the
bounds OF tlc convsntionally accepted. In Mrs.
Pcixadar however, we are dealing WITH purely
mundane affairs. and when therefore the author
makes firm of NewYork criminal lawyers expose
their client to the risk OF the Callows by refusing
to adopt the plea of justfable homicide When that
offered almost the only obvious means OF escape lor
her we cannot mold tnat the situation is natural
or credible. In the same way when Mrs felXada
has been arrested through the innocent complIc'ty
of her husband the author is compelled iii 0rdei 10
account ioi the story of her case which she writes
| in prison, TO withhold the explanation OF Phihp
Rlpley's conduct from her, in an awkward way.
1t is clear that in real life either Mrs ital or et
eel woulu have disabused her mind of the snspi-
cions which caused her to refuse 20 see Phiiip III
very few words Yet Uctzc writes TO her, and
fails to clear up the situation. 1t must also be sad
that the action of The DistYict-AttoTney is rather
remarkable in more than place, tho0Sh we shall
not 90 so far as to assert that 10 district attorney
would DO OF has done what Mr. ROmer did.
These bemishes, howcvcr IN no way dctract from
the interest of the story, which ]. well and forcby
told. which contains much true ard Keen ohserTa-
non. and which bears out the promise given by As
il was Written There IS ranch skill IN the meth
DDS by which the author piejudices the reader
against Mrs. PcixaAa ut the beginning lie a.
count of her trial produces the impression that she
is to he a feminine monster kind Of beast oi prey
beautiful of form but utterly depravcd, and while
there is attempt made 10 conceal the identity OF
the homcidal widow with Ruth Lchmyl, the grad
ual revelation of her real character, eliminating IN
the unexpected narrative which completely le-
verses the first conception OF her, IS admirably
worked ont. Sidney Luska however has not indi-
vldualizcd his characters enough. Excepting Mrs
Peixada they are all too shadow and do not stand
ont as though he had thoroughly evolved them
from his own mind. Mrs. PciNa3a " in sort IS
clever story, but 1erays signs Of car, essness and
o, erhastc The author has TOO much talent TO Iest
content with work AT all incomplete or soveniy
Let him bear in mind that sensationalsm IS info
rior in art TO character drawing and that no skill
can make the unexpected satisfactory substitute
for the natur