New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-06-10
SOME NEW NOVELS.
THE WORK OF THREE AMERICANS.

$500. ~ wu,,. srxxxx l2mo pp. 271 Boston:
Ticknor Co
THE YELLED BEYOND BY sIcMuSD B. ALEXANDER
12mo pp 276. Cassel Co
Mr. Henderson's first novel, The freiate' was
a remarkable work for beginner ana ne mas iol-
lowed il with q second which II soin oo,''i
AGATHA Page" ranks with almost 'he p''V
fiction of tho day. 1t is study Oh SELFISH p'''o'.
and unselHsh love; powerful picture Oh Que VI
those social and domestic struggles wi.n ",'on
human history abounds, between the faithfui AZ
,.c,ion NJ noble wife and the dangerous fascina-
,,ons NJ an impulsive and unprincipled rival
aca,ba PAGE Is a beautiful conception ana glltea
.,;th a wisdom of an uncommon kind In sucn
buel az she is compelled to fight with her couslh
Nsroede most women would have lost the day ny
yielding TO natural jealous passion. But Aga'na ,
fai,h in her recreant husband is too iirm aha
broad for that and she wins him back at the ""so
critical moment by showing him the nooiii'y ai"
depth of her trust To create such Stua1io"
without presenting the inconstant husband Us an
inferior and despicable creature, upon whoin Suon
n soul as Agatha's is thrown away, demands NOV
only great artistic skill but most delicate 'ouon-
Il is a conspicuous merit in Mr.. henderson VIZ
that be avoids this danger successfully. anu "n
in no way palliating Filippos conduct MAKES ~
armrcnt that the man is really not depraved. noo
hut rather the victim Of practised seduction pu.-
sued with so much adroitness and feminine orai'
as to lead him step by step. and almost uiioon.
sciopslv. into a position compromising 10 iiinseii
and cruelty wrong to his loyal vile. %
Nor has Mr. Henderson made the mistake VI
exacperating the sin of Mercede. lie cafeiuiS
develops her character SO that her ac'ioh may Oe
Thoroughly Ineligible Her dominant egoiSn
stands revealed from the moment OF her runaway
marriage. She is incapable Of love she is cap"-
h,c only of passions and these are IN her out tne
supreme manifestation Of scifishness. 1here may
no such occult influences as elective aihnities pu0
xe mistake Mr. HendersOn's meaning aitogetiicr
or he never intended to indicate any such source
of attraction in the case OF Mercede ana riippo.
We soc in the former strong and undsciphned
WILL which has never been exercised save "
oure nersoual qualification for its possessor and
which is here employed to precisely one SAM O"'s
end BEGINNING with an impracticable theory oil
frcnasbip Mercede naturally and inevitably passes
70 resentment of Agatha's disapproval OF her III
tmacy with Filippo, and thence to lawiess re-
solve that he shall be hers regardless OF cohse-
o,enccs She enters upon the contest lnnocehty,
save for her absorbing egoisrn, but when ut length
che realizes fully whittier her course is tending'
the only outcome of the final struggle Win her
conscience is complete surrender TO passion anu
open-cyed acceptance of all the implications OF her
treason.
Mr. Henderson has made admirable study OF
this turbulent energetic attractive, but altcr all
,n,ovolv character A most dangerous woman she
undoubtedly is; so formdably equipped, SO sCrohg
in her wll-powcr so panoplied in an audacity and
persistence which defy difficulties that VIE less
rotient and sclf-controlled than Agatha, hus-
band more impulsive and less sensitive IMAM
Filippo would have been helpless before her'
Filippo is not a weak man. as men 60 lie mas
conscience, and though his PRIDE IKE human Plioe
generally. most easily takes offence at the mention
Of the sins which he knows beset him; though he
is not exempt from the fatal pcrversity which
causes jealousy in wives to repel and enragc those
who have given amplcst cause ior AZ
ne is able to bear even plain and lnclslye tru'h
from the lips of q friend, and he is capable wheh
he realizes it. of approaching and understanding
Agatha's great hearted conduct. IL Is OIL course,
impossible that man who falls under 'he spch
of such an enchantress as Merccde, ana rcmaihS
blind SO long, man fashion, to the suffering nc Is
causing and the wrong he Is DONG
can escape contempt altogether. But
Filippo is very natural man both IN MS
weakness and his strength When after inc uis-
illusionizing scene in the garden, whlch Agatha
accidentally witnesses he for the first time realizes
Arathas gentle patience moves him SO deeply
and brings his iniauity home to him, his first
imuulse is not 70 do justice TO his wronged but
accommodating wife; his first impulse is to get
away from the scene and all connected with IT.
This is IL subtle stroke Of art; 1T is almos
genius. in fact. For be it observed that wha
Mr. Henderson here most skllfully exhibits Il
Filippo's continuing resentment OF Agathas suuer
incs While fully alive for the first time 10 nj
own responsibility for the unhappness OF HI
wife; while fully realizing the baseness and cruelty
OF his own conduct; he is yet unable 10 oVefcom
the Old Adam in his nature so lar as 10 reirai
from rebellion against the inevitable consequence
NJ his own action He sees tho wrong, compre
hcnds its extent, admits that Agatha does rleh
70 grove and would do right to be angry but
nevertheless he has neither the patience to fac
the situation he has created, nor the magnanimit
to cry mea culpal - and make full confession ant
restitution Manlikc-it must be said again
he flies and moth-lillc he flies once again TOWARD
the light which has already scorchcd him. "A
this point, however, Mr.. Henderson dnerehtate
his hero from the herd Of average weak men. one
Of the latter kind would inevitably have mis-
taken Agatha's lofty and generous selfrestrain'
for indifference, and probably reinforced by alb
sence. would have thrown himself reckcssly into
the arms OF the waiting Siren. Bu'
Filippo knows Agatha's nobility and breadth
OF soul, and he ponders her behavior
pcrseveringly until he reaches the true
explanation Of it. Here but here only, can The
theory of elective affinity have any possible ap
plication. For Filippos final perception of Agathas
purpose and the grounds Of it, does really prove
the existence of such communion between those
two Notwithstanding his wrongdoing, his pur
blindness, his masculine selfishness his feeble
tendencies he is capable at a supreme moment
Of rising to the level Of Agathas great love- oil
. approaching its manifestations, of bowling rev.
erentially before its unattainable sublimity.
We cannot in laying down the
book, feel that FihppO was worthy
OF such woman Perhaps no man could
be quite so. Yet with all his faults, ne Is the
least unworthy of her. and there is promise enough
In him 10 Justify the hope that he may rise, on