The Portland daily press., 1888-01-28
CONCERNING BOOKS.
BIZ E. cAvAzzA.

CONCERNING BOOKS.
By e. cAvAzzA.
April Hopes, the serial contributed TO re-
cent numbers of Harper's Magazine by Mr..
w. d. Howolls, issues in book form and
seems to gain in literary effect and signif-
canoe under the hands of the book-binder
Regarded as a whole, the novel is a careful
and clever social study; but no one INSTALL
ment seemed strong enough to carry the in
terest of the reader to meet the next months
portion. Looking back to early numbers Of
the serial more than one reader will acknowl-
edge to have felt sense of injury that Mr..
Howells, whose novels it is impossible not
to read, should claim the attention Of grown
persons in order to relate the romance Of two
commonplace and immature young people.
Nevertheless the ''spring of love" of Mr..
Dan Mayering and Miss Alice Pasmer, with
its extraordinary resemblance to ''the uncsr-
tain glories Of an April day." is noted by the
novelist with such sensitiveness Of the moral
barometer that the story holds the readers
attention with the official authority Of
weather report. Presently it is apparent
tudt AitO dcuiCt 10 a W ~ NOW w uOblOi,
but perhaps not uncommon among daughters
Of the Puritans. The workmanship expend-
ed on this character is so nice, so competent,
that one regards the author with admiring
interest, which is denied TO the heroine.
Alice PasmerIis singularly exact study Of a
young girl swayed by inconsequent and fool
ish impulses under the domination Of a NOR
bidly alert and ingsniously mistaken con-
science, assuming also direction of other
peoples lives with the entire confidence
with which she misguides her own. One
does we'll to beware of women who prefer
the caprices of the soul to the caprices of
the heart; the former are unnatural, I'M
amiable, and work strange ruin with their
exactions and bigotries. To err is human,
but to err out of the line Of ones nature Is
inhuman. Ones faults should at least re-
tain the virtue Of being ''the defects Of his
qualities" Alice Pasmer's failures appear
If their inconssquent course can be traced
to its springs-from modern self-csnscious-
ness and nerves added to the Puritanic be-
lief that whatever is according to nature or
agreeable is wrong, and that conscience is to
speak In season or out Of season. This COM
bination perfectly qualities her to provide
continual and new torments for herself and
all who come near to her. A very useful
point is cleverly taken in the contrast of
Alice's strenuous preference of the letter of
truth to its spirit, her fierce. unelastic incon-
sistencies with the amiable and healthy ma
ture of Dan, sincere and steady in its main
direction, IL ready to slip comfortably around
minor difficulties.
Mrs. Pasmer, Mrs. Brinkley and Miss Cot
ton are well sketchsd. The refreshing light
mindedness of the first, the audacious good
sense of the second, and the awkward rap
lures of the last Of these ladies are in the
true spirit of comedy. In the New York
girl one is able to welcome the first appear
ance in novel by Mr.. Howells of young
woman with sound nerves and a brain ca
pable of little accurate thought. Julia An
derson makes perhaps her mistake like
another; but hers is an honest, unselfish de-
cision of problem hardly admitting salts
factory solution.
The commonplace which must result from
the realization Of the April Hopes Of Dan
and Alice is limited at in the closing para
graph with the clever and just touch of the
realist.
The whimsical fancy presents itself that
April Hopes, this story of modern society in
Eastern Massachusetts,, is in some sort a
plea upon the other side of the cause su-
perbly argued by George Eliot in Romola.
1t is agreed that Romola was right and Tito
was wrong. But supposing also Tito had
his grievances. The minority report is yet
to be presented. To live in a thin irrespira-
\ 80 hioh nd
applied equally to the greatest and least af-
fairs. would exhaust and confuse the spirit
of most people. One could scarcely take his
innocent pleasure in life as it goes, with an
unindulgent erudite angel like Romola always
at hand for his reproof 1t does not appear
that Romola ever met Tito on any common
ground of tangible interests, that she sympa-
thized with his elegant tastes or smiled at his
delicate Greek esprit. And her husband
probably Zone always speaks of George Eli
OTIS personages as If they were to be seen
from all sides, credited with traits undiscov-
cred by their inventory found himself so ut
terly reprobate for trifing failures that his
great refusal seemed but little worse. A
woman, inexpert In the world, is apt
to be very severe in arTaignment Of those
she loves. Her head accuses in order that
her heart may give a verdict of in
nocence. But il the head be stronger
in speech than the heart-my lady puts on
the black cap, and doom is without reprieve.
Romola is raised upon so stately pedestal
that it is easier to consider certain inconven-
lent traits Of the woman whose ideals are
unconnected with practical conditions, in
the funny, and partly unrelated, parody
which one ventures to fancy in the eharac-
ter of Alice Pasmer. OF course Alice is as
much less Of an angel than Romola as Dan
is more of man than Tito; for she is selfish,
hysterical and vehement as unsteady; and
he would have been incapable Of going far
In the direction Of his amiable stiffness.
Yet there is a certain grotesque resemblance
of the situation. Mr.. Howells forgot to men,
ton how Alice, in the alternate hours when
she dismissed her fears Of Dams imminent
apotheosis, thought him In danger Of becom-
ing just like Tito. We may be sure that she
did SO and that Miss Cotton gave such vague
comfort as she could, while Alice's fancy
painted herself in alternate rose-color and
black guardian angel or unworthy worship
per of the images equally unlike Mr.. Dan
Mavering-than whom, by the way, few men
of. his age would be more agreeable to meet
at the club.
At all events, Mr.. Howells deserves much
credit for this precise and steady handling Of
as unimposngly detestable alittle heroine as
ever made the misery of hero Of fiction.
The studies of types are careful and well de-
fined, and the book is written with sound
purpose underpropping its light structure.
The hope may, however, be expressed that
Mr.. Howells shall presently choose to add
little more romance to his material, while
retaining his realism Of workmanship. One
would not ask too much, not second "inex-
pressive She," not holiday pantomime Of
science like King Solomon's Mines-but
novels of which the plot shall represent as
much incident and drama as might fall to the
lot of persons of little more than average
experience. II may be however, that the
code of the realistic school forbids action or
passion on the part Of its subjects; that Mr..
Howells has put watchword of his faction
into the mouth Of the amateur photographer
at the picnic included among the other cal
ali of