New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-11
TWO GOOD NOVELS.
spANIsH REALISM AND ENGLISH or'"ii
UALISM.

,,x,,,rv. NJ nov Anx.xDo PALAcTo XM ..pssS
Translated IRON J ,ss s Rn..a. CSo~ei &
HERR rAULUs HI; sr Rise M isn' pp i6s Harper
d Brothers.
cvo,dea ia claimed fraternally by the no"
.,an, 60 reolsts Well. after ALL. there Is sio',
al of human nature in man, as the la'e ian.'
c., s,;ck observed, and II Only tho "o'u '0 ~
e:,t,v extended the vivisectiohlsb "noSo 'o"'p0'
.~nras n eamut of agony from the tortured Nerves
30 ~. canine victim, may claim kindred Ill p"r'"'''
18th Mozart. Yet tho matter-o'-Iact ooso''Vi "'''
\. M rdoned if no fails to perceive 'ho ui'p"""o
oe p''.V ,nts in .uch a ca Sc Realism, employed
a.. tha broaiest meaning of the word' incind's
IN H., ,msna But realism as inter
- NV the modern school OF reaists ~
-. ,,c,rsivc but exclusive 1T excludes
all nasson all fire and energy all that I'D ii'ii'"
oc,;on and thought tends to elevate. lhspIre. on
cohc life. And IN this, its professor practiee',
"a tar from the practice OF Senior 'aldes as nus
,ro,ed in "MaximIna," as Zola's Earth Is from
Millions Heaven
sooor Valdes in his beautiful story has. by the
silent and automatic operation OF the Ia" vi "P'o
siies beea tho perhaps UNCONSCIOUS means Vi
demonstrating that nothing can DO lur'her Ho'h
literary sanity than Zolas sham realism lhas'n"ou
rs oeoune realism which "MaXmiha hiuS'faes'
has nothing in common with the moioid sch"oi
,rhe snan,ard's book is a domestic idvl vision of
married life so sweet, so pure. 30 tender so s'pi'
90 wonderfully, delicately, subty true TO the deep
est l0vclest, most sacred traits oil an loe'l
womanhood that IN contemplating tho powers
which prodnced this miracle of civilization one
Is lost in amaZement at the capacities OF human
oenius Life indeed swarms with mysteries. oOth
nbvsical and psychica The commoneSt phenome-
non IN existence the reproduction OF species. re-
mains 10 this hour at once the most stupendons
and insoluble of all. In the domain of psychology
the marvel is however parallcllet by that awiAl
Gilt Of genius which enables 1t to transcend indi-
vidual experience. and to draw as 1t were from
the bosom of the Infinite deeper knowledge Oh
ell human emotions suffcrlngs. aSplrat ons Tears
ond homes than n lifetime of actual experiment
conld impart Who that has net " lived the life"
can tread firmly and safely in "the path'i-cry
the initiates of occult science. But the magma
ton of the great writer the Shakespeare. the
Balzac the Thackerav, acknowledges no such lilnl-
+o+ione II take, like Bacon all knowledge for
ITS prOvince and 1t presents its patent OF nODlty
10 mankind in the form of that power By when II
so strikes the keynote that vbrates III every heart
Where did Vades learn this exquisite story OF
Msxlminas How got he the knowledge OF thaV
inner life of the yDuug wife and husband How,
With his masculine Imagination. did he acquire
insight into the furthest recesses OF woman
hcaltf And where, above all did he find the ira
GRANGE OF womanly purity and tender. devoted
doatblcs, love which envelopes his story with
palpable atmosphere, whose perfume communicates
itself 10 the yer, soul OF the readerf
Vain indeed are such questions. If we arc so
welded 70 convention that words and iabels satisfy
rs. we may talk of Intuition, aud think we have
solved great problem. But what Intuition Is We
thau unIprSfInd the
,hvsic CESSATION, the why and how of the pro-
ces,es which convert the acorn to the oak, or from
the black mud buid up tho white lily. The ilrst
crude exp anatiOn that suggests itself Isle must
have lived this life TO know 1t so we'll But genus
knows no such obligations. He nav have lived
the life. and lie may never have approached it..
Ans one: in either case It j. the life itself which
he has given u.s. ard II life the representation
OF which by one having the capacity Is general
henefac,.on. more lovely character than Max
imjna il would indeed be diiicnlt to find, but
as,ugetily she is a type and not an exception.
Pcs,irism stands confutrd IN the facts that such
sweet women are familiar to us ali: that we have
had them for mothers for wives for sisters Tor
friends: tia. the influence of such story as this
of VsIdes consists manly III the delight 1t gives IN
recalling traits and charms AID tendetncsse' when
each ascrbes to the image IN his own memory
There j, N Senior Valloss story a great deal OF
natural an vivid description and strong character
drawing free action and penetrating analysis
Regarded merely as story IL Is 1uii
IF interest and exhibits the ability which
was so conspicuous in Marta Maria 1t has
yillain-Don AlfonsO-whO Is a remarkably well
couirpeA example Of very worthless class Oh
Ino1erns: who does all the mischief ooen to INN
with u sort OF triumphant ease, and Who escapes
81, n,ui,b,nent and coes off the stage laughing at
ant n
occDr in world so full Of parldOxes as this. Bat
II is "Maximna" after ell who Is the story and
one does not greatly care for any Oac besides her
and Nirucl who is good enough in his way honest
and faithful and kind. but far below the standard
of his re0t,e vile We ara willing 10 admit with
on, any reservations, that this is realism we are
the more wiling because we have always con-
tended that nothing snort OF this could be realism
ANYTHING less comprehensive ought TO be termed
soecialism. not realism at all If put upon the
sane basis as the devotion OF lifetime to the
coleoptera by man of science. II may be )ustlhed
Your coleop terst is doubtless re Specialize Dut you
do not 90 10 him for instruction as TO tho proper
use Of the scientific imagination. II you want
co3rnlcal views you go to a physlcist VINO mas
learned to eeneralizc. who has looked ont ana mp
"a we'll rs down aud in, who has studied nature az
a whole i'm short Ii is the same with hctioa
Power in il and the work that end lrcS can Only be
attained AID executei by including III its domain
the whole of human nature. and devoting attention
no less 10 that side OF humanity which seeks the
spiritual than to the which has its sron gest
alfini'ies with the material, and Is "subdued TO
what il works in, like the dyer's hand"
The adventures Of Herr Paulus, related by Mr.
Pesaut. with characteristic charms OF style ant
manner. take the reader INTO that ns-man's lant
already explored by Mr.. liowells In The Undis
covered Country" Mr. Besant never sacrifice
pjctnresauepsss TO the exigsncies OF doc irlne
and therefore, his hero is not an everyday medium
but Il remark able young American who possesse
one genuine power and who has been trained by
veteran pseudo occntist to supplement that powe
with all manner of seight-of- hand and cunnlnpl'
devised "paticr." The result of this education i
:, . .o,,., y ,h;on r. Trader the New ENGLAND