New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-22
SOME NEW NOVELS.
A JAPANESE HEROINE

SoSE , 9mS icmo. pp 2s5 BeIford Clarke 20
n,vInrp LIVES ny Edgar Fawcett l2mo' ~
1" go Beford Clarke Co.. ,o,,.
TUE PROFESSORS SISTER. BY Junsn n~"'
Emo DID, $50 Belford Clarke d "
Ther, IS mu.h in the japanese character TO recon-
,r.nd IL for the purposes of fiction. IL Is tne rs"
,be most indiv,dualhed and nearly 'no ms a.
,oos and genial of national characters, anu ~ 'n'
-. ,,m. a. presents the most bewildering cohuas's
:, conserv st,sm and radicasm. Tho japanese "An
indeed not without grave defects his or'en' , ."
pears In what strikes the western m'uu O" "a
moral sense In some directions ana mos VI az ~ -
behavior to women. This defect Is inc "olo ,, VII
.ncuous because the japanese woman Is pcouhH''
attractive and charming gifted with grace "a "'A
-, srntleposs a perv aiding womanliness' scaioos
10 be found 50 combined In her sex ose"hei0
wears despite the brutal system oi hcr P0oP
dsposinc Of her destiny cheerfui sweetness VI y"
position which perhaps 1t is not wise 10 saHi.o w.
mnch seeing that 1t be one OF the effects oil
sson and hopeless suAring That her isschs'iHs
.u.. are largely due 10 this systematic REPRESSION
!. unbannily beyond question: but the nature mus
have been fundamentally sweet. pure ana sounu WHO
has retained its gentle kndliness under so cruei
discipline. m, 49,,
manners thoroughly jusiifes the undertaking, has III
Yope santo' given Us picture of beautiful Japancs
ss whose spirit was of tie lOveest type OF noDe DH'h
reduced by the grcai revolution to penury, the iahS
nj Yone resent her Ompings toward western cuiu'o
and her only protector her father having ucu' noi
grandmother and aunts prosecute and abuse 'ne pooi
child who Is struggling bravely to secure her euuoa
don finally. TO get rid OF her, they marry her 10
CANNON clod of a mechanic named santo. Ihe s'or9
"A of the suferngs and virtues OF fone san'o eh'
,s the victim OF young American who, though com
yetey foIed in his endcavors TO corrupt her, poisons
her life by opening her innocent mind 10 love She
cannot entertain.
Mr. House has introduced some missionaries who are
a, odious as Yone Ssnto Is charming If the Misses
phllipson and Miss Jackman drawn from life-h'
not being portraits they truly represent traits actually
recognized by the author in any japanese mlssion-it
must be admitted that the figures as shown raise some
serious questions as TO the benefits of the missionary
work being prosecuted in that particular field asd es
pecially as 10 the wisdom and consistency OF the
methods employed. II is pleasaner TO think them
wholly unreal. In a pos script to this volume
Mr. House states explicitly that the Boston firm
which had contracted to pnOleh his book after
its completion I'm serial form was practically coercet
into breaking its agreement by the pressure of hostile
msion-b board sentiment lie ntimstes that he has
himself been abundantly threatened and abused To-
what he said about the Toxic missions. and al the
same time he insists that he has told nothing but the
truth and he plainly aiIms that the mission boards
are the practice Of sending out 10 Japan class o.
persons wholly untitled for the work, and who dc
much harm than good. These are distinct
charges and II is certainly desirable that they should
10y
him. or trying TO sthe free speech. The charges o:
Mr. House are specific and ineligible. and thougi
japan is long way of there must be means OF ascer
tanning their truth their incoIIectncss 1t may BE-
said that he writes this subject with an amount
Of warmth calculated 10 suggest strong bias Tn
quesionably he does write with the heat OF conviction
and with evident ind gnatton; but perhaps this
may signify assurance of the justice OF his position
Apart from this vexed question. there can be nc
doubt 10 the charm and deep interest OF the sor!
Yone santo herself is sweet feminine figure a
appeared in fiction, and she is true type q
the best element of japanese womanhood Thc
reader Is TO fall in love with little Ione when
she appears. shy child with her dol and her ncko
(LienD, and steals into the heart Of DIR. Charwell
THE story flows on TO the appointed end fIon tina
characteristic and sbifuy contrived beginning. with
n sub-note of tragedy sounding through II. II is
pathetic and touching. a story evidently written by
the hand of love from full heart. and embodying
more fact than fancy. IT must do something to
ecqualnt the American people better with most IN
teresiing neighbor nation, and II may direct attention
also to of the evils which that nation hs, SUI
fered and is still suffering, at The hands Of those
great Powers which do much by their impositio
Of Ubiquitous treaties upon weak races TO nully the
effects of their evangeiss.
Mr. Fawcett's Divided Lives" shows no deteriora-
ton OF power fancy In the author; unless the IN
oiden which divides the lives of the hero and hero
ine be thought doubtfully natural. To rae such
question. however is hardly worth while, since the
combinations and possibilities in any given love
affair are many TO afford room for almost any
concet The hypercritical reader is at liberty to In
quire whether girl who permitted a third person g
10 set her against her lover, who cast him OFF without
permitting him 10 learn the charge against him
and who lost no time I'm marrying a man whom she
positively dsihed, could by any possibility have
really loved that rejected sutton II must be sait
that appearances olesby strong against her. snG
81 may he added that II Is impossible TO feel deep in
terest in young woman OF extremely hasy anC
impetuous character The hero would, as SOM
may think, be manlier ard altogether finer fellow
than he is it, after having beer treated cavacrly
he had accepted the situation and left Mrs Nogh
severely alone But there IL no accounting for tastes
and after all IT is Voght who comes 10 grief, thougi
Hubert Throckmorton has unpleasant time of 4
until the jury-appareny in the teeth OF the evidence
bring him in not guilty. 1t Is spirited story. thu
interest is well sustained throughout and the cha &C
ters are firmly and clearly drawn.
In "The Professors Sister" Julian Hawthorne
deals with that lttle-undeistoo subject Of Occul
science which lends itself so readily TO romance o
the most Imaginative kind. We have here German
professor who dabhlcs in what would AT one time hav
been called black magic. lie is a mysterious person
age who is able TO project his astral form" al Cit
teal moments, and who has a laboratory or secre
chamber I'm which he performs marvels, with the "a
81 stance Of immense magnets and other appaI atus
The Irofes sister undcrgOes fate which In som
details reminds the reader OF OF Poe's tales. sh
Is fatally poisoned and about to die, when her brothe
throws her into the magnetic trance, and thus keep
her in transition state for several years finally re
storing her TO life though in a temporary and i'm
perfect way. The character showing the most powe
and the broadcast potenalities IS Catalina, the eX
sremely animal beauty, who commits crimes nat
urally and calmly Bulwer's "Margrave," anC
evidently belongs TO the same family. She, however
is not fully developed and there is a sketchincss
indeed, about all Of the people. The central idea o
the story hes not been carefully wo kcd out; mucl
could have been made OF Il had the author givei
due time and pains to IT, Regarded from the poin
Of view OF art, the book is really little else than
pot-boer,' and 1t IS TO be regretted that not MI
allan hutrn ,l.r Of lon