New-York tribune., 1889-12-22
NEW NOVELS.
MR.. BLACKMoRE'S CHARMING TALE.

KIT AND KITTY. BY r. D. Backmore. 1omo,
pp 221. Harper d Brothers.
AN OCEAN TRAGEDY. BY W. Clark Russell. 1omo
pp 43o. Harper 81 Brothers.
ALLAN's WIFE, AND OTHER TALES. BY IT, Rider
Haggad. 16mo. PIP. ESQ. Harper Brothers
Mr.. Blackmores new story is an excellent piece
of work The strange adventures Of the young gar
dener Of Sunbury Middlesex. are recounted in the
| authors best STYLE His minute knowledge of Eng
lish country life and his intimate understanding Of
the provincial and rustic nature arc employed to
great advantage i'm the development of Kit Orchard
whose character In respects recalls that Of
John Rdd in Lorna Doone." There is indeed more
than a fanciful analogy between the tales for Dono
van Buwrag may very well be compared with Carver
Doone for unrelieved wickedness, while the depend
ence of Lorna upon the Doones Of Bagworthy is par
aleled by the sinister influence of the Bulwrags upon
Kitty's destinies and in both cases the hero is a
of the people who has chosen his sweetheart from
a class above him in social position. Mr.. Blackmore
has succeeded in keeping the secret Of Kitys disap
pearance very cevery. Almost the last the reader
Is led upon false scent, and is encouraged in sup
posing that Bulwrag has spirited the girl away The
plot is fresh and new and IL is skilfuy and delib
erately worked out. Kit and his uncle the most
completely finished characters in the novel; and they
are delightful creations. to which one can recur with
unailng interest enjoying the quiet reposefu traits
which distinguish them. and especially taking pleas
in the loyalty 10 a high sense Of duty which marks
both these old fashioned, upright, sefrespccting and
thoroughly wholesome Kitty is very sweet
and tender as Mr.. Blackmore knows how TO make
his women and in Mrs Marker the Hall houselceper
he has embodied one of his ideals of country foblcs
and yanitics There is a great deal Of dry humor
In Mr. Blaclmore and he likes nothing better than to
bring out quaint rustic philosophy. In ease
that of sam Henderson, character apparently meant
I'm the first place for villain changes into something
like herosm. Uncle Cony Aunt Parslow. Selsey BILL
tile father Of seventeen living children" Tabby Tap
scott are each and all strongly indvduazed figures
brightly original and drawn with loving care and
conscicntousncss. Mr.. Blackmorc is one Of the few
writers who spend labor and time upon details and
who think nothing that their art too trlnng
to be dealt with thoroughly. As result his genre
pictures stay with the reader, his people live. and
remember his plots easily "Kit and Kitty is one
OF those honest productions not sensational so much
aS SOLO, marked by sterling merits and interesting
from beginning TO end with quiet, genial and whole
some interest
That Mr. Russell has not exhausted his Imagination
through the exploitation of single line OF fiction is
sufficiently proved by his Ocean Tragedy. which q
entirely unlike anything he has written before rb,
motive Is the vengeance Of half mad baronet Who's
wjfo has elOpcd with colonel, and who follows .I,o
fugitves across the In his yacht. Tho nIo,
IL well elaborated the incidents, however surprisine
and unexpected, being in no beyond the natural
possibilIties OF the situation. The wreck OF thc
Brlde upon an isIet which has Just been thrown
above the ocean surface by subterfanean Garth
quake or volcanic explosion is finely and strongly
described and the finding the islet Of a Spanish
gaIIcon which has been upheaved from the ocean
bed, where il had been resting century more Il
50 realistically treated that the improbabiny Of the