New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-08
NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES.
STEPNIAK'S NEW BOOK.

| 1rrprTFR LIGHTS BY Constance Fcnimore Woolson'
IGmo, PIP. 347. Harper Bro,n ncnx,vo ~ A.
| WITH CATCE & SWALLOW, ATTORNEYS: BY Al
hon ". Tourgee. I2mo, PIP. ell Philadelphia
J. b. Lippincott Company.
ARTHuR MERToN by RSa AdP n Appleton t1n Co.
FAMILY TREE. and other Stories BY Brander
Matthews 1omo, PIP. 236. Longmans' Green q
cram FrRFyCH's FRIENDS. By George II. Jes
SOD 12mo PIP. 24O Longmans, Green q CO.
4 novel about Nihsm written by a professional
Nbilist who also trained man OF ieuers Ius.hoe
considerable expectations. and the readers OIL otep
niak's. story will not be disappointed uhiess ihueou
they happen to be looking for an exposition OF inc PM
oonbv NJ Nibilism Whatever the authors purpose anu
intent NAV have been he has produced general I'M
messiah tending TO conviction of the hopelessness ana
Tho insanity Of the Russian revolutionary movement.
The story is wholly Of underground plotting we nhu
ourselves in a society every member OF winch. mas
pcrpetual reason TO spprehcnd arrest ana s"lt "o
narration to siberia the very least ana Owe many
- thom the shadow of the gallows falls darkly
vivid idea is conveyed Of the terrible repressNc s'so
carried on by the Russian Governments OF ''' Hco
,so NJ snes of the infinite precautions neces>s! 10
tho espocted class of the danger incurred by peopc
in good standing II they receive tle Nslts Vi 'no
unlawful The devotion and martyr enthusiast,
NJ the Young men and girls for they are nearly an
vounc who give themselves to Nihilsn Is Undoubtedly
o,.t, Int the saddest feature of it all is Its use
,osencs. The hero of the book enters INTO pio'
IN rescuc some friends from a provincial prisoH
There is street fight with the police anu 'he ro''"o
ls a martial failure farce OF trial ending III INT
condemnation of the prisoners 10 DEATH iollo"s' anu
the description OF the last desperate eHor' DIT
frustrated bv tho premature explosion OF hulhper
% dvnamite bombs which were to nave Oeeh
I'D AGAINST the trooEs-eads up to 'he
strong scene OF the execution "leSsi"o
this legal murder Audrey becomes coINih'e" ''"'
nothing will be OF any usc-nothing VIII rouse lro'l
neir sluggishness the great middle claSses-ou' d
,a., o,t,cl mon the Car himself lie has recently
married a Young wife whom he loves. out he deiiOcr
atelv sacrifices his own life and her happiness \"
car,v ont his sinister purpose tries TO aasassni'e
fine Gar fails and is Of course promptly jung"
and executed lie dies consoled by inc thoush' 'i"'
his attempt will make people think ana so has'oh ','
rcvolution Perhaps stepnlak rcally believes ms
l,.trinc but certainly he has not been aDie I'd give
the aspect of nationality to IT, All the assassnatoh'
successful and unsuccessful, Of the Nihiists nave
ACCOMPLISHED literally nothing in the way of improve
ment They have merely justified reaction, put the
hands back on the dial Of national deVelopmeht'
driven away the thinking classes, alenaca thc peasants
and tho vorlxmen. and weakened the sympathy which
liberals outside OF Russia normally feel ior 'no
victims Of Carbon and bureaucracy. stephiak do's
ot show that there is any serious defence for Mill
ism but he throws light upon the peradihg I'M
practcabnity and mistaken scntimehthlsm oi 's
Leaders and indicates also the strength OF the Russian
tendency toward Oriental methods in many diiccIohs'
The story is well told il has much fresh ana interest
ing character study IT IS lively III actioh ana II mas
A strong Muscovlte flavor. Regarded simply as
novel it is indeed excellent performance out us
moral IS the very opposite Of that which, II must
ne assumed the author meant to inculcate
In Jupiter Lights" Miss woolson has written an
original. interesting, but not particularly cheerful
story. Indeed II has so prevailing a tendency -
| faal INF nj -
casionally. The dIstlnctivey feminine ideas which
baraccrize the novel are odd anything distinct
| Ively feminine could well be. Only woman could By
any possibility imagined the imprisoned devotion
Of Cicey to thai beautiful and terrible husband
Of hers who first a.cinates everybody by his delight
| fnl manners and " bonkOme," and then relieves the
todum Of rural life by drinking himself into d'lirium
rcmens and forthwith undertaking to cut the throats
~ his wife and bsby Almost all the trouble and sor
row (and there IS full of both Is caused by
this dcbonair and ruiian. but he IS grcved over
uhcn he kills himself with drink and poor Eve Bruce
who happily shot the numerous maniac on his last eN
ncdlton after the lives OF hi. family is full Of
morse as though she had not been entirely justified IN
the act Clccly too, who has had to fly for her life
from him appears to love him rather better for her
citing and perous experiences DOES the fact that
! I'm a similar fit he once broke her baby's at all
diminish her affection for dear Fcrde.' Men never
can understand the mysteries OF the feminine nature
! nd
tantalze their immature ntelliesnccs with the per
plcxtcs of such nsolube problems. The general IN
forest of Jupiter Lights however. will carry the
average reader tic end-vhich is rushed IN with
an amount Of violence for which nothing ma prepare
one and which is consequently not little SURPRISING
Judge Tourgee's new book purports to be derived
from the experiences Of clerk in great NewYorll
law firm and the story is woven with skill and In
cenuity out Of the cases which this firm are employed
| upon The connecting thread at times appears 10
crows very thin but the plot develops everything
falls into its place and assumes a natural and I'M
GRAINED aspect Many of the situations and sub
ordinate sketches are full of novelty and character,
and those who acquainted with the law Will
probably think they recognize repeated references TO
certain famous people and celebrated causes which
hav. occ,ped the courts within the last quarter
century As 10 the identity Of " Mr.. Hazard We
imagine there can hardly be two opinions. 1t is all
very neatly and ceverly done. and the book deserves
to be read.
Admiral Porter writes honest, old fashioned stories
NJ adventure I'm which the interest turns not upon
yvbat the neople are 50 much upon what they do.
! Arthur Merton IS romance OF this Kind In which
a villain OF the deepest dye employs a private and
! peculiar forger ruins the career OF youth whose
sweetheart the villain cOvetS, secures the said sweet
heart to himself makes an immense fortune In mani
! facurng nearly breals his wlfes heart, but, OF
course. Is duly Overtaken by The vig'lsnt Nemesis,
and having worn out everybOdy's patience, Is elini-
,ated with an ease and dispatch calculated to give
General satisfaction. Vice banled, virtue triumphs
wedding bells I'll tho air and the curtain descends
upon the most cheerful Of conventional illusions.
Mr. Brander Matthews has gathered together a
handful NJ short stories and sketches In the volume
called "A Family Tree" The story bearing that THE
IS the longest in the collection and II Is excecnty
! told Idle Notes Of an Uneventfui Voyage Is
another interesting paper. of an entirely different
character airy light. playful. and exactly befttlne
the nature Of the subec-the humor ana oddities o.
a steamer trip the Atlantic ON th> Battle
Field" IS apparently founded on facts and IS curious
account Of the growth Of strong deuson In brain
enfeebled injured By accident. The sketches
which complete the volume bright and original
but the narrative Of the Identical dreams must be