New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-05

Australian, even though with two and half MILLIONS
sterling. could secure seat In the House Of commons
so easily "a Dick Ransom does, Is a question wnon
would have been thought doubtful had not 90 ex'
perienced q member Of the House ~ Mr.. mccarthy
made himself responsible for the situation. The
reformation Of Bnbian joe moreover is almost too
radio al TO be consistent With the experience OF
,ra human nature, which Is unfortunately not prone
to rso 10 any h ght OF hcosm after having once fallen
so far as Gregory Florence had done. There moro
presidents In than out OF fiction fur such startling and
admirable transformations. and though both Dickens
and Victor Hugo have given conntenance to the Idea
the realistic school viii never consent to so daring
Use OF the optimstc Imagination. For all this Tho
Ladies' 0aeryr s an intees ding novel. and which
holds the attention firmly from beginning 10 end
Mr. HarIsnd has written a lively and amusing story
of Young man who is driven by the force OF cirrum.
stances 10 attempt to make bis living by writing.
In order leighton the favor OF his heros experiences
the author has married him just before he mas MIN
self thrown upon his own resources by the defaica
ton and suicide OF his guardian. lie Is pucky
Young fellow, and buckles TO work, or would do so
II be could ind work, but that Is tho dinlcny' The
newspapers will have none OF him, for he has neither
experience nor influence OF any kind TO recommend him
Naturally his lines are hard. and after various hui
Mutations and desCcnts In the scale OF hVlhs' the
young couple stumble upon benevolent and cult
vatcd family Of German Jews who welcome them To
their homo with cordially and an Indifference 10 pc
cuniary considerations such as ono encounters, alas
otercr in the warm imagiDngs OF fiction than In the
actual experiences OF cold and selfish world At tho
light moment also Tom Gardiner OBJ tains 81 ,20O-clerk-
ship in the city government and having thus secured
bread and butter, he begins TO write novels.
Considering how many exceedingly bad novels man
age TO got published not only every year, but every
month and week, but wonder at the tradition
which puts innumerable lions In the path Of the good
novels Judging from the character OF the crop It
might almost be thought that publishers were banded
against mertoriOus fiction, but threw wide thor doors
u the producers Of rubbish. We not that
We ought to commcF Mr.. IlsFland for following this
tradition. II Is trlIehe hedges by making Tom Gardl
ners first novel only $3.50, but then he represents
veteran author as benG much taken by the virgin effort
and that Is nesry bad the old line Of treatment
some actual experience IS evidently drawn upon In
this part OF the story, especially as regards the pub
liShers statement Of account. There Is touch Of
about that incident which puts 1t on the plane
OF reality Although Gardiner is lei appsTn ly al
llshed professional author. and although he IS
represented taking his wife To Europe the profits
Of his literary work, should not advise any amateur
romancer to give up a 81 2OO-clerkship or even a
much humber employment-upon the strength Of
this interesting but not TOO realistic tale.