New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-06
SOME NEW NOVELS.
A QUESTION OF CONSCIENCE.

THE rrcpor or pRooMsEDGE COVE By Charles
rrhcrt craddock 1Cmo. PIP. 400 Houghtoh'
Mialln Co.
THIS MORTAL COIL by Grant Allen. 1omo' PIP
357. ID. Appleton TO-
Mr. Besant's new story is dramatic and spirltco
and il introduces one OF those ethical proo'en''
with which the interpretive spirit OF tne .u
delights 60 deal The scene is laid in Lngmnu
in and about the period Of Monmouths luo,io
rebellion, which brings dire disaster to al III.
principal characters. The father, brother ""'
lover of the heroine are all deeply lmpno""
and being arrested the two latter are threatcheu
with speedy execution under the Judgment u
the butcher JeiIrcys. At this juncture COUSIN
Of tho nrsoners BENJAMIN Boscorel, an ngralned
scoundrel. undertakes to procure their PARDON IL
Grace Eykin. the heroine, will marry him. Arter
q terrible struggle the poor girl consents 10 'ho
sacrifcc and is no sooner welded TO the traitor
than she learns that her knsman and lover had
been hardened without the intercession OF Ben
iamin She flies from him OF the church door,
only 10 fall into other misfortunes, being cheated
by n spccious lxnave and kidnapped to Barbados,
there 10 serve as q slave on sugar plantation
Presently her brother Barnaby, Humphrey, her
cousin, and Robin her lover are also Transported
TO the same island. and are bought by her mas
ter who is n drunken brute. Humphrey Is
doctor and his professional skill serves them
well at n critical juncture. They go through
terrible adventures, but in the end return 10
England Just in time to join the invasion OF
the Prince Of Orange. And here occurs the
ethical problem Humphrey finds Graces nus
band. the wicked Bcpjamin, i'll with jail fever
The returned exile has with him parcel OF
Jesuis's Bark (Quinine), then only beginning 10
be known. He is about to administer it TO the
sick man, when he reflects that II benjamin
RECEIVERS the happiness Of Grace Will be maue
impossible her life and Robins will be ruined, and
the most cruel iniouity will triumph over be-
travcd innocence What is he to do in these
circumstances The death Of Benjamin is certain
if the remedy is withheld. Humphrey had sought
Grace for himself, but too late. He had never
ceased 10 love her. Her happiness was all III
all TO him. He throws the drug into the fire,
and BENJAMIN dies that night. This is the con-
fession Humphrey makes at the end OF the story
Was he wrong or right? Regarding the situa-
ton wholly from professional point OF view
OF course he was wrong This he recognizes anu
thenceforth renquishes his profession Du'
officially how does the matter standF IL j.
literally case of conscience On the principles
of casuistry laid down by Mariana and others
Humphrey m ght he justified; while utll@rlahSm
can hardly find fault with an arrangement when
certainly secured the greatest happiness 10 inc
greatest number 1t is very nice question: IN
faro cons,iontiae and would afford scope for
| great deal of ingen Gus argument Inc populdr
verdict will no doubt be that Humphrey did right
IN withholding the remedy and h hlniseii' 'ho"sh
inevitably the cas-, caused him much anxious
| reflection could never feel rerenant ever MS
action. The whole story is well and carefully
hoiD Slin
mated. the color OF the periol true, the action
and dialogn. natural and animated the descrp-
tion graphic and picturesque Many OF the
6crrcS arc finely drawn, and among these arc
| Comfort Eykin the fanatcal preacher, Barnaby
his sailo.-son. Dr. Boscorel Humphrey Benia-
MN. and Grace Eyn, together with Sir Chris
,opbcr. the chivalrous old lord of the manor
and grandfather of Robin. All these live and
| breathe and speak and act easily and naturally,
and in Grace's narrative the flavor of Purltanlsm
is slxilfully and delcately preserved
Between "Thc Prophet Of the Great Smoky
| Mountains and The Dcspot of Broonlseuee
| Cove there Is o certain family likeness thousn
the stories are in no way suggestive oil rcpeu'iop
Teclx Jepson, indeed, is an original character
| born leader of men, with strange crude ho'iohs
about the people of the Old Testament, whom
his untutored fancy places among the scenes
with which he is familiar. Ieck Is one OF
those superlativey dangerous men who, having
| bccomo convinced that they have direct leadings
| rro,c on HIGH. undertake with indomitable conf
dence 10 regulate the conduct OF their neighpors
Recause Of his assumed inspiration he is ready &c
on IN any lengths in enforcing what he regards as
heavenly mandates The community DESCRIBED
he Miss Murfree is not much noted for either sweet
mass or LIGHT 1t believes in mOonshlnc whlsKey
Is pronc to lynch strangers whom 1t views VIII
susricion: and it alternates hysteflcai c''inP
meetings with q kind Of White Cap conspiracy
IT, is rough and coarse ana Ignorant, anu 'h'
,o,,o,s, of Industrious There is a great deal o
description of scenery and weather phehohcna Al
,ho storv. \ great deal too much, many reader
may think, and we arc disposed 10 agree with them
Tbc truth is that there is a practice of painting
elaborat, backgrounds of mountain or mist
ho,h which is liable to degenerate into mere lit
orarv thickness; and Miss Murfree is il
dancer Of acquiring this habit, to the distinc
dotripor. of her art One clear pic
,,re of the mise-cn-scenc should b
sufficient. II is neither necessary nor deslraDl
,bot NJ cvcrv turn the reader should have pages o
word painting' inflicted on him. What he want
most * human action; and it must be said tina
Miss Nlurfioe in this story presents number o
reallv striking scenes and genre pictures lhu
vc have the interior economy OF Iii Strobe
family; the still more picturesque mountain me
mage: Tcck Jcpson's solitary cabin; the villag
gathering at the FORGE the meeting of the vlSllahc
committee in the bacllsmith's barn, ana o'he
striking sketches. Many of the actors, too, ar
vigorously conceived and artistically executct
.Iepson himself is perfectly real so is Eli Strobe
Sd is the blacksmith Marcelh is charmln
+ creation Mr. Strobe is full of quiet hume
Lake Baintrec is interesting, though on the who'll
perhaps. too guilty for really innocent man.
the action of the story altogether there Is growt
. in power and ease of handling ana SIKH IN su
o tanning the interest But the supertuity IN q
sc,i,.ion tends TO overweight the work and to oil
> scurs the progress in her art which the author
really making II is in all kindness and sincerl'
that we recommend a certain restraint in the DIRE
ton referred to-
L rAif d