New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SOME MINOR NOVELS.

unSnenots OF Languedoc. BY Grace Raymond.
iamo PIP. $50. a. u. f. Randolph 20
THE DAY WILL COME BY Miss Miss. Braddon. LIMO
SWALLOWS WING, tale Of p Pekn by y Charles
"A pJpF ON A CYCLONE. By W. II. Ballou. l2mo.
DID, l7s Beiord, Clarke & Co.
HIS WIFE. OR his WIDOW BY Marie WASH
s1omo pp 343. c. W. Dillingham;.
eyagabondia' was Mrs. Burnett's first novel; pub
Isbed under the title Doly' long ago that 1t had
hsen forgotten and out Of print, when recently
she rcgained control OF it, and has reissued 1t Win
some changes and a new name IT is pretty story
and should have been recognized as work OF some
promise for writer. The family OF the Oiewes'
who inhabit Vagabondia. their Bohemian ways, their
free and easy habits. the systematic dsorler ana
roakeshiftipnss which characterize their housekeeping
she swectnaturcd optimistic philosophy with which
they bear all the and deprivations OF their
tmpccunious condition, are neatly described, ana
each member Of the odd group is clearly drawn
Dolly Crewcs Is the heroine, but her sisters AIMEE
the little sage and general manager of the household
and Mole the baby and beauty share the readers
fnterest with her and Tonetic, Pills girwifc, and
Tod the latter's baby, who IS owned in common by
all the girls, and of course rddculousy spoiled Ol'
rolly's lover may perhaps be thought somewhat 100
exigent and unreasonable, though there is much 10
be said for him. and it is to be feared that Dolly ala
frt. The fortunes Of the family are followed IN
sprighty manner, and Vsgabondia is made to appear
a decidedly more fascinating sphere than those who
really inhabit it generally find it.
The troubles OF the Huguenots in Languedoc during
the seventeenth century furnish the motive for Grace
Raymond's novel; " How They Kept the Faith The
author has wisely refraned from the attempt 10 WHO
historical novel. and has not been 100 careful III
avoiding anachronisms; but the narrative IS splreo
the characters developed with much skill, ana the
general style is equal to the high level OF inc sehu
ment The prosecuted faith of course enters into all
the relations of the dramatis porsonae, and there
are hair-breadth escapes, cruel pursuits and punish
ments, and sufficiently vivid reflection OF the S'oriS
period chosen for treatment. The acton covers ue
dsas.rous revocation Of the Edict of Nantes, winch
removed the last lingering hope Of the French hugue
pots and was the signal for an emigration whose
effects were felt I'm the industries of France for genera
tions The stirring events described with strong
color and effect.
Miss Braddon is often interesting, even when
most Objectionable but her Objectionable ways
have been so completely thrown INTO
the shade by the compositions OF
younger and far more audaclous and uncompOmisins
school Of that present the writer who
once represented ultra aonalism has come 10 be
rather conservative than otherwise. Her last story IS
certainly not startling ELUSIVE I'm respect and
the plot is more carefully elaborated and better filled
IN than those of the more modern novelstS' Ihere
Is OF course a mystery. Miss BraddOn could no more
dispense with a mystery than could Gabonau.
dreadful murder is COHlInltteu uiutT
which battle everybody. young husband is assas-
stnated by a shot through the window of his own
drawing room. in the days of the honeymoon lie Is
not known 10 have enemy or a dark page IN MS
brief fe-recor, and the situation furnishes abundant
opportunity for that kind of clever writing which Keeps
the reader the tcnterhooks of expectation untl all
is ready for the denouement Veteran novel readers
will perhaps not be put off the track by Miss Brad
dons articles, but It must be admitted that she mas
managed the business adroy, and that the identity OF
the assassin Is concealed as long as possible Onc
other point in favor Of this writer deserves mehton
She always puts work into her books, ana never
afronts the public with the shmbe-skanbe stun
which too many ambitious authors TO think good
enough padding when their ideas running to
smptyincss This is merit which counterbalances
several faults.
Mr. Charles Hannah has had good idea but like
so many modern storytellers he has apparently Deeh
100 impatlent 10 let 1t develop fully The conception
Of an Engshman kidnapped and held TO ransom Dy
Chinese in Pekn. and making known his condition by
wing notes TO the wings of swallows, is obviously one
en-, Of which an experienced novelist might have made
a strong story. Mr.. Hannah evolves an Engllshman
turned Chnanan who plays the principal part in the
finding and liberation of the prisoner Norris, and here
again is a good idea, capable Of expansion But Chin
Chin-Wah is after all little than an outline. and
the proceedings for the release of Norris though deal
.ng entirely with new situations and material miss
being Interesting in quite curious and aggraVatlnE
,anner As IN the treatment of Norris by the Chinese
priests, there is alack of motive throughout II IS no
less improbable that unprecedented and spon-
taneous an attack should have been made on an English
traveller in Pekn than that the prisoner should have
been subjected TO the torture described. shan-Nun-
Yuen, moreover is described remarkably asue, yet
nothing could be cruder than his attempts to black
mail Norris. Altogether the story strikes us as
good opportunity poorly utilized.
Mr. Ballou's "A Ride on Cyclone IS rather an
extravaganza than a novel The Baron PaeZig, cat
tie king who has great stock ranch in Idaho, is
borne on the wings Of tremendous cyclone from that
locality 20 New-York while asleep in his bed. lie
aIghts on the roof Of New York man of business
without being awakened and in the morning various
complications naturally enSue, the most serious being
The refusal of the barOns business associates 10
nize him. they stoutly insisting that the real baron
persisted in the storm, which destroyed everybody and
everything for many miles around. Paezig does not
find it an easy matter establish HIS identity. but in
the end the credulity Of the New-York
mlliOnaires is made 10 appear as re-
Inarkable as their previous skeptciSm. The au-
thor has padded this preposerous story with many
pages of fancifl pretended exposure of modern bust
ness methods and arrangements, the whole perform
ance being crude
The author OF the novel Hazel Klrkes has written
a romance called His Wife. or His Widow! intended
10 illustrate Mormon Institutions and practices The
main problem, which furnishes the title. does not offer
very perplcXing issue A young married man Is
supposed TO have been killed I'm of the battles of
the Rebellion and his widow mares again. The real
husband turns up Mormon and DANTE. besides
being Mexican breand, adventurer and murderer
upon slight provocaon. The book is full of assassna
lions and melodramatic situations, but exhibits no
artistic power. skill in character drawing. and not
much narrative capacity. II reveals nothing new
about the Mormons, and much of the Utah matter
belongs obsolete past II is not in any point Of
view q strong novel