The Washington critic., 1889-04-30
ANTEROS: LIFE WITH PASSION.

lUE CRITTC reprints from the cur.
rent Literature, +" New York. for May
story by Donald Mcleod appearing in
the Hnichor6ocker forty wears ago and
prefaces 1t with an explanatory editorial
comment by the Current Literature"
"Stil againl The symptoms are not
new There has been no flying leap
from Swinburne to Amelie Rives-from
Balzac to Saltus. "What does this ten
dency to realism signify? What deduc.
tions must be drawn from the novel of
passion? What are we coming tor In
point of fact we are Just about where we
were fifty years ago--only there are
more of us. Among the American
writers of yesterday--as of to-day--are
those Of the realistic school-ayel and
Of the cratic school. There are those
who wrote of life and its passions--good
and evil. The period of the old
"Knickerbocl,er Magazine" was an era
of intense responsibility in the literature
of our country, and its contributors were
among the literary pioneers of America.
Yet within Il pages and from the pen of
one of its most valued and gifted con
tributors" we take an authoritative ex-
ample of ultra, realistic fiction which,
were II written to-day, would have sent
the critics into apoplectic fits. II is the
story of Anteros-"A Life With One
Passion. 1t falls from the lips Of a
woman. II is the story of her life and
her love. 1t is told with uncompromis-
ing directness--with brutal truth.
There is, literally, neither side effects
nor setting Of any description to this
picture Of purely animal passion.
II opens with q pen portrait of
the heroine--a languorous, volupt-
uous study, whose sensuousness is pur-
posed and complete, and uncqualed by
anything which a younger generation
has given to the world. Not posi-
bility for sensual effect has escaped the
author. The atmosphere of the story
is heavy with the perfumes of iessa-
mines, heliotrope and violets--steeped
in strong wines. In the simple direct
ness of its old-fashioned English, the
story marks the various stages of an in
tensely animal love, beside which that
of Barbara POmfret for her cousin takes
on the tender, delicate colors of pas
toral idyl. The voluptuous heroine Is
presented to us in every. phase of her
sensual nature, from first burning
glHnce-tne Ilrst crusning CONSCIOUSNESS
of passion, which brings unconscious
ness with it-through days of delirium
and nights of languor, to the last
furious embrace, in which this creature
of the senses, vampire-like, draws the
very breath of life from the lips of the
man she loves-and whom, with this
very love, she kills. This story is
called psychological study. 1t ap-
pears in gallery of selections from the
best numbers of the "Knickerbocker
Magazine" side by side with the work
of such writers as Washington Irving,
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Rev. Samuel
Osgood. Rev. George Bethune, ID. d.,
Donald g. Mitchell, William Cullen
Bryant, bayard Taylor, John IT, sake
James husseli Lowell, iienry w. Long
fellow and George william Curtis For
the beneht OF those critics, whose pure
white souls are narrowed win the fear
oi the possible result OF the new cratic
novel on The Daughters oil America;
ana 1or those OF our readers VINO would
IKE 10 Judge OF wnat the mothers OF
America passed through unscathed
about forty years ago, we print the
story OF Anteros In this member OF
current Literature.
There is young, beautiful woman
sitting among pillows and cushions IN
an armchair by an open WINDOW. Inc
still atmosphere is heavy with the scent
OF tn9eroses, 1essamines ana heilotropcs,
fllied as the air IS win tnese rlch IRA.
grances, she adds 10 them that OF
pastliles' burning on tne chimneyipicce,
ana her handkerchief Is wet with ex-
tract OF violets. Her skin is white, hut
not transparent; IL reminds you most OF
cream.laid note paper. The eyes are
lazy, full, ana the color Of the double
English violets. The hair is blonde,
an ashy blonde, and has scarcely wave
in II; II could not be made to curl, but
lies in rich, heavy, almost damp bands,
about the face. Her form, though del
icate, is thoroughly developed, the flesh
firm, the outlines as If chiseled, grow
ing thin now, except the throat and
bust, and the hands and feet, which are
very small, but rounded and plump,
with dimplcs at the joints. She wears
q pale blue silk robe de chambre open.
of white watered silk On the table
beside her is bottle and half-filled
glass of heavy, rich Portugal wine,
pure juice, which leaves a spoonful of
thick sediment in every glass
Except TO taste this, or to inhale the
odors, as the light air throws them oc-
casionally through the window, or to
respire the violet from the handker'
chief, she seldom raises her head from
where II reclines, thrown back upon the
cushions, in which position she looks
passionately and dreamily at her hus.
bands portrait, which hangs upon the
wall before her
The portrait exhibits a man of 20 or
or somewhat sollow thin with beovv