New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-03
A GOOD NOVEL.
A FAIR AND SHALLOW HEROINE.


A DAUGHTER OF EVE, by the Author Of Mar.
8 saS e.. Aon' '4''' W
BErrER TIMES stories by the Author Of Margaret
IT'S satisfaction 10 read q novel Ike A Daughter
Of Eve II only for tho sense Of psinsaking ana nnsa
which is conveys. moro honestly eisoora'cd piece
OF literary work could not be desired and 10 is con-
seentlous execution there goes uncommon gift OF
creative imagination. The author has written story
Of which the plot slight the interest oepcndins upon
the interplay OF clearly djscmnsted and indvidnaircd
characters, and this Is By far the moro dmcuit hna
OF novel to compose. We must also remark the sus-
tanned evenness and consistency OF the character
drawing. Tho company put upon the stage 10 perform
this society drama contains no "shckA' IL Is
rather ono OF thoss good an-round stock companies
Of which the modern starring system has leit Us
little moro than q tradition We can put our Niger
upon no unfinished, unreal marionetto-!lke person
ago here. we know and understand thom all, ana
they all i've and move and have their being In
simple, natural human way, which ia not far from the
highest art IN fiction.
Tho story centres upon beautiful, shi,llow. weak
and worldly GIRL Who under the dominant influence OF
her mother throws over manly and deserving lover
10 accept an aged millionaire. This millionaire IL
phanthroplst and In many respects an cstmAbo and
even ioysble But ho submits himself with sofne
moro than American docuty 10 the sway OF bis young
selves like horsoleeches upon his purse Mrs. barry.
more the mother OF Olive, the rich mans wife. Il not
q new ppc: In fact rather fayorite ono In felton,
and her character recalls that Of the Old Campsgnc
In aThe Newcomos,' while David Litchfed behaves
toward her with patient good humor not unlike that
Of Colonel Newcome. Mrs. Barrymore, however, Is
In no sense an imitation, but posscsses decidedly
strong Individuality, and the scenes IN which she
| figures are particularly amusing The Barrymore
fnrnl IL full 0f
| In widely separated planes OF action. One Of tho
girls is married 10 German baron, who took hor for
her great expectations and while waiting for David
| Lichhelds removal smuses himself with promiscuous
hrtstions, which at brief intervals drive his too-sen-
siuye wife 10 laehrymese demonstrations OF an embar-
rasslngly public Kind. Another Of the girls had made
bad marriage far love- and ckes out modest income
by newspaper work. chiefly correspondence and society
gossip In the gathering of which she materially a.
| ststed by Patty the only unmarried sister, and who
resembles olive IN many respects, but Is made Of hrmer
| material
The one weak point IN the story seems TO ns to DO
the difficulty OF believing that veteran business man
Like David Litchnsld could have made VIII dcyiSng
tho bulk of HIS fortune TO charitable uses, hiowins
| that Us execution must depend upon his wife's
loyalty In renouneing hcr dover rights. During the
| whole Of his married iifo he had before him tho
spectacle Of Mrs Bsymore's Unsuitable rapsctfy aud
he every day how completely his wife was under h'
influence Of her mother. He perfectly aware that
ali the Barrymores had been building for years upon
the expectation OF his millions. and between these
impatient advenurers and tho great fortune he knew
| that no was leaving nothing but tho volfnon OF a
women whose weakness Of purpose and friyoiy Of
soul he have realized completely II Is hardly
possible to conceive Of 80 sagacious man committing
himself 10 30 desperate chance az that OF bis wifes
fidelity 10 promise which not only deprived her OF
sinence but Of the same ilmc disappointed all her
understanding family land this, too In an era when tho
contesung Of mliionaires wills seems almost matter
Of course Next to this rather strained situation In do
fective natralncss we must place tho
relations subsistng between Olive Litchheld
and James Merton, tho youns lawyer
whom she so heartIcssly lifted she idea
that in such case ths outraged lever can hold the
girl gultless and conne hs resentment to the inrsn-
ing mother stakes a. false to human nature Oh
course the girl Is not innocent In such . case Her
weakness IN yielding to Tho maforna pressure Is N
truth almost criminal ana as such u would BE- ~
garded by a selfrespeesng, elearsightsd man who
happened 10 DO tho victim Of her pcrndy.
James Morton, however. gocs on loving Olive In .
aim way aftef hor marriage, and whom her husband
dies rcnsws his former tender relations with hor, and is
on the point Of marrying her when she gives him an
other ana conclusive proof Of her instability by break
Ing her pledge 70 the dead ana agreeing 70 contest
the VIII We DO not think man OF sferon's
character could have gone loving Olive, that he
could have faIlsa under her influence again undos
any circumstances But whether or not the author
Is mistaken here, she has conducted the action sc
skluily that few readers WIN think OF questioning
lie verismiiltuds until they have finished the book
James Merton Is pleasant young man little given
10 Whist may be called unconscious nirtation ana
Il uulo in danger OF being spoiled b. that social
hypocrisy which loads people 70 condone al manne
al sins and wrongs rsthor than infringe oonventIonI
founded IN purely immoral collective selnshnsss Ths