New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-11

,o,,id d aud 'a'ou l. clahora CT novel :" i'' ~
II goes Il exhibits excellent work but IL Is also
disfgrrcd b. cwitcs which reVi 'oh "iiRu' "'''
eliminated.
Tho Mistress % pccrh Knoll" is one OF those quiet
tow .o,.d s.ori,, If Vfa in Ncw England village
rhtoh must 10 recognized as faithful pictures Of
o,,i,ios which have n value as showing phases OF
ox+onco nocii,rly significant OF perhaps perlsling
,s,oct Of American civilization yet which are apt 70
produce somewhat depressing eject upon the reader
possibly thi, impression could be traced to the az
r,osnhcre Of rigid convcntlonasm which, uncon-
sciouslv rcproduccd seems to hem in and mould inc
lives Of nearly all the characters Perhaps 1t Is quo
in ,ort IN the Dominant influence which most women
povcllsts accord to love lifcmotive. The pres
ont story Is skil.3ly constructed, full OF warren III
forests furnished forth with plenty of fresh charac@
studios and provided with sufficiently original cen
trail pan Its dialect Is not brilliant, but pcricc'y
natural and never dull There Is decided capacity IN
thc compositions and not little himor None inc
less. the prevailing impression is more melancholy
than cheerful.
Mr. Mcclure has written a distinctly grim but not
vcak story in "ravd Todd 1t is the history OF
scotch minister living in little, caclng. scandaous'
long tongned burch, who fights great battle WIFI
himself and coz. out victor, to his lasting muiu"ho
discontinue. ,.s moral conflict would seem "'o'
tremendous if tho author had not made the worthy
dominic hesitate much over course t'e so'o "
tonutivc TO which would nave been d 'iih'' 49,
rcnInclatlon Of tho woman he loved, moreover j.
h,.,Icd nv the consideration that, after all, she
ncvcr loved him. but the contrary had gwen her
hear. and The promise o her hand to another man.
Vet when We remember the Kind OF people VINO h'co
at Crosscarn and that David Todd was thclr sptu''
adviser and guide. pcrhap, 1t Is not "ohucrin ui
Tho poth Of even the plancst duty should have been
50 difficult and fill Of thorns for him, or that lie
should have had to wrcstle 50 long to OBTAIN Ms OWL
,o rsmaiu honest man.
nc.orc Francois Coppee's new story appeared it was
-umorcd that "Touc tennessee Yves TO be largely
! antobiographc. The author however, In his preface
denies this report and that there Is In 1t no moro
autobiography than can be found In any story wherein
the writer looks into his own heart Tor tr7iy hnina
experiences Tho novel Is charmingIy written put u
melancholy. II might be called study In dil'usloh-
mrnt The hcro Amc@cc Vo!ctte. is "A young artist
t,u Of fine plrftions and dreams who passes through
= scrc. Of trial. which rob him Of his hopes and de-
stroy III, joyfu an;lc.pstions Tho tendency OF uie
boob f, not precisely pcss.nlSt.c' but u Is sHsh'N
morbid.
Alexander Dumas's The Clcmcnceau casc' Is cast
in the form OF statement supposed TO be made Tor the
usc ~ hl, lawyer by man about tn he put on trial
f,r killing his WIG. sculptor Of cmlncnoe. he mar
4 ricd a very lovely girl hanpcrcd with very SH'HS
| mother AID after period Of passionate Devotion 10
his bd, he discovers that she has been unfhthui To
him and that 80 is IN fact, highly dcpFt'cu prrN"
separates rom h'r anu bo'H 'p'"d"' "H'
TO md that IN losing her he has also lost his ecniiS
Tho .iady of .. experience Ia Rome. and the mcntaI
p,,c,,.cs through winch he (, inscnSibly lei t. the
course which cnd- In tie murder VI hc gdltJ woman
is ,aatlo and powerful to 10 or'''aFy eAtcnt. IN,
translation /, good. AUt the publ might very Wi
have omitted from TIE cover the "tot'y vulgar 1hu
cocottl,i~ Illustration from the fantastic pcncH OF Jan
Van Becrp.
RouticISc publishes. with the Illustrations OF the
de luxe French edition. by Ernest D"e| ana NID'F'
Lynch a translation OF Guy de Maupa'santS Pierre
81 Jean There preface by tho author III when
he defends Do. mctnod, aud the Naiurahstc school
generally wlth much less ingenuity aud force thai
Waldo, has bfouch, to tho task. This preliminary
c..ay on the novel" may be Of uso To such a. come
f1r tho gr.t time L. the study II VI dc haupaSsaht
Tho -tor, { "!rrrc and JEAN shonh Dc ven enou ~
Known by t. trc. II ouiy through Lyuchf hcau:hu u
lr.:-it on- fHc motive Is quit" charncter'u' tl'
ho.roIna OF mother TO-, hog own ION on the Suspicion
~ Aor lurlcl.ty 3" hrr husband ~ oour.c II j. "a
.,aIy written. aut Dr. l- painful ana ~ aSrccdt !.
IN. aud rNfiffs sfrihn-ly 40 least 81 the worst
f,rlts II the Sttu-ali~tc school namely The diSpo,'
.n 20 ,0i 'ourd flit 'ur.S in the representation OF
ab.o.lnal uruGc.s With trrA 70 or.