New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-25
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SOME MINOR NOVELS

WAIF OF TIE PLAINS. ~ Bret Ilartc. l2Ho
PIP. 23l. lIoughton' Mihn Go. ,o,o
TIE LAwTON GIRL. by Harold freoe'''' '''
pp. Az. Charles Scribner> SONS
TIE CRAZE OF CHRISTIAN ENGELHARIi NV
Henry Faulkner Darneil Emo PIP -o'' !" up
CNE GAGEUNE. Par victor Cner5n ,r,tc,n '"'''
Iachette ct Cie NewYo1 F. ". 'mis'o''',
Bret IIartc's latest story seems to be ra'er 'e ID
,, 90 - LONGER work than a complete whole in
tser II concerns the adventures Of little boy ana e
in crossing the Plains: and this part Is MOI" '"''''s
ing and more carefully writtcnwe are lhciNcu ~ ""'
than the concluding chapters. The Tenderness anu N'.
rjes of the bOyish mind are cleNefN an" "''''
sevelopcd and there is dramatic force in the scene Oh
the Plains in which the childry discover 'nal uneN
~ Loot Newt 10 this for artistic skill ana hdchN
y, a,,,o is the account Of Clarence lrants CaIi"rhn
adventprcs and particularly his journey 10 inc h'Ie'
with the mature purpose OF becoming i "~-''' %
examination Of the boy by the aSsemoicu "l'0'' Va
nodman,s GuIch is exceedingly good. After clarence
hos heen taken 10 Don Juan Robinson the W'rVS'
links decidedly and the meeting between the LAD ana
,is old comrade Snsv" though exhibiting no ltue
ucbtness of hand somehow suggests feeling o. UNA
ness on the authors part ~hen he wrote IT. !" NV
last lines Of the story it > intmaeu ''a' T." may "
continued II il is to he regarded a. any ''''e '''
clever sketch. this ought to be DONE ~ 4" sum
Mr. Uarte has written just enough to lead mp 10 anu
% ,us,i,r tho extension and development of the ta'
h,t nt unite enough 10 make it sufficient in It's present
condition.
Mr. Harold Frederlcs novel was apparently mean
% he studv Of the difficulties experienced by e'i
who had suffered the loss of reputation J."
habiljtafinc herself. But. as matter VI nav 80,
-Iawton Girl" While giving is title 10 the Door, mo
e = snhord mate role il. and is scarcely Suih'ci.N
,ndviduallzed 10 concentrate and hOid the sN"Pa."
If the reader The scene is laid IN rliai ~" io''
ga tba nictnres of the manufac turir' Nilids" "a
rhessalv arc among the cleveIest passages III ''o ~
The interest turns upon the hatelnns ana ce''oPn,
NJ a fraudulent conspiracy having for ohJ''t "'o l'
sernc Of great estate possessed by WIDOW ana "c'
daughter The vOung LAWYER. Horace ho'''' WIZ -
,od a. , facilc instrument by two crafty kiaNeS loT
the carving ont Of this plot is character We" ''
ceived and naturally developed. NhIe inc "''' ~
pulsiye parsonage in the book ana the ino>O 'o'
icmptjble he is thoroughly human, ana ldi ~ "
class Of Young men endowed with "Smarthcs7' D".
-; rr,,cinlc whose greed and egOtlsm and
.crerious self conceit lead them continually 10 ue
verge of criminal act, and not seldom beNonu "'
IN schuyler Tenny and judge WcndoVer tie We" i"'"
rsni,alst.brgand we should be very sorry 10 thnN
MAT they Represented either exiSencies OF po''O"'
ties Men quite as bad there have been anu "c, ~
dc,bt ht men cutie as shameless and brutal a. te'c
show themselves ultimately. are hardly 70 nc IO'''
in these DAYS, when, however elastic the 'V'" wa"
ness NAV be considered by the ba>er sort veneer "
civilized manners at least is commonly employed "
mi a smooth face upon fraud Having "ia"" "'
two however and carried their plot 70 the eve "a
disastrous failure. the author drops theM S"U"'','
and wholly for no better apparent reason 'H1" u"
sire 10 bring the story 10 close. Inc KUN 49,
man of the novel. Reuben Tracy, IS "a Ho"' N.''-
mon are ant 10 be in fiction. somewhat vague anu m
vertebrate The inconSequences OF the La"'on 5'''
ora ner,ans intended 70 indicate feminine ilS'anlNN'
but IN the circumstances Jessica'S final anu ia'A ~
venture seems insuifciently accounted iof' i"o'V
decided ability in the novel. but II l. not cVenr
written. and toward the close the acton j. hn'leu a
various gaps are left in the narrative neither ooin''o'
nor warranted by considerations OF ART
The author of The Craze of Christian Enselhart
hoe hoa tho i'll fortune to select a motive beyond ms
c.,uctv 10 handle with due effect \ master OF Ills
.rt would have made a really striking story oNt OF t7
conception which is in line with the modern pS''"'
logical movement to a certain extent Harheu pro
fsssor who has dipped deeply into occult s'uues' ~
Iyers a lecture some reference III "hon
strikes young Dane as indicating sPc''"i
Inoulodve on a subject which has p"lpleNeo
him greatly Tins Dane is Christian Lhsenla'''
and his is the belief based upon personal eN
perences of an impressive character tlal nc iV''''
AT intervals evidence Of having lived more thah once
on this earth. But the evidence nTon "hch ne Ha9
hult This theory consists Of those curious aplarc"
recoleotons of having done the same tmg OF 'o'" i
the same place previously which nave lohs nee" ~
plsined as referablc the duality OF the Drain !"
Fnrelhar1's case there is a complication. however
His mysterious "reminiscences are also premomtl0i> Z"
misfortune and finally he rchearscs the scene oil Ills
ou,, doa,h i'm a waking dream or state Of semi clair
voyance The psychology Of the story * hot al All
carefully worked up. doctrines and theories are "'"
confused and there is evident lack OF the necessary
study After the death Of Engelhart al that follows
is the verest bathos There is nothing in reason 10
account for the remose felt by OH professor upon
whom no real respOns bilty rests or for the sH,cIr
fury Of Fngeharts mother. All IN, EiV ha rc
written with didactc purpose Is jcJWe ih'ipu ana
feeble in the extreme
NJ Chcrbuleiz has written some charming novels
hut such tales as Meta Holdcnis." samuel broh
Of Gle and "LIdee de Jean Tetero7 are scarcely
recalled TO mind by his latest book, Nine Gaecane7
There always was a certain proiXity abon; VI. Cher
bulez but age has magnined this tendency ana
so dulled his Imagination. that too many Oh III, pages
nowadays in real danger OF being con-d'Iea IRE
some In the present novel we have fouid enough
and more than enough Of this tedious pfolXlty, yet
i, cannot be said that Nine Gagcune" j. weak or
moor niece of fiction The plot j. concerned with
sort of a polite duel between a man ana woman
for the affections of another woman. The Du'f-'c
d'Armanches is brilliant beautiful, intensely sci
fish and strong wiiled woman She attracts 10
herself and finally secures her intimate friend ana
companion. a young girl who has been brought uP
10 subordinate herself entirely to an nperons and
eyacting mother The Duchesse acquires sH'h con
tro over Claire that the latter makes promise
never TO marry. During "A temporary absence OF h'r
Jealous friend however, she meet, her fate ana mar
rles on her return. Nine. dArm1nchoa resolves L"
effect the separation OF the Young couple, and by
adrot and inscriptions methods. aided by Inc IN
possible modus vivcndi7 insisted upon by the BRIDE
succeeds in her object. Then follows the interesting
contest over the prize. The husband lay wager
with the Duchesse that he will win the love Of ms
wife How. though after many defeats, he succeeds
and how she suucnders at discretion TO the deep
modification Of the spcfu Duchcsse, the story
.seu must tell All this is very pleasantly and
brightly described, with grace and vigor, 80 thn
when the too long preliminary chapters are once HN
,nnnnted the narrative goes smoothly 70 The end
unfortunately. many readers are HkelN 10 be as
coIraccd bv the tcdiOusncss Of the beginning.
Nom fluhllrnflnr6