New-York tribune., 1890-04-01
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
SOME CURRENT NOVELS.


a MARCH IN THE RANKS Dv Jessie Tothe.sill.
lGmo PIP. 5Oo. Henry Holt a CO.
DJAMBEK TIE GEORGIAN: EyA.G. yon su,iner.
Translated by H. VI. Jcwctt. Introduction ly VI. VI.
MamgaNarian l2mo. rp. @'7. ID. Appleton y 60.
CoSETTE hy Katherine Macquoid l.mo PIP. ''-'.
MEMOIRS OF A MILLIONAIRE. Bv Lucia True
Ame>. 12mo, PIP. 325. Honshton. Mihn d Co
IN THOUGHTLAND AND DREAMLAND. Ey Ella
D'E,terc Keeling. 12mo, PIP 900 London J.
Fisher JnVin.
Jessie Fothergill has written several good novels.
Lut not which is evenly excellent than "N \
March in the Ranks We have fault to ind Will
nothing Of il but the title. which j. certainly iar-
fetched and unsusgestivc. The story Itself j. paSo
from real life and If the veteran novel Ircadcr i
little pcrpleXcd at finding neither herocs nor hero
inc, in it, but quite ordinary people who have tepeS
and commit all manner Of mistakes. and say foolish
things and foolish the said reader should
console him her self with The reflection that after
al the heroes Of real lie not plentiful as black
lcIrc~." while the other Kind are. The bc> quality
in the book is The Keen and clear discrimination be
tween characters None Of he actors is a dummy
All are strongly ndvdualzcd. and all remain true -
the qualities given them. The study Of Alizon Bun
dell is remarkably clever and artistic. she Is quite
. new creation. this impciouS. magnetic deeply con
scentious. biusque and sometimes even unmannclY
Young wonau Her brother Perc-rue is a fine foil
10 her. with hi, heart disease serving constant
excuse for the indulgence OF h, natural cGotsin The
Noble family j. not less admirably drawn. and with
naturalncss scarcely 10 be cflrAi>cd. Poor Nelly
H.undc. Pcrcerncs discarded wife. il certainly very
iIIuscd Notwithstanding her. Vuisaiity and general
impracucabnty. There arc two Americans IN the
story "A brother and sister, and naturally they the
least real peIsOnages. The sister. indcei, j. some
times little better than carcaturc. and should
Ike 10 know where the autlOr obtained the iniorma
ton that "snufdippns' Is a fashionable practice at
the White sulphur springs! southern women VIII
.prnsv ri.a in pro14~ =
caumnous though extremely funny asscrtion-whch
a. though make it more aCsravating. is pnt into
the mouth Of of the Americans. who southern
people themselves.
~DJambck the Georgian is called tale Of modern
Turkey. The scene is laid in and around Batoum
The motive j. The exposure OF Turkish misrnle over
Georgian population. The narrative is lively and
diversified and full Of movement and excitement
alductons. ducs. a-sas-ination- official outraccs
popular rcvolt> ccnspracc>. and forth alternating
with sufficient iapdlty. The German author seems
10 be suspected ly Nr. Nancasarian. who writes an
introduction. Of an underlying purpose to cNah the
Russian governmental methods at the expense of those
Of the padi>hah and his lcutenante But it may
safely alleged that the Russian methods need not be
intrin>ically good 10 lc better than the Turkish
methods the phenomenal badness Of which must be
admitted ~ the best friends the sick Man Whether
the tcorsians had to dread Russian iTle more
over, Is secondary consideration, for Ii i, obvious
that Turkish rule cNtcrniratng them. and that
10 forciSn dc,pOt cUIld do worse than That. They
did not in fact. Jump ont Of the frying pan into the
fire. but precisely the reverse and IN doing 50 they
simply took the one chance of escape that remained
TO them Djambek the Gcoi- -ldn" strikes
altogether spirited and probably faithful pFe,enta-
ton of conditions which existed prior TO the last
Euss0-Turki war. and which have certainly been
changed for the then, though not through
Turkish reform, Of any kind
katherine Macquoid has written charming story
OF humble French life "Co>clte, which is The history
II a pretty little blarch~>eusc." whose frOward
inclinaors led her 10 thwart the cherished purpose
OF her worldly wise aunt ~ marry her 10 worthy
"chcfr considerably older than herself OF course
Cosettc fell loVc with young man. and unioriu-
natcly for her he j. nc'er dOVcc" who cannot earn
lis own living. not to speak Of a Wife,. We s'lu
say OF The plot. that il docs NOT proceed
all after the usual manner. and that the ina hap
pncss Of Cosctle is secured By means which the
reader will have discover for himself. 1t is very
ceverly put together, and it i full Of delicate little
Nignettcs and sh observations French watering
place life and many otLer matters.
The Memoirs Of a Millionaire can hardly De called
a novel. vet there j. other Ella >iacatOn open 10 It,
II is ideal account Of The work done ly a
woman of large in solving various social /
problems such l. the housing Of the poor. The i'm
pIovcment Of popular education through the open
ing Of free libraries. the providing Of ando- 10 ,
nateriastic influences. and the general raising Of The
status Of the working cla>sc, The greater pant oi the
Look i, taken up with discussion Of these questions.
and The authors practical bent is oddly mamie
oddly, that is, for work Of ncton-by the insertion
Of number of architectural plans for fiat, and /
tenement honses. 1t +, bat justice 10 that
Of these exhibit decided ingenuity and offer Jess
decided improvements in general arrangement /
the prevailing styles Of apartmenthOu,es. 1t /
also be said that the discussion OF social questions (
full Of keen thought and the wisdom gained only by
large experience. The book be read with |
interest and advantage in short, II il is clearly under
stood that is something different from a novel.
hut those who look for anything like story in it
apt 10 be disappointed
The short papers by Elsa D'EstcIrc Keeling which !
have been collected into "A volume under the title !
In ThOughtland and In Drcamland somewhat |
peculiar and difficult to classify They mostly !
Sketches rather than stories. and many Of them !
dciached bits of rejection and mOralizing. rather |
than sketches. In not "a few instances their brcvity
against :hem, but they are characterized by warm
sympathcs lively fancy, and easy, flexible style.