New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NEW NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES.

NEW NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES.
hR: EAsTs EXPERIENCE IN Mr.. BELLAMY's
nom spe German BY Mary j. Stafford. lsmo. PIP.
255. Harper q Brothers.
OF NERO. BY Frederic W. Farrar d. D.. F. r. S.
svo PIP. 5e4. Longmans, Green Co.
THE SPANISH GALLON. BY Charles Sumner seeley
1cmo, PIP. 29o Chicago; A. c. mcclure & Co.
A ROMANCE OF TWO BROTHERS BY Edgar Faw-
eett iemo, PIP. i46. The Minerva Publishing
WITH MY FRIENDS. TALES TOLD IN PARTNER
ductory Essay on THE ART AND MYSTERY OF
CoLLIBoRATIoN. IamO, PIP. 2a4. LOngmans'
THREE TALES. By William Douglas oConnor.
12mo. PIP. $50. Houghton, Mihiin q Co.
PAUL BoURGET's PAsTELs OF MEN. FIRST Series
Translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley lomo'
PIP. 223. Boston Roberts Brothers
THE YOUNGSTOWN STAGE. AND OTHER STORIES.
BY Robert Howe Fletcher. 1emo, PIP. .o2' D.
IVAN THE FOOL: Also, A LAST OPPORTUNITY MY,
AND PoLIKUsHKA. by Count Leo Io,stol'
Translated nom the Russian by Count Norrslkow
Illustrated bv Valerian Gribayedof 16mo, pp. 112.
Charles l.. Webster & Co.
The author of "Mr Essts Experiences in Mr.
seamys word' has undertaken to refute the theories
n Looking Backward" by Mr.. Bellamy's own methods
He supposes man OF the nineteenth century to nave
existed Ia state OF trance 10 the year 20Oo when he
ewakes to find Belamy's Socialism in full SWING
throughout the civilized world which, TO his con-
siderable surprise It does not appear to nave beneneo
In accordance with the theory On the contrary IL mas
failed to change human nature appreciably. Every
body is secured living. 1t is true. but as nobody has
any personal interest in industrial or any OTHER de-
vclopment, work is sighted, the general output Is
diminishing steadily, discomfort is growing sharper
and already thinking have reached the conclusion
that the system is complete failure. Mr. Wlloranot
has expended much thought ana labor upon the story
and his refutaton Of the wildly and unpracdcally
optimistic theories OF Bellamy pretty thorough and
effective. In fact by the time the end OF the book Is
reached the hopeesness of State Socialism has been so
impressed upon the readers mind that he Is apt TO
wonder how any could ever have thought the
Bcamy vision reeizable. The author has really per-
formed strong piece Of misunderstanding work, and
though such look only for adventure NAV find some
of the arguments and explanations somewhat heavy
and tedious there is much sound judgment and
Wholesome political economy in the book that at
time when socialist vagares almost as rife as they
were a century ago, Mr.. EaSts experiences ought to
clear away the cobwebs from good many brains We
wish the volume a wide circulation.
Archdeacon Fai1ar's bulky volume presents series
OF pictures Of the time OF Nero based Of prn-
cipay upon Tacitus and Suetorius and the Roman
satirists and expanded with considerable skill and
effectiveness. The realism OF some Of these pictures
indeed Is very modern, and here and there almost
excessive. Tbs Archdeacon's view Of Nero presents
little novelty and he evidently considers him quite
rs black as painted The underlying purpose Of the
the dramatic interest OF The story somehow centres upon
the wicked pagan world, and though the Christian
martyrs made to die with a rather too uniform
lorncss Of demcanor and exaaon of spirit the author
has unconsciously infused most vigor into his de-
scrlptons OF the prosecuting Romans. The work is,
however characterized by learning graphic skill and
q rare naturalness and the historical elements may
generally be depended upon.
The story OF the Spanish Gaeon is one Of search
for sunken treasures in the Caribbean Sea- The ad-
venturer is wrecked close to the island whose coast
the gaeon supposed TO have been sunk two centuries
ago; and as he is the sole survivor the author is
enabled to develop regular Robinson Crusoe course
OF treatment So encyclopaedia young surely
never was heard Of as this hero. lie knows bow to do
and TO make everything He is botanist seaman,
hunter, a carpenter inventor, and In fact what
ever the exigencies Of the require bin 10 be.
Much ingenuity isshown by the author in this part Of
the story but the said about probability the better
or course he discovers the Spanish Galeon, and of
course-but the denouement shall be left for the
render to ascertain
In "A Romance OF Two Brothers, Mr.. Fawcett
rcvers to very old motive, namely, the search for an
elixir Of immortality. Of science makes
wonderful discovery in the OF his experiments
and compounds the elixir at the same time carefully
writing out the method OF making 1t. His wife. who
Is narrow and so1r bsot, destroys the potion during
his Illness and haStcns If she does not canse his
DEATH lie leaves issue but the two brothers whose
story is told here The receipt for the elixir falls into
the hands OF tie Younger, who Is physician OF ad-
vanced views and he compounds it, and with IT brings
10 life an apparently dead woman, with whom he pro-
ceeds to fall in love Who the resscitaed girl
10 be and what is the consequence OF her revival
questions which constitute the main interest OF the story
and therefore they shall not be answered here. 1t
must suffice to say that Mr. Fewcctt has handled his
iricult theme with decided effect and that tie romance,
a romance fulfls Its purpose satisfactorily
Perhaps the best thing in Mr. Matthews's book is his
own Introductory essay on "The Art and Mystery OF
Collaboration" II is both witty and instructive, and
the examples OF collaboration which follow well
done that think II would be virtually impossible TO
distinguish the respective work OF the literary partners.
Collaboration, however. Mr.. Matthews fully recog
nzes is not for strong and original writers.
"tour de force Two heads not better than one
IN writing a book, II II is serious book, or If 1t is
intended that IL should be strong great book.
There is sometimes convenience In the method, and
especially in connection with writing There it
has found Its most marked success and there 1t will
probably establish ITSELF In fiction its adsptablity IS
more limited.
Three tales by william Douglas OConnor appear
with interesting and characteristic preface by Walt
Whitman. They are The Ghost" 1.-THE Brazen
AndroidS and The Carpenter" The frse and third
are Christmas stories. and very powerful and moving
ones The author evidently had gift IN the drcc.
ton OF the pathetic which might have carried him
far. The second tale is founded upon that of Roger
Bacon and the hraEen head-a legend in which Virgil
has figured the magician long before. Here Mr..
oCOnnor has not hesitated TO employ the super
natural with truly medieval thOroughness and
bodncss but the impression produced is hardly in
proportion TO the aucacy Of the experiment. The
story however IS oevery told. and the three tales
certainly deserve to have been put In this permanent
form.
The first series Of Paul Bourgeois a. astels OF Men,
has been already reviewed IN The Tribune in the
oT1ginal French. II is therefore only necessary to
say OF the translation that Miss Wormey has put
the sketches into admirable English. and that this
Anal ~