New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-30
YEU NOVELS.

,recrnxr By c EssIG sG9 a nlT DSGT.,
A WINDOW IN rnErMs Gy J. ". EarFic. Emo /
pp 81 Ca,-cll Publishing Company.
TIE FIDALGOS OF CASA MOURl5CA. EF mi, Snn'
Dln. Translated by RoEaa G L. Da08eS' I''
A SENS TIVE PLANT. BY +. and d. "cl"fu' i-"o'
THE YOUNGEST BROTHER. By Ern,t Wi I,Mt
translated from the German by halhNa I-"o'
1m 2Ol. Chicago: Laird < Lee
.1ucocruau,7 is called OF the title page "vciled
,, and tle presumption is that these words iitl-
,..,o q foundation in fact. Since there IS notmhg
Grange enough to be conceived which may not nav
or Lave had. it, counterpart IN rahV' 1t "o"" -
idle 70 dispute the possibility OF sach events anu "
,iootions as arc here described actudh! h'PP'
10. for thc honor o. human nature one Is reluctant 10
admit the realism OF such character as iel'h a'',
,o change, almost i'm 4 moment from good 70 evil anu
ncvor apparently make, one effort TO regain HUT i'
nn,itlon and scliresrect. The story "S "iol0
nowerlI and even ghastly. II Is an lIlusu"'io" "a
tbc dominance Of worldly ambition upon s"o'7
vil,od and highly gifted man. capable OF great "e'
,on loving one woman with all his nature yer III '7
a ocriscinc her 20 the furthcrancc of his lnNaUaoc
ms, OF power Helen Iiraine. the heroine is "o,'"
10 whom love is the main necessity OF nc "u Wv"
+houch dcyoting herself to her ambitious huSo""u o
IovalIy and indefatgably, withers uhoer inc "''''
a,o-,,hcrc Of politics and ends by drifting over inc
rnrp(iu
by her husbands blind nsensibity 10 HIS ho'o "r
hcrs The Jurccrnaut that brushes them both Is 'No
snrit Of acquisitivencSs and social VANITY ""V" - "
much in evidence in this fin de slccle Pei'ou
Ec-lc>ton and Miss Marbourg have done thelr WIZ" 80
smoothly and dcfy that 1t is scarcely PoNs"i0 ~
cover The marks of joining III the co"'piVVu W
Thcv have moreover conceived some very o"0'"'O
t.u.tio, though perhaps the detail III the hal'",'"
~ moor Uelen's end might have been spareu Vhc i'
who has "supIcd fan OF horrors i"ls o'iO.' ,,
eliminating tragedy is reached. II Is i'o' 49, i,
,r whether the authors intend to suggest some h'u
of atcncment in the case OF BraIhc' Dut il ~ "
i,o,tc for no atoncment be possible or 'hN"oI'
&, s,,ch q case-nof can a man. after commtuhH S"'"
. crime ever return TO his former state '"ee''
pant does its work too thoroughly lor lI'''
/ NJ. Darric's "A window in ThrumS IS a W.
curious realistic production, but IL caHho' 49,
called a novel. 1t is rather series "a CNa.oh
nictnr,s taken from the domestic life OF SUI"
y,aavcrs family. There is no continuous na -,
r, ,,,Ioous as they succeed one another !iuNUdVc
.1 emily relations and habits. and ndivlduh!ae Uio
dgerent persons introduced. Odd as arc 'i'o ~
methods we come to know all MS Peoplo i"'V0 ,
matcv and take quick interest III the say "5s 's
do,nrs If these undemonstrativc. outwadly haiu anu
coid scots whose religious ardor sceiiS sr'"'OS
o,trostad with ther habitual etOicsm OF manner
4 Window in Thrums" however, shows tha' oc"inu
This surface of hardness there is an emclohal 'aP
which NAV 90 the length Of breaking hearts, ana .""'
beh ind cold
may live with force and persistence beyond NATURES
Gar more ouick to manifest their ephemera feelings
Tho dialect in which the story is told Is maecu 50
broad that many readers may hnd 1t All ehlpa'f"NS
ment Words and expressions are uSed winch Sec'n
strange even to those familiar with conventional SCOT
tlcisms But this adds quaint flavor to inc Dooh
and certainly does not interfere seriously Win us
effectiveness, which is marked
The FidaIgos Of Casa Mourisca7 is a Portuguese
arob V Il
popuar author in his country. under the nOmde
plume of Julia Dinz. 1t introduces us to quite new
field of fiction. On the one hand we ma cia's Oh
ancient mobiles, whose obstinate adherence 10 ienua
ideas has thrown them back upon themselves, r'lhcd
their estates, and left them only pride and poverty
On the other hand is shown the new Portugal based
on thrift energy and sense. which is rapidly trans
ferring the wealth and Influence of the Nation 10 a
youns generation having claims of blood, but "A
very hearty faith in sefhep and liberal doctrines
The principal characters here are an old, proud ana
impecunous fdalgo and his sons, and II prosperous
former retainer of the decaycd nobleman, who has
Iisen While his old master was sinking. Love plays
an important part in the story. and in this end acts
as universal solvent. The author writes well
and strongly and invests the unfamiliar scenery ana
action with an interest sufficient 10 overcome tbs
strangcuess. 1t is evidently drawn from ard TO the
life, and ii proves that Portuguese hcticn In its
higher rank has apologies TO make or allowances
to claim in competing with the literature of other
countries.
f. and D. Gerard have written several more inter.
eStng novels than a Sensitive Plant" which, not
outstanding, is above the average in ability It's
faults seem 10 be certain eXaggeratiOn and lack Ct
proportion. The bashh young girl whose history it
chronicles is really rather ooorle,s and insignificant
person. and she falls in love with st cololcs'
and ms significant person The most dlsagreeabe char
octer In the booksr Alexis also the most original
and dyertlng. The advcnturcsscs, mother and
daughter, Who so nearly succeed in cntIappng the
hero arc drawn with minimum Of realism. IT j, not
10 be expected that the author could have p rsOnal
knowledge Of such people the lgays. but they
might have perceived that senstvencSS is about the
last thing to trouble ladies Of the type Of Olympic
her schcmng mother This, however is not a series
bemish. and IL may be admitted that the interest i'll
the story proceeds. The first ow chapters
ore open the charge Of duness and prOiXity, but
after thai things move more briskly, and the concu-
is all that the most orthodox novel reader could
desire.
Ernst wichcrt's novel "Tre Youngest Brother is
called "a socalistic romance but there Is not much
Socialism about ii. a younger brother who has be-
come a mechanic fails among Socialists, who naturally
Go him plenty OF harm when he tries TO set up "a
capitalist. The police III Is in Germany interfere with
him. and finally make him dOmiciliagy visit and
capture dangerous character in Ills rooms. The
heros elder brothers are highly respectable, and Of
course he scandalzcs them. Sooth 10 he him elf
is particularly stupid and unnercsting. His bro hers
servant maid, with whom he falls in love. IS much
brighter and in fact considerably too good for him:
and all things considered, he gets i'm the END good
Zeal better position than he seems To deserve. The
tale is well written and the military and official classes
might find in its pages sarcastic ana satirical
references to their habits and tendencies than
would perhaps be altogether agreeable