New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-14

People who can find interest In stories 10 ~
and unthnkable the widest dreams may DC pi's
with this one. Those who demand some h''o I'm
formty to in their fiction will be dsapp0h'0u
with It,
"A Life for a Love- is much more realistic In the
working out but hardly less impossible as regsrus
plot than the novel last considered. The beaa Oh
great mercantile firm accepts az sonlh-ia" 'os
man without means, on condition that alIer 'e'
OF married life he shall go 10 Australia ana arrahso
sham DEATH first having insured his lie lot very
large amount which amount is 20 save the merchano
from ruin and shame by enabling him 10 make gov
a trust fund he has stolen. The young man WIZ
agrees 10 this piece Of scoundrelism is represented
throughout as Christian hero, which Is 10 say uio
least remarkable As for the GIRL she does no' io'o
him. but consents TO marry him 70 piea'0 m
afectonate but criminal popa. IL IS not surpri',e
that the outcome Of these arrangements Is geicfaS
disastrous but there is a lack Of lucidity IN 'nc
.nor,. ,ntrodncton Of what the Psychcsl Research
society has been pleased 70 denomnate "Pnsntasms
of the Living under conditions afosctner irro'on
cilablo with such phenomena.
Mas Murfree,s "Fencian Is not . cheerful novel,
nor Is It a very interesting one 1t turns upon tno
attempt OF restless-minded young woman 10 hVe 'no
ne Of a public singer whom she has marrieo III
defiance of her family. The singer is really very
good fellow-too good, one is inclined 70 lih' ior
IN. wife who IS selfish and dsoyol without meaning
into such tanae that the author finds 1t necessary
q, kl IN. M her difficult characters before the emu Vi
the story and we are sorry to say that IN our jug
nen+ che has removed" the wrong one. Ihere Is
some fairly good character analysis In the talo out
n lacks brightness and humor, and the gloom se''o'
moro and more deeply down until the close.
Mr.. Anstey IL generally original In his concerts
and not less generally amusing. In iourinaiiii D
Tina Cheauesn he has devised an ingenious iho'Ne'
NTH tdpd
Tho idea OF the "tme cheques is novel, and lusO
absurd enough 10 be entertaining, and the adventures
~ Peter Tournaln in expendng his cheques are oi
n kind TO elicit laughter from the grlihnesU r'"
To give any hint to the nature Vi 'i'o ~
wouId be unfair to all who have the pleasure VI
reading the book in store. We ha'o o"y ~: ~
fault To find with the book, and that conccin' '''
| denouement which in truth is hackneyed'
Tho Kentuckv tales and sketches published by
! lanes lane Allen under the title OF Flute anu
v,o,np are full of varied merit and Interest ana "nio
dealing in some instances with trte subjects, mVcs'
| them with an originality and freshness winch moro
than makes amends There is much simple pa'hoS Ia
most Of these stories of which the The Wmte Cowl
and Sister Dolorosa" opens new veih' III uea,''S
with American monasticism os motive IN nct'on'
Mr. Allen does not rely at all upon dialect wneh Is
n relief for dialect has been terribly overworheo ior
some time.
The author, who writes under tne nom NC pluno VI
q ~ has brought together, in the volume entitled
| q Souchts and Crosses" number Of stories ana
| sketches which show him NJ his best. lie POSSESSES
distinctive quaint and pleasant style, ana Wiuin-
| sicaltv which marks the true humorist. lie never
| initiates or bOrrows, which IS much to be able 70 say
If any writer in days when every subject has pcen
eyploited and every idea worn threadbare. Moreover
he has not injured himself, as so many promising
writer's DO 10y excessive production; fault which is
far more fatal to genius than neglect "Q evidently
works slowly and carefully, and so 1t is that much o.
his best work reads as though It had cost no enor
whatever. His new volume is Just the KIND OF thlne
to take into the country.
| Under the title "A BOX OF Monkeys" Grace Liv
ngston Furnss has collected four farce-comedies Of
| verJ much the same order OF interest They arc
light as they ought be. and they are characterized
by what our grandfathers called ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
| ner." OF course II would be absurd 10 iOoA io'
dramatic genius In compositions OF the kind Fun Is
all that can be expected OF them, and they provide
that they fulfil their mission. They are moreover FOL
young people, and young people laugh more easily
than their seniors and should find in these Hulk
| farcecomedies sufficient entertainment
eide Time Tales" consist Of four TRANSACTIONS, fro
| Coppee Balzac Daudet and De Musset, respectively.
We cannot say that the taEslatiOns well donc and
as mucb better English versions Of most Of the stories
exist elsewhere. perhaps II was hardly worth While
offer the public these Indifferent versions.