New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-23
FICTION.
LONG NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES.

L. W. ChnStcrn ana W. H. JcHhiho'
AN ARTIST. From the French OF Madame 1e. nno
| MaIret. by Anna Dyer Page. limo, PIP -
| Cassen Publishing Company.
EVENINGS At SCHOOL. BY Clara Marshall iE"'O'
| DID, 2TO. Hunt e Eaton.
oh Emile Richeboure. Adapted by Mrs. BENJAMIN AMIN
| Lewis. 12mo, PIP. $50. Casseil puoiishin8 Oo"''
DIAYA FoNTAINE. By Algcrnon Ridgeway. Ame T
can Novel Series. 12mo j. d. Llppincof oon'
! oriITA BY Cecil Dunstan. 1amo. J. D. Lpplneo't
Company
CAPTAIN BLAKE. BY Captain Charles s King u o. A.
1omo pp 495. J. B. Lippincott Company.
| SWEET AND TWENTY. BY Mary Farley Sanborhs:
Good Company Series l2mo' PIP Sio A'0
Shepard.
| Julien Gordon's new story Is stridngly clever
and the plot curiously typical Of class OF esseh.ny
| modern ideas which are not always preieraos "
those they have superseded. That pure nilucu 'Ds
selfrespecng girl not in love with the man TO whon
she Is married. should be SHOCKED to the pono oi
separating rom him by his confession of an intrigue
with another woman is no doubt natural ehous"'
That such a girl should be taken up W
a wealthy "mondaincf and educated 10 peho'o
that the best way to forget her sorrow Is TO oecoe
leader of fashion Is emincntly modern ana " mn nc
sieclc' The idea, however Is carried out sullhlN'
and the contributing agents especially hrs. heatocoo
and Mrs Sarchan are exceedingly interesting persons
with pronounced characters and natural ways ana ia'
ners. The Norwood "menage" previous TO the cataS'
trophe IS described with power and delicate mslsh.'
Norwood himself is difficult character but rea'ls"
cay conceived and in the relations between MN anu
his giyl-wlfe nothing is overdrawn and nothing
omitted which could heighten the interest OF the move
ment The singulary Of the plot consists IN the means
employed for Paula's cure. In social dissipation anu
more or less mild firtng she is expected either 10 or
get her husband or 10 her ties with him. HOW
this experiment results the reader shall be lett 70 dis-
cover for himself but though the author speaks Tor
hat hood
pcndent and selfsuficng, II must be admitted that
the heroinc's narrow escape from mortal disaster
seems to indicate that even the modern feminine codc
retains Of the provisions which belonge1 10 tlc
outgrown doctrines OF dependence and weakness In
short. it Is after all man who comes to Paula's
rescue. The women, with all their acuteneSs ana
knowledge OF the world, quite Incapable OF put
ting the brakes. and in spite Of the modernty OF
its central motive, the story ends in quite an Old
fashioned way. 1t IS brilliant story, too, and shows
steady advance the authors part
NJ. Andre Theuret's Sfsdemoselle Roche" IS care
full study Of gil whose place in life is seriously II not
fatally compromised By her mothers infdellty After
the death Of both her parents she accidentally discovers
some letters Of her mothers which reveal the fact that
she is not the child OF her puatve father who in fact
had died from the shock Of discovering his wifes faith
lessness Mademoselle Roche realizes that she has no
equitable claim to the estate Of Peter Roche and with
girls enthusiasm she resolves TO restore to the only
living heir who happens TO be very agreeable young
man. Before this however. she has been educated In
a convent where she narrowly escaped the efforts of
the nuns 10 persuade her into taking the veil on reaz
ing her ruc position her first thought is to return to
the convent but difficulties spring up in the way of
her scheme OF restitution. for how can she carry out
her plan without accusing her dead mother Circum-
stances aid her. however, to this perplexity,
and as sometimes happens when n young man and a
young girl are concerned, love finds n way 10 settle
90. IN
story here outlined barely Is charming ono as told
by NJ Thcurlct. The convent life If MademOisclc
Roche the extracts from her Journal, the evidence OF
that original innocence and freshness so hard to
describe without taking the bloom of it, nll this is
admirably set forth There is n curious abundance
of animal life In the novel, and the author has sue
ceeded In mailing his donkeys dogs and cats. not less
interesting than his human beings. That he is warm
lover Of animals is clear from the way he writes abodt
them and all symphatluzers with this feeling Will find
the animal passages in this book truly delightful But
it is an exceently written novel throughout fresh,
strong with tile perfume OF the woods and fields all
over IT, yet full of subtle and profound studies OF hui
man character
"Le Livrc de Ia Piic ct de Ia Mort" testifes in
somewhat too emphatic way 10 the strength Of that
underlying gloom and melancholy which IS the dom
inant element in this writer's temperament. II speaks
with about equal clearness Of the tenderness and
humanity Of his character and Of his love for dumb
animals The story Of Two CATS in this volume is
one of the most fascinating chronicles OF domestic pets
The papers Of which the volume is composed relate to
the most varied subjects but they all in the minor
key in which Pecheur d'Islande" was written The
dreamy side of Pierre Lott is also presented here in
the form OF singular fantastic and cerle visions
which he declares to have been actual experiences
Unfortunately, another thing is prominently dis
played and that is his disbelief in future existence
He holds that death is the end Of everything. This
| a he Of
all the good possible TO his fcllow-crcaurcs, wit
ness his efforts in behalf Of the Breton widows OF
drowned fishermen, and in the interest Of the BrOn
hospital for children. But ii makes his reflections
upon life and death almost equally melancholy, and
one feels that wherever he goes and whatever he does
this dirk doctrine of humiliation weighs upon his
spirit and obscures the light OF the For
all this his sketches remain full Of interest which
approaches fascination and In these short sketches his
finest literary qualities exhibited mt their best.
The concluding one, which describes the lingering
death Of a member of his family with astOp-
ishing mnuteness of detail, IS perhaps the most stk
Ing it is certeinly the saddcst. Of them all. As
picture il is wonderful but closing II does a volume
filled with sad and s0mbre memories IL is almost too
mHch. The admirers Of Pierre Lott, nevertheless.
would certainly not have missed 1t, nor will they
probably admit that the author could have betered
his work even by infusng little more cheefulDeSs
! into It.
"An Artist" Is clever and clean novel, concerned
with the lives OF two artists, girl and young man.
who after difficult courtship marry and in due
regret of their marriage. At least TIE girl docs. for
she discovers that her husband Is growing Jealous Of
her artistic successes and that he looks at her work
with the cnvOus eye Of rival though unconscouSly.
she becomes cold, and he, repulsed by her seeks dis
| tnc,ion abroad. Finally comes separation by mutual
consent and is frequently the in such circum
stances, separation brings desire for reunion. This
| tmo it is the woman who herself in the wrong
however, and the denOuenlent is encouraging though
the future happiness Of the couple is rather left to
Inference than clearly declared 1t Is fairly interest
| ing, end fairly well translated.
Clara Marshal's book, Evenings AZ school, has
the appearance OF revesiOn 70 the literary and ethical
methods Of the class Of the eighteenth century aud the
carly part Of this The author employs country
| GIRLS school stage. and tIrnmch cnnncctnns he