New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-02-02
SHORT STORIES.
SOME OLD.FASHIONED ONES.

trc tho innrint of the English publisher, William
Paterson and of the American publishers the }. u.
Iippncott Company. Of Philadelphia, present, under
thc general title Treasure House of Tales" selected
short stories by Benjamin DlsraeH. Legh hunt Doug
las Jeri old and Mary Shelley. Tine ldea winch sug
gesed this compilation happy one. for it enables
the modern reader to form something like Just eat
mate Of the short story it existed IN the early part
OF the century and before those changes IN literary
STYLE taste and method had appeared which have
taught perhaps the majority to look upon the imme
date past with Kind of good humorcd disdan as a
perlod when fiction was little advanced beyond bar
barsm. Acquaintance with the examples furnished
IN these volumes may may not modify and mitigate
that somewhat view 1t cannot however. be SAID
that tue Treasure House of Tales" contains the best
illustrations Of the authors chosen for cXcmphcaton
All Of these writers produced more ambitious works.
upon which their reputation chiefly rests. and these
short stories were. with few exceptions. contributed to
the long extinct "Annuals +" and have been buried
with those ephemera publications these many years
III the biographical and critical ntroducons ne status
OF the selected tales is set forth with perfect CANTOR ana
the reader is supplied with much general Information
as may enable him TO form judgment as to the value OF
the work. Thus Mr.. j. Logic Robertson introduces
JerrOld and Disraeli Leigh Hunt is explained by Pro
lessor william Knight; and Dr. Richard Garnett speaks
,or Mary W. Shelley. These forewOrds add to the In
terest Of the reproductions. and give dehnitehesS W
the positions of the four authors They leave, now
ever. ample for further examination.
Let us begin with a glance at Mary Shellcy's stories
and note their characteristics Most people prooaoS
recall her as o writer only in connection with Frank
enstein"; a strange novel. which few read today
though it emboics of the bodeSt and most orig
Inal conceptions IN all fiction. Most OF the tales in
this volume are said to have been written after the
tragic death Of Shelley. Certainly they are marked
BY a tone OF sadness which distinguishes them Sharply
from the short story of the present period but must
be borne in mind that when they were written inc
prevailing literary spirit was decidedly gloomy ana
sentimental. 1t was the day of Byron and Werther
Modern pessimism is indeed, far more comprehensive
for it goes down to the roots of life and stamps all
the universe with its inly brand. Our predecessors
had not arrived at philosophy which cnaDicd 'leh
10 proclaim the of creation irrcdecmaby bad ana
futile but they rcvelled in a sentmentay which ap-
pealed to the fountains of tears and they had trained
themselves to enjoy an amount of misery in their fcon
which to Gallons minds is apt TO seem both lhto
cradle and preposterOus. ii may very well be that
Mary Shelley only followed the mode of her day IN
writing melancholy tales even though II must be al
mtcd that She had enough in the circumstances
of her own life for sadness There is nothing in the
least repulsive in her sentiment however, and her
stories are characterized by fertility Of invention,
abundance Of incident. HvelincsS OF movement ana
leisurcy description quite alien 10 the feveriSh hurry
of the present time. Her language is always well
chosen and refined, but never stltcd one would seek
in vain for ANYTHING like psychologist analysis in these
and ideal attributes mainly and she wrote for public
which demanded amusement and did pot want phloSo-
ply In some Of the stories, as, fr instance. "Ihe
Mortal Immortal" and Transformation" may be per
ceived the tendency toward the abnormal and the pre-
ternatral which found expression in "Frankenstcn.'
considerable proportion of the tales cast in Italian
scenes with which the author familiar. They are
all interesting. thOlCh the style may seem sn occa-
sionalv o. redundant. The fact most to he noted,
however the high level Of merit which belongs in
dubaby t. class of stories has become the fashion
to dcprecate supercilOusN
The volume Of Douglas Jerrolds short stories does
not include any Of those which have been collected I'm
his printed works" and the presumption IS inevitable
that the writer himself did not hold high opinion oi
the deserts Of these neglected specimens. In truth
they are Of various degrees Of merit but they have the
advantage of Illustrating several Of Jerrods literary
moods and styles; for of these he had at least half
Dozen. Many of them romantic and pathetic. many
more are purely humorous few are fair examples Of
the authors sarcastic character studies is in
what may be termed for lack OF better phrase. Jer
rolds Rabelasan sylc: style wholly free from the
grmnes- Of his great example but pervadcd by sort
Of humorous semi. ale-OIical mysticism, quaint,
unique and seldom cxceedicl difficult to follow.
so far rs the modern reader j. concerned. Ills Sila
Feshpots." Michael Lynn" and "Thuddy Jones. the
Clever Young Man belong to his Men of Character
series and are very good examples Of kind Of nar
rave analysis which al one time quite popular
but has been completely abandoned for couple Of
generations. The longest piece in the volume is
@Twiddethumb Town. a'leG1ry. in which the
writer. who was born republican. girds at judaism
and ar,tOcIacy and the fright divine" and shows
forth the power Of the press and the conquest Of IL
norance and superstition by knowledge ana truth.
There much good reading in this quaint composition
for such "a the patience to study il. and it is
written in a manner which Jerrod borrowed from no
man.
The selections from Disrae necessarily exclude his
best work. bu there enough Of repies ntavc storcS
10 give a Valne 10 the collection. They are al the
productions Of his youth and some such as Popa-
Mia are 50 grounded in dead and gone English pol
flies that their meaning is hard T. gather now. Nev
ertheess Disracs leading literary qualities here
illustrated quite clearly lie was always weakest in
dealing with emotion and strongest in satire and
pcrsinage There are in this volume several brilliant
examples of his wit and intellectual subtlcy Though
an truth kindly man, hi, writings all have a Mephis
tophelan vein. They suggest quality OF hoastesS
fntellecuality bright, keen and supple mind. quite