The Portland daily press., 1892-02-24

alone to the Almighty, debasing 1.-THE
virtual Faustina in the apparent Corne-
lia," and exalting "a spiritual Lucretla
in corporal Phryne," judging people
s'constructively rather than biographical
ly, by the will rather than by the deed.
Neither is Mr. Hardy able to read just
''the old appraisements of morality
Who was the moral man? Still more
pertinently, who was the moral woman!
The beauty OF ugliness of a character lay,
not in it's achievements, but in its aims
and impulses; its true history lay, not
among things done, but among things
willed."
There is, of course, enough OF truth IN
these general statements to make them
plausible and to increase the danger OF
working along those lines. Only the
Omniscient can view and balance the IN
ward temptations and resistances, inner
tied or individual, of mankind. While
in the body, mans life is so closely blend
ed of spirit and flesh, that good will is
generally able to produce good actions.
At all events, since we cannot judge OF
the inmost soul, human laws and opin-
ions must be based upon outward deeds.
Especially is it true of women that their
actions pass rapidly from the outward to
the inward; when woman is thief or
liar, she is usually dishonest at heart,
while it is often observed that a mans
misdeeds appear more detachable from
his real character. Lady Macbeth died
of her crime heartbroken, while Macbeth
''lived to fight another day." 1t is not
according to the truth of nature that a
woman of average intelligence, not of de-
based surroundings, could sin in the re-
peated and various manner of Tess OF
the D. Urbervilles, and retain the purity
which Mr.. Hardy claims for her. Nor
from such tender heart and aspiring
nobility as he gives her, would proceed
murder as a solution of her difficulties.
The fact is that MI. Hardy has posed as
an amateur Creator, and has moulded
personages from the clay, set them NOV
ing along the lines of his caprice, deliv-
cred judgments upon them, in contradic-
ton of the established rules which the
instinct of the ages has evolved, labelled
them good and evil according to his
pleasure, and sent the book forth for the
confusion of the ideals of persons who
may be credulous enough to accept his
subtitle. Meanwhile the descriptions of
English scenery and rural life are admir-
able; it is strange that so realistic and
genuine power of description is not ac
companied in MI. Hardy's case by per-
ception of the laws Of artistic portraiture
of character which dictate that good and
evil shall be left to speak for themselves
plainly. The one is beauty, the other
ugliness; we have learned that both be-
long to the material of art. But incom-
prehensible indeed is the English prude-
ry that would exclude certain French
novels, and place in the hands of its
much vaunted young girl book of such
unnatural confusion of principles as is
this Tess of the D'Urbervilles. New
York: Harper and Brothers. Portland:
Loring, Short & Harmon. Price, $3.50.
Improbable Tales. By Clinton Ross.
The impression of decided and original
talent made by the authors favorous
little volume, The Adventures of Three
Worthless, is repeated by these three sto-
ries Although they are not quite equal
to the former in finish or in the intangi-
BILE quality which is style, this may be
due to either of several reasons, and
need not affect the excellent opinion
formed concerning Mr.. Ross as writer
of fiction. The best story of this volume
is the Pretender, a very clever and spir-
tied sketch of the miniature diplomacies
and wars which changed the fate of Ital-
ian provinces before the Unification. 1t
is singularly intelligent and witty little
study, not without charm of veritable
romance. The style, at first involved
and stiff, warns and extricates itself as
it goes. The Peace of the Hills has a
meditative analysis somewhat in the
vein of Hawthorne. After the Play of
the Rivals, is short sketch, good in at
mosphere, but rather too slightly >indi-
Gated. Mr.. Ross has capabilities that
ought to give him a prominent place all
his own among story writer's. His best
work will be in the line of foreign militia
~ and political adventure, especially of
France. His danger lies in diction too
far-fetched and spasmodic. The preface
to this volume is an example of his poor
est manner-fortunately the stories are
far better than their introduction. Nh.
Ross must guard against self-conscious
manner, and give himself up to the gen
erous mood which inspires to his work
some very admirable pages. New York:
G. P. Putnam's Sons. Portland: Loring,
Short & Harmon. Price, Slips.
The Wild Rose of Gross-Stauffen. By
Nataty Won Eschstruth. Translated by
Elsie l.. Lathrop. Among the ,transla-