New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-18
JANE AUSTEN.
A NEW EDITION OF HER NOVELS.

JANE AUSTENS NOVELS. a new cdl'loh'
Roberts Brothers: BOSTON,
The enterprise and taste displayed by the Boston
publishers who now issuing this handsome ara
convenient edition Of the novels Of Jane Austen
correspond It may be hoped. "a public demand for
such a resurrection OF the writings of an AUTHOR
upon whose work after brief period Of appreciation
oblivion seemed not long ago, TO have faiieh' J"
cannot be OF June Austen that she lacked nearly
recognition the eulOgy OF authoritative critics ot
these II is enough TO name Sir Walter scott ana
Macauay Yet how many remember the terms used
Lv these great authors In writing of her sr Walters
honest admiration took the form OF Interpretation
which however honest. few will subscribe TO- MISS
Austen he said had talent for describing inc
inducements and feelings and characters OF Ordinary
life, which IS TO me the most wonderful ever met
with. The big 'bow-wow' strain can do myself IKE
any one now going bu, the exquisite TOUGH which
renders ordinary commonplace things and characters
Interesting from the truth of the description and the
sentiment, is denied TO me- scott here puts his
finger at upOn Of the distinguishing excel
lences Of Jane Austn's work. and Macaulay. IA VIII
be seen, goes straight to the heart Of her genius
"6he has he says. given us multitude OF
characters, all, in certain sense. commonplace.
all suoh as meet every day. lot they are all
perfectly Disseminated from each other Ms II
they were the most eccentric OF human beings
There are for instance. four clergymen. none OF
whom should be surprised TO find in any par
soDape in the Kingdom, Mr.. Edward Ferrnrs Mr.
Henry rlney, Mr.. Edward Bertram. and Mr.. Elton.
They AN specimens Of the upper part OF the
middle class. They have all been literally edu-
Gated They all lie under the restraints Of the
sacred profession. They ere all young. They
are all In love- Not one Of them has hobby
horse. to use the phrase OF Sterne Not one has
a ruling passion. such read OF in Pope. Who
would not have expected them TO be insipid like
nesses Of each other? No such thing. IIarpagon is
not more unlike 10 Jourdain. Joseph Surface is not
unlike to Sir Lucius O'Trigger, than every one
of Miss Ausen's young div1nes TO all his reverend
brethren. And almost al this IS done by touches
so delicate that they eude analysis. that they defy
the powers OF description and that We know them
to exist only by the general effect TO which they
have contributed"
Macaulay has been accused Of praang Miss
Austen's novels to excess. Perhaps he did. They
are not for all tastes. one can easily understand
with what Impotence of their convcntiopality the
passionate author of "Jane Eyre regarded them.
After reading Pride and Prejudice" she wrote her
impressions TO George Henry Lewes. saying. And
what did fndi An accurate daguerreotyped por-
trait on a commonplace face: a carefully fenced,
highly cultivated garden with borders and
delicate flowers but no glancc Of q bright vivid
physiognomy no open country, no fresh air. no
blue hill. 10 bonny beck should hardly like TO
live wSth her ladies and gentlemen in their elegant,
but confined houses" That may well be believed.
for the passion of Charlotte Bronte's genius drove
her to scenes as remote as possible from those de
scrbcd by Jane Austen. who characterized OF
her own novels "a little bit of ivory two inches
WIDE" upon which she worked with a brush
fine to produce little eifect after much labor"
This does not do Justice her work. but II indi-
Gates in part the method which she employed
AS an Illustration of this method let take few
lines almost haphazad from her novel Mansfield
Park" She is describing the message OF Mrs. Price,
mother Of her heroine, Fanny. The latter had been
absent for years. having been adopted and educated
by richer relatives. She Is disappointed on return
ing home; Mrs. Price was not unkiDd; but instead
of gaining on her affections and confidence and be
coming dear, her daughter never met with
greater Kindness from her than the first day Of her
arrival. The instinct Of nature satisfied.
and Mrs. Prices attachment had no other source.
Her heart and her time already quite fl she
had neither leisure affection TO bestow upon
Fanny. Her daughters had been much TO her.
She fond of her sons, especially Of William; but
Betsey the first of her girls whom she had ever
much regarded. To her she most iniudiclOuSy
indugcnt. William her pride Beisey her dar-
ling and John. Richard. sam. Tom and Charles occa-
pied all the Of her maternal solIctude alternately
her worries and her comforts These shared her
heart; her time givon chiefly 10 her house and
her servants Her days spent In Kind Of slow
hustle; all busy without getting on. always be-
midland and lamentng 1t, without altering her WAYS
wishing to be economist, without cOnriyancc OF
regularity dissatisfied with her servants, without
skin 10 make them better, and whether helping or
reprimandng or Inducing them, without any power
Of engaging their respect"
There is an etching every nne and point " which
IS clearly and firmly bitten in. few sentences, pre-
else and sharp and have the woman and her house
hold before us In the dsinctes most sufficient por-
tratIre. Now this may help 70 illustrate the most
conspicuous charm and merit OF her work True, her
Characters and the In which they move are aS
n rule commonplace But this is d necessity arising
out OF the authors environment. Let II be admitted
that her Imagination confined; that she was not
creator, but observer; that she could only de
scribe that which she had seen and heard and known;
the middle class English society furnishing the whole
Of her experience, she was restricted 10 that field
None Of these considerations in the least initiates
against The theory of her snscendent skill and power
For is IL light and easy task TO delineste wildly
and tmthfully the simplest most everyday scenes
and characters If IL is, how comes II to pass that SO
few novelists have succeeded In t1 And is II little
thing to Inform such commonplace people and ways
OF life with interest
Jane Austen has made her novels interesting by
filing them with living souls. and not marionetes
by putting before US consistent, natural and intei
gibe characters, each, Macauay clearly dis
crimnated from the other. Ii Is by no means always
in zeal life such discrimination Is capable OF be-
ing effected by the average observer. Just IS. TO
those not acquainted with them all Cinnamon look
alike. and all sheep I'm flock look nike.
50 the dull lookeron upon human society
there whole groups OF classes Of men and women
who appear to be In the same mould AS to their
characters; but finer and kecner inquest diferen-
ates these positively and clearly and this finer and
keener Inquest Is Jane Austens. 1t would be easy
to make much Of what has been said concerning
the commonplace character OF her people and their
dongs 1t needs 10 be pointed out that her realism
is in many respects quito different from that modern
form which gropes in the gutter for Its types takes
them from phenomenal representatives OF dulness aud
stupidity. II Jane Austen's novels are confined ~
he noifa of stugl INST ne
remembered that this is n refined and educated class.
and that It stands for very nearly the highest civza
ton OF the period described Her work therefore Is
faithful picture Of phases Of life quite deserving Of
study in many ways, apart from the interest OF the
story.