New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-16
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MARION CRAwFoRD,s NEW NOVEL
THE CHILDREN OF TIE KING. 4 Tall, Of

THE CHILDREN OF TIE KING. 4 Tale Of south
ern italy. BY F. Marion Crawford. lamo' PIP
800. Macmillan co.
In 1.-The Children OF the King Mr.. Crawford gives
us m entirely new study. II Is. indeed an Italian
study but as far removed as Is possible from tie SUI
1ect Of sarracnesca series In this story we nave
TO do with southern Italy, and with the sclonS oil an
ancient race-blue-eyed and MISUNDERSTANDING Nor
man In origin, who have for centuries retained the
pecuIiar name OF the Children OF the King. From
what naughty invaders of sunny Italy they descehoeo
is known TO Whatever worldly posi'loh inc
family may have held-and the Old name phh's
to high one-has long generations ago been lost
Even tradition is silent the remote past OF The
family The family name or title has alone been pre-
served and handed down. and the two brothers VINO
represent II In these pages are neither more nor Ss
than humble sailors fishermen and boa'men' "ho'
after voyaging far. have returned TO their native
land to earn a modest livelihood BY catering 10 the
wants Of visitors at a summer resort
But these brothers, in tie def hands OF MI Ira"
ford are figures OF uncommon interest and attractive
power. The hero Of the tale IS Ruggicro' mashii'
Gently simple, wholesome and genuine man. whose
love experience Is the Of the story ana the cse
of the wild tragedy which ends it, Ruggiero falls IN
love- suddenly violently, hopelessly, with DONNA
beatrice the daughter OF detestable marchesa whose
husband now dead bought his title by success III
trade. This has determined TO marry Beatrice
to q WORKOUT roue, who needs her money! no MS
mother desires his title of count in the family III
rives, and utterly mysterious ana ui'ldnihar "
him are the new sensations he experiences thIt
the simple fellow thinks he must be Ill. ana goes 70
the apothecary 10 seek for his palptatons ana
his bushes.
Nothing could be more OF the common run Of
love stories than this The victim rcar1cs from
the outset that his case is hopeless; that he can
never dream OF success and tries his best to smother his
feelings But Donna Beatrice finds him out-as women
willard iEnocently leads MIN mo comess'ne 'ne
truth There is reciprocity Of feeling on Ter part
The poor boatman is too far removed from hcf sphere
for that apparently But she does not Ike san
Miniato who is counting her with her mothers full
approval and after she has yielded TO a carefully
arranged plot in which every circumstance OF scene
place and general conditions Is made accessory TO
his proposal, and she has accepted him. her co"iei
reflection pierces the sham OF his mercendry ahcc
tauon OF devotion, and she endeavors, but In Vain
TO break meshes Of the net In which she has been
caught But her mother arrays against her the terri
BILE force OF public opinion, which condemns jill
to secret Ostracism and. practically, TO lifelong
misery, and she reluctantly consents 10 stand by the
engagement into which she considers that she was
treacherously entrapped
All the business Of these incidents. the interview
between the marchesa and san Nitrate; the behavior
q the vgilant, almost despairing nuggiero the de-
velopment Of the four principal characters: the SET
ting OF the "mse en-scene," exhibit an artistic SKILL
an Astounding imaginative fertility and a dolicacy
QQeSSe
more elaborate books he has presented pages more
crowded with life and incident but we do not think
that he has ever surpassed The Children OF the
King In all the essential requirements OF such
story. The climate and the scenery are most hap
pily employed TO produce effects, and always at just
the right moment. The boating parties, the descrlp
ton OF sunsets etc, fit in with admirable precision
The men and women, too. most refreshingly orig
inal San Mlniato indeed is stick. but then he Is
meant 10 be one; cold. selfish voluptuary, who
wants the money of Donna Beatrice and would, II
he could dispense with her presence. The marchesa
Is at once odous and Interesting, however, and in
many ways often amusing
Ruggiero himself is thoroughly noble Great
ure. Primitive, beyond doubt, but in large
way. Free from all petty meannesS devoted unto
death when his is fixed utterly unselish in his
mental promptlngs: man to do anything IN inc
right conditions. tcvcr has the author conceived
or drawn so finely simple and so manly man as this
The chicaneries OF the eee civilization against whose
background he stands out clearly appear all the
baser from the contrast. one is made 10 feel that
the Ignorance and poverty of this child OF the King
outvalues all the tinsel show OF his socalled social
superiors that he Is in all respects, tue best man
present in the company.
OF the catastrophe shall say nothing. That
Is for the reader 20 digest as he cam But 1t may
at least be said that it is led up to with consum
and felicity. and that 1t is finely described
with all entire avoidance OF sensatonalism. We
have indeed found fault with this story which fact
may disappoint those VINO imagine that criticism is
always carping. But compelled TO regard 1t
as one Of the happiest OF Mr.. Crawford's expert
ments, the variety and holiness OF which could only
be warranted by their almost uniform success. Such
q story would rightly make the reputation OF new
writer and II enhances that which its author has
already honestly and wOrthily won.