New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-02
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
NOVELS AND MINOR STORIES.

ALADDIN IN LONDON, Romance ,, BY Fergus gus
Hume. 12mo. pp ABE. Hough'on' Mliiln q W.
MY AGGRAvATING WIFE. 1amo. PIP. Isl. George
DAVID ALpENs DArGHrEE AND OTHER HE'S, ST9 1sna
o OF sSs Hdhsh TMt M hS a CO. u "'' ~
trated. l2mo, PIP. $40. Funk & wasnaliS
THE BLACK CARNAuoN. BY Fergus Hume
iamo, PIP. $40. National Book COMPANY.
MISS DIVIDENDS. BY Archibald Cnver1ms ,,' Eun
Mr. Fergus Hume has elected for his literary part
the sensational In fiction, and he has ndenaby scored
several successes in the line OF what Londoncrs cal
"the shilling shocker such the Mystery OF Han
som Cab, for example. In aladdin In London ne
has undertaken TO blend the marvellous and the reals
tic and the experiment IS moderately successful
Nothing indeed, could be more appeuzng IMAM the
opening chapters. in which the mystery OF inc potent
ring is introduced and the mind must be aded when
does not dwell with certain sense OF satisfaction upon
the construction Of this part OF the plot The ldea OF
nm East Indian temple treasure. amounting to twenty
millions sterling the control Of which goes wi'h
the possession Of the ring. is n very good mouerh
substitute for the lamp Of Aladdin, while Janshah the
servant Of the ring. will pass for nineeenth-ceh,y
CODY OF one of the guardian genii OF lamp ana ring.
put when the scene changes to the little Republic OF
Busk on the Black Sea. and the plotting begins lor
the restoration OF the princess who claims the throne
of that small country. Mr. Hume somehow seems ~
lose his sprghtness. and the nimblenes OF MS nasi
nation diminishes. In truth. the affairs OF bush WIN
Its consprng cardinal and its vena commander OF the
army become not n little wearisome and one soon
comes 10 wish them adjusted let alone. The story
Is BY no badly written but save at the very emu
where the author brlghtens up again. IL orags, anu
that in novel presumably intended to be sensational
Is tantamount to failure. Yet 1t must be sara 'ha'
there is much freshness novelty about the romance
I'D of q
no slight one in these days OF eternal repetton-of
originality and Of being distinctly out OF all the beaten
tracks .
The novelette, entitled MY Aggravang Wife," is
q bright and interesting story of how model WIG
guided her husband through snndry devious ways 10
great success and peace of mind. There is plenty
OF mystery and excitement in the narrative, when
grows ont OF the identity OF the wife, about whoso
origin there appears at first to be some DARK secret
detective appears in the story who is phenomchaH
upright Trustworthy. but the hero is clever enough
to do much of his investigation. The aggravatlhe
wife turns out to be treasure. and the complications
are gradually cleared until everything Is smooth
again. The small book exhibits no little ingenuity ana
constructive power and, short ii is contains quite
as much material for interesting discussion as the
average three-volume English novel displays.
Miss Austin has brought together a number Of short
stories on Colonial subjects. and rule they are
all worth preserving. Her Colonial tales have won
Justly deserved vogue, for the atmosphere is well re-
produced. the characters natural and lkeke and
history is for the most part followed With sufficient
fidelity.
Mr. Musick's Saint Augustine, Is. as the subtitle
indicates "a tale OF the Huguenots in America II
is concerned with those early days when Catholic and
Huguenot met In wild conflict on the shores OF this
Continent, and 1t Nproiuces the horrible IL historic
episode Of the OF the French Huguenots by
the Catholics "not Frenchmen, but As Lutherans.
and the vengeance OF the Huguenos. who explained
their wholesale hanging Of their defeated enemies as
being inflicted upon them, "not Spaniards ana
mariners, but traitors. robbers and murderers.'
Mr. Musck has taken full advantage Of all the pctur
esque and romantic phases Of that strange history and
has, as seemed necessary, introduced the love story
without which no properly constituted novel reader
is satisfied, and the story has been Illustrated in quite
a spirited and artistic manner. The story is well
told, is full Of stir and movement, and violates no
historical truth.
Mr. Fergus Hume, In "The Black Carnatlon." has
produced clever story Of amateur detective work in
mysterious murder So skilful Is the authors
arrangement that the secret is kept almost to the
end, and the supposed narrator, who the amateur
detective. sets forth his theory at every fresh
turn OF the inquiry, and in this way he produces
half dozen theories, every one OF which seems suff
Gent until the following Is developed the interest
OF the reader Is Kept the stretch, and he Is likely
to end by becoming almost confused and bewidercd
the Major himself. At the last moment 1t
becomes necessary to bring in insanity TO give
probability to the final explanation, and that is the
one weakness In otherwise strong and wellad
justed plot. But whoever dips into The Black Car
nation" is certain finish tue story before it Is laid
down.
Mr.. Gunter has not, in Miss Dividends written
sensational story which can hold its with his
first novels. 1t is sensational a matter OF
The Mormons furnish the principal supply Of inquity
and lawessness, the time selected being that imme-
diately after the completion Of the Union and Central
Pacific railroads. But there is in the story
Heyra irnro c=iiJ NayrN nrrc lubr and
member OF the 400, who turns Mormon bishop has
plurality OF wives, and does not get found out for
several years. This Is really too much for Mr.. Gun
ter to expect the most indulgent reading public to
accept and 1t spols his story, which Indeed In other
respects Is thin eh0ugh and not deficient In padding.