New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-26
SOME NEW NOVELS.

Lane Allen. Illustrated Harper fro'"e'''
A CHILD OF THE AGE BY Francis Adams
Roberts Brothers
pprAD AND RITTER MISS A Sketch in Out
q line Nv George Pastor. Harper Brothers.
TUE CHRISTMAS HIRELINGs a Novel; By
NJ E. Braddon. Illustrated. Harper bro'hers'
TWO STRINGS TO HIS BOW by Walter
Mitchell. Houghion Miflin & co.
DoREEN: THE STORY OF a SINGER. BY
Edna Lyall. Longmans Green q CO.
. single one of Mr. Herbert D. Wards short
stories conveys sense OF restless energy anu VI
nervous power Eight OF them taken tose'he''
however as in 1.-THE White Crown ana other
Stories" raise a serious question as 10 ""c'"'i
this nervous energy is under sufficient con'ro ann
40 IN whether much more artistic results might
not be attained by the cultivation OF more re-
strained style OF writing Take. by way OF eN-
ample the little story Of this book me ''le'ne
ia one that appeals With Sood neai VI ''',
~ the Imagination. The idea OF myster-
Gus figure n Prince OF Peace, whose influence i
On ounervadns that when the German ana
French armies face each other in battle array
and the command to fire is given rot shot N
hcarl-the rank and file having pledged 'h'I'Se''H
nv the symbol OF the White crown 10 reiuhc w
kill each other-has in ii literary posslp'iu'S VI
M moan order But the grotespuc part which MT
Ward has made the young Emperor OF 'er"n""S
plav in this fanclful picture brings the reader
down IN the COMMONPLACE earth with dull hump
and DESTROYS all the effect Of the allegory IL u
obvious OF course. that the authors purpose -
in part to point out the fact thni thu ,o
Thought that his dyspcptc irrltabty when pre-
cipitated the war was really patriotic arhor I"'
the honor OF his Tatherland, From the moment
however when the Emperor awoke on the morn
ing OF the first OF June, with the imIreSs'o" Una
ne had been drinking ink. until on Inc p'oo"''S
battlefield the explanation OF tho re'usai OF MS
soldiers TO fight Was made 10 MN by All o".''
who spoke with the orotund voice o. 'o7-''"
IN dangerous coast" the impression ~ ever
nroso,t tina, the authors extrayagance OF style
has ,ed him into the realm OF burl"sque OF VI
onera bouffe SO strong Is this impression that
the really serious import Of the story ~ app 10 ~
altogether lost sight Of the excuse adVaio'' J."
the final note not being sufficient TO atone for the
lack Of artistic restraint In the treatment Oh IN"
idea The hes, story in tho volume Is Inc 'ae %
everyday railway hcroism. THE S"rnaphore.
In his stories already published. MI. James Lane
Allen has portrayed some interesting types an"
painted some characteristic scenes In inc h"'
Grass region. He has never. however. SHOWN fho''
delicacy ard refinement Of feeling or more sym
pathetic appreciation OF the beauties OF nature
than IN his last little story n Kentucky car
dinal" The manner I'm which Mr. Allen makes
this flaming bird the theme OF his story viii charm
.vorv lover Of nature II is the narrative. told
with naive simplicity In the first person o. no" 3"
Young man who was devoted 20 his FRUITS ana
flowers and birds came 70 fal Ia love "iih IAN
ueighbor who treated him at first with whim9l'N'
railery and coquctry and who hn"Iy pun hS ''' y
N tho sunrcrnc test The tender sentiment ara
dolste humor OF the early friendship OF thes" t"o
vounr pcople il balanced 10y tho note 81 genuine
pathos and passion which appears later ia"
episode Of which admirable artistic Use s mao
o. the imprisonment and death ~ the '"'''h"'
serving to bring the lovers 90 ifu" uniefS'hiihs
q, each other Hui the little book is 20 Do f"'d
% rnI
"a as for the many touches hcre and there which
reveal a nature dclicaey auunei 10 The beauty
and sienincance q flowers and skies ana hifds
and fields.
The ATTEMPT OF English vriicr- % Action IN re-
cen, years 10 give the stamp o. irrcsn.ar.iy ann
Individuality 10 their work has produce" BUM
surnrisine results which defy cassihoatlon' y
/, resembles ANYTHING Mr. Francis Adams.s Child
q. .hc AGE" is comparable 10 George Moore 8
"t,sthcr Waters in the minute realism "i me
treatment ri al events. This story o. y'"'~
Englishman's experiences. aspirations. beliefs ann
thoughts vas IA. first volume 49, a series ~ "h'' F"
the author Bod not long ago taxing hti1'
a. his model sought 20 portray contemporary
English types and modes ~ ne The hero tel
hls own story a. his hoyhood youth ana early
manhood leaving on, with very h-d'hn'd i'''
~ hts character beyond the fart that b" d1 not
believe IN Christianity or marritfe. IT'S Ni"" '.
lie Is indeed chaotic 80 many ioinif ne aspire
70 write. but fails. Ii- IAtanisin ana l'""'i"i'"
Ism result ir an o,sG lai-on ir wh.rh Dee II'f''"
He can hardly be- said 10 hav" any moral 'N'l
actor The author al All events, has not sue
ceai.1 in making 30 az an -ioar tha' ho has a"'
DESPITE It's Lncvcnncss. pages beng gwen "p ''
the most trivial and unimporiani deiaI, th'I' "''
some passages o. power n this curious piodN' u'h.
,yur.gsivc both 81 tho soul-rack'uS soh'NH' "i''
houelessness o. a youth cast uro" MS own i'
sources In London. and Of the uns'lash devotion
tl Il "A later lr l"ffl"ffi'f =
and took under hi protection. But III" BOOK a'4S
uttlo 20 our knowledge Of human nature. '''"
IN the shirt which undcrhes " mhj perhaps h'
found In the fact that Aubrey Bcardfley IS the
designer Of the utc-pasc
George PASSIONS nth" story, - Bread ana Butter
Miss" promises well in the opening pages. Ih''"
&c something as attractive to tho reader as mere
wax 70 the young heroine hors"f In the hcd OF
,or making her entrance into society By 4 WIT
., q f.v weeks to the big country house Ia nor
fax az her mothers cousin. ME- 'l"ouEh'"n
who WIS entertaining houso-pariy II was
natural that the pretty. unsOph!suc"tri country
Girl should DE I'm a nutter at the prospect OF q
,linpsc OF the great world. The awakening was
q rude one II came when Miss Theodore learned
mat IN. reason why she had been invited "as be
co,isc II was necessary to provide an ingenue Tor
the elderly gallant. Sir John bowman. 10 hf'
with-an arrangement with which Lady Do"nhnm
never in,erfcred. Warned I'm season fortunately
MISC Theodore met Sir Johns sentimental appeals
for svmpathy I'm the proper spirit and although
she came near being cnmcshcd succeeded hnaliy
in escapng from his snarcs. The girl Wins the
love. too of the only man Of any sef-r"sp"ci and
high character In the group OF worldly cynlcs
a.nonc whom she finds herself. one might easily
find "A text for q sermon either IN the 10" n'uV'
which led Mrs Broughton to make this sweet and
innocent country girl member OF her house par y
or I'm the at ltulc OF these people toward the gir
but TO do this would be 10 take the story aogeth"i
too seriously It Is picture Of the authors mind. not
a picture Of life
There is the material for "A good short story III
"rhe Christmas iiirelnSs. which Miss Braddpi
with professional ingenuity has spun out into The
form and length o. "A novel The main idea OF th'
tale Is not At al bad. as the English reader Of
sensational temperament might say. II relates Il
the successful efforts OF Mr.. Dandy. IA meilo"