The herald., 1894-05-20
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listing social order, through her protect
ing friendship for the family OF worth
less poacher named Hurd. and through
her untiring efforts to save him from the
consequences Of numbering game
keeper.
She breaks with her lover. Aldous
Raeburn, the heir OF Maxwell court in
the adjoining parish, because she can
not win him to her Bocialistio views,
and falls under the influence OF the
clever scamp Wharton, who sympathizes
with her and flattera her. An experience
OF year or 80 in London as nurse
among the poor brings her to a saner,
calmer. view OF life, and finally results
in reuniting her with Raeburn.
This brief outline gives no suggestion
OF the power with which the story is
told or OF the art with which it 10 con.
structed. Throughout the study is of
Mareella's character, and this is mas
tsrly. 1t is book with strong ethical
impulse for its motive. and its lesson
will be apt to exert wide influence. 1t
Is addressed to the English landlord,
who will rub his eyes in am
| azement at the audscity OF it,
Bat the main thing is the story, and
this ia as it should be, if novel is to
be anything more than tract. 1t is 80
far in advance oil Robert Elsmere and OF
David Grieve in point OF concentrated
interest, and clearly and consistently
developed character, that even greater
things may be expected OF the author.
This is only one more of the books aim
ing at the injustice done the poorer
classes by those OF the moneyed clsss.
and will be one more spoke in the wheel
OF investigation tending to establish
greater equality between those two
factions, now SO widely separated. 1t is
a book which contains food for thought.
1t will certainly enjoy great sale, be
widely quoted and heard from not only
from the rostrum OF the lecturer and po-
litical orator, but also from the pulpit.
x*x
KATHERINE LAUDfRDALE by F. MARION
CRAWFORD, illustrat by Alfred Brennan;
two vo.umes, IL mo-, 81. Published by Mac
milan New York. For sale by the Stoll &
Thayer company.
This is the age OF the atrabilious novel,
generally smateurish and always over
flowing with hatred OF man, especially OF
the man who wears good clothes and
moves in good society: pessimistic to
the last degree, and with an object very
much In evidence. What the authors OF
this cult call a moral purpose they siren
uously insist upon, and didacticism
reigns triumphant, totally Invested Of
every particle OF Amusement. They
give US page upon page OF unmitigated
invective, until we are oppressed with q
sense of sin aud misery. The alterna-
tive plan OF allowing the reader to draw
his own conclusions after reading the
story ia left out OF sight, and he is fierce.
ly called upon to yield up his previous
Ipnn All n N iNti
cry peccavi The command to admit the
utter unworthineas of man is impera
tive. and the gentle reader must either
meskly accept his moral conclusions
ready made or read fiction of a more
temperate class.
Fortunately he has that recourse, and
writer's of the latter school still live and
prosper, and Mr.. Crawford is one OF
them. In his new book he has aban-
doned italy as his scene OF action, and
tells story of New York life as it is in
the urper classes. II ie altogether g
family affair, for the Lauderdales are
proud oil their blood, from the old man
OF many millions to the young man who
has none, but who nevertheless drinks
pint OF champagne at q draught, and
none of meaner descent mingle among
the dramatis persona.
Katharine is young woman of in
tense convictions, and she lives up to
them, as may be seen when she insists
that her cousin shall marry her secretly
and Immediately. True, they love each
other pasaionately, but the reason why
she insists upon such speedy matrimony
shows a queerly developed moral sense.
She has made up her mind to become q
Catholic, and she knows that the Cath
Ollie church disapproves OF mixed mar
riages, so she wants to take time by the
forelock.
Jack does nothing bat drink and loaf,
and has curously warped sense oil
duty, which he makes up for by always
telling the truth. He is high-tempered
and sensitive, and this makes it the
harder to understand why, at a dinner,
he should make public. elaborate de-
NAL of the charge that he was intoxi-
Gated the night before. The act is not
in keeping with his proud and reticent
character. But it is easy to point out
spots ON the sun. The story ia dis
timely strong one and creditable to Mr..
Crawford, even II he has not made his
moral run ON all fours. The character
drawing is most excellent. and the five
days given to the narrative are full of
vigorous action. rhs conclusion is
somewhat irritating, for there is moth
ing concluded. Mr.. Crawford might
have dropped an intimation or two to
satisfy present doubts. We naturally
iufer that we have not herd the last of
the Laudsrdales, and II the next vol
umes are as interesting as these we shall
have no cause for complaint. The pub
lisners have made two very neat vol
umes.
BAYOU FOLK. by MRS. KATE CHOPIN; 12-mo.
cloth, $l25. Published by Houghton,
Mif1in d Co. FOR sale by the Stoll &
Tnayer company.
The Arcadlan land of Louisiana, of
which Kate Chopin writes, is fat, and
has the color of Peruvian gold. Tie
Mississippi is like the Nile--lsvish AID
deadly. The bayous are grsyish. under
large, dark trees in forests inextricsbly
entangled. Trees. plants, flowers and
people grow riotously. There is extrav-
agance OF life, bat if the people had en-
architecture it would be. as was the
ancient Egyptian art, emblematic of
immobility. The river ia their Medusa.
The Arcadians went to Louisiana
when England won her war with France.
In America, Chateaubriand, Cooper and
Longfellow obtained for them recruits
Of good quality, but they were not men
Of affairs, Tbs Catholic church never
abandoned them. They are still French
men Of the seventeenth century, and
there are among them in a
descending numerical scale, negroes,