The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-09-09

opinion that MIR. George Meredith is the
foremost living writer OF fiction in Eng
vigorous and beautiful In his books, this
is an opinion III which We by no means
concur.
Lord Ormont and his Aminta," his
latest novel. is, it is said based upon an
episode in the life OF Lord Peterborough.
winner OF battles AMI lady-killer.
who married a girl of inferior birth on
condition that their marriage be kept
secret
The book displays all Meredlth's
characteristic faults and merits Allow
ing the marriage of Ormont and Aminta
to have been a legal one-a point upon
which scarcely any two readers OF the
book will be agreed-tbe story stripped
of all softening graccs Of narration, Is
simply that or high-spirited and beauti-
full girl who marr1es one man-Lord Or
mont-tO crafty her ambition and finally
deserts him for another-MattheW Wey
burn-whom she has loved since their
Thereupon the abandoned husband gives
the happy couple. in effect, bis blessing
and q. pupi-Weyb being a tutor
nnd dies on me last bag7;e, thus dis
willingness to facilitate the procuring or
a fresh marriage license, for Weyburn.
unlike the lover in every day life, wishes
TO marry the woman.
We confess that the conduct of the nus
band with regard to the fgurative bless
ms and the pupil strikes Us as novel, II
unquestionaby, for he is virile man.
and is represented as loving the woman
who abandoned him While Ii is certainly
true that real love desires above all
tliies the happiness and comfort of the
beloved object. and pupils represent
Amita's bread, deserted and loving hus-
bands are not proverbially given to hospi-
tally toward their rivals.
TO be sure the fault is largely Ormonts;
he incites his Anirta' to flight into the
allrring haven of her lovers arms by
! is Gilatorness in Introducing her TO the
word as Countess Of OrmOnt: but it is
just when his love for the woman and
pride in her is oVermastering his pride
Of race, that she leaves him.
Certainly her passion for WeybItrn and
his for her are entirely natural, young,
gifted, Vividly handsome as they are.
\ woman Iadicnt in beauty, glowing with
vitality, and possessing personality
as brilliant as any OrnOnt of the line,
must have grown FESTIVE and suffered
bitterly under the course pursued by her
lord; but while our sympathy is with
Aminta, Mr.. Meredith is doing dangerous
work when he. for an instant coniound5
what is natural with what is right. =
The personality. of Lady Charlotte is
one OF the strongest in the book, ana
Merediths characteristic description of
her as "a sineTy bite Of the gentler sex
ment~ is DELIGHTFULLY."- expressive. The
battle between her ard Lord OrmOnt for
the possession of the family diamonds
Is one Of the most finely drawn situa-
tons
The opening chapter, plctIring Matey
and Brownie as boy and girl lovers in the
school room is piquant and charming.
IL is TO be regretted that with real genius
Mr.. Meredith should possess a literary
style which is at times, and many times,
absolutely incomprebeBsible.
We may be Obstuse. but confess our
selves to be i'm a decided haze as to the
meaning OF the following sentence
"Browney's fun eyebrow sat on her dark
eye like. cloud OF winter Moons over
the vanishing sun with an assiduit "
grasp the idea hidden in this Ito usl cha
otto verbiage, we have studied over ii ana
much more like it without mental IL
I'm such sentences as this, Mr.. Meredith
cannot in our opinion with all his un-
doubted power. be regarded a. star OF
the nrst nagnitude.
Miss Rosa Nouchette Carey has achiev-
ed so enviable a reputation as writer
OF love stories. that her readers VIII be
delighted TO hear that q new novel from
her pen is i'm preparation by J. Il. Lip
pincott Company. The title OF the book
Is "The Old, Old story" and 1t is sufil-
Gent to say that 1t will uphold the sue
cesses she has made in her former nov
els
The publication Of an entirely new edi-
ton. in y volumes, Of ThicrS's History
of the Consulate and the Empire Of
France" having Just been completed by
j. II. LippincOtt Company, they have
decided 10 publish a uniform edition OF
the same writer's History Of the French
Revolution" in monthly volumes. The
edition viii be Illustrated by II engrav-
ings on steel by William Grcatbach.
In these days of erotic fiction IL will
give great satisfaction 30 the novel
reading public TO learn that William r..
Norris has written another book. which
VIII soon be published By J. b. Iirpiu-
colt Company. The title OF the book Is
Mathew Austin. and in spite Of the
fact that the author of "Niatrimonv"
MY Friend jim, and a dozen OF other
popular novels, has been before the
public for eighteen years. he has lost
none or MS interesting faculty of looking
at the world simply from the point OF
view OF man OF the world
Mary Louise Wordsworth who for
rary years has been well known in
England as a writer Of juvenile books
mas Just completed a Dovel entitled "Oli-
wa, which Will be published shortly bv
j. b. Lppincott Company. The story
Is about the life ef a young girl. and
cannot ran TO be OF interest to our juve-
nile readers.
Coulson Kernahan the author az "a
Dead Mans Diary" and "A Book of
strange Sins. about hich there has
pten SO much favorable literary criti-
eisin, mas Just completed another volume
or essays, entitled sorrow and Song"
the ESSAYS are models Of sympathetic
ana discriminating criticism OF the lives
ant works of woii-known authors The
DOCK will be published early In Septen.-
Der, by J. Il. LiLpiIcott Contrary.
Inc popularity OF Bill Nye among all
classes of readers has never been so
thoroughly evinced as Stree the publica-
Ton of his Comic History of the United