New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-28
NOTES FROM LONDON.
MR.. HAROLD FREDERIC AS NOVEL ION :.
ENGLAND-THE NEW CENSORSHIP
ONCE MoRE-MR. ROBERT Brycu,
ANAN AND MR.. CLEMENT SCOTT

|
London May Il
Mr.. Harold Frederic has for some tim.
been building up for himself a reputat,on :.
England as writer Of novels think ~
be said that he has now taken a secure n.
The kind Of work he does is special In Am..'-
| he has rivals. In England he has ana
have none, and the reason OF his individu., :"
sltIon is plainly seen in the Character =, ~
latest volume THE Copperhead and other ,,..s4'
of the North during the American War".-."s
lished In London by Mr.. Heinemann. 7, n,.,.
have been written by none but an America, 49,.
! by no American who Sc memories did no, o.
him back to the period Of the Rebellion. ana
will add. by no American whose sympatb,ss -.
convictions had not been with the Union n ~
days when the Copperheads-they cheay-roaa.
it doubtful whether We should have Un,o,
or not
The book interests English readers as ever,
genuine American book interests them.--hoo..
racy CT the soil and breathing the atmospher. :,
the continent which gave them birth w..
could never be in doubt for a moment w..
Mr.. Frederic hailed from. It is the priy,,s,. :.
one sort OF periodical in this country to srA.. :.
a book. or anything else. which is American :,
cause 1t is American. That kind OF puol,c,...
| is however, becoming both more rare and ro..
cautious Even The Saturday Review, THAI.
| l. prudent to disguise an unsleeping enmi,v $.
meath a veneer of occasional civlty 10 an .,,..
can writer Mr. Frederic however. II Ia b..
been reviied az times because OF his na.ion,,,r
need not concern himself. He has made ~.
much Of a mark to be whisted down the Win,
by critics who take account Of his Americani,r
and condemn him for his AmericanIsm. TIT.
last book. as II happens, is reviewed TO-DAY hon
In THE Times" and The Chronicle the IN.
daily journals In which literature has the no,,
! and best attention The former saws OF hin, ira,
| he has never done better work than IN I'm.
Coppcrhcsd"; and thus outlines the nature a,
his work:
Mr.. Frederic's boyhool was deeply sufus.S
with memories Of the war; to which. az he ,su,
us In the dedication. the men folk OF his tann,
went the side OF the North and were killed,
10 now transforms his impressions OF tbos.
days into dramatic pictures. not battle scenes. IN.
deed for Dearborn County and It's peaceful ,,,r
life are remote from the din OF the fight but
sunny dyls. liable at any moment to give plas
to darkness and dssoation upon the hurried
scanning Of a news sheet"
And a long passage is quoted as description
Of "A scene which 1t is not easy to drive from, tia
mind" 1t is from the contrast between different
phases Of life in those days that Mr.. Frederick
stories derive their strength and character"
In The Chronicle" there is a similar tribute
to the truthfulness and vividness Of thess
scenes; then after remark that we could Do
his book no better service than to quote dozen
pages" comes this Judgment:
But there is more than memory in the cor
rectness OF his work; there is the devotion and
trained observation Of the over-we might al
most say the master-of fiction Anybody who
has lived in New-York State and New-England
will be astonishe1 and delighted at the pictures
OF rural life here set before him-so simple, %
thrilling. so faithful"
There follows. nevertheless an appeal to Mr.
Frederic not to conlne himself TO scenes which,
except for the lovers OF good work In fiction
whatever be the time and place. can have oHe
local interest. He Is reminded that he know
England we'll: why does he not give us 81 ss
full study OF contemporary life?" And then:
He has the knowledge. the ability. the dsve
ton, and the love OF his art. and we believe that
a great reputation Is within his reach"
That is an invitation and certificate which
Mr.. Frederic might heed I. is coupled with .
suggestion 10 include Irish politics In his new
work That I hope he will put aside, not De-
cause think his views Of Irish politics wrong
but because neither Irish nor any other politics
ought 10 have a place IN the book which ME-
Frederic is. I believe. capable OF writing we
have politics. and too much politics, every, oay
and week OF our lives. The novel with pur'
pose Is most happily. falling into oscreoit
Even Mrs Humphry Wards "Marcella s'
to be less worthy OF her genius because OF Ns
devotion to topics OF the day which are DON
political and Soclalistic. Mr.. Frederic WIN ns
talent for a kind OF fiction OF which the masle"
are never many, can do better than foiIo~ 'hA'
example. and hope will do better and 90 ,usu"
TO himself and his own gifts.
A new champion has appeared In the ne'a !"
Messrs. W. H. Smith & Son and their new ee"
sorship-none other than The Times in''
| journal says OF Mr.. George Moores Es'ns'
| Waters: a.
ut is not a book which the immature OF wv
! ignorant can be trusted 10 read with aa'an'Ae@
and the circulating libraries are perfecuy 'usN-
fled in refusing TO SOW copies broadcast a'A'"'
the people"
The plural is curious What circulating hp'sV
other than that of Messrs W. II. smith 'o-
has refused to put Esther waters '" -,
shelves or 10 supply II TO such customers a. as.
for IL? I know OF none. II there be one :. 80
not been mentioned publicly. But perhaps -.
Times" did not care to advertise too Openly
complaisance to one powerful firm OF ne"sp' -.
merchants. There is a general feehhs :" 80.
English newspaper world that it Is better 10 "'''
Smiths" az friends than enemies
The leading journal hns method u
| in reviewing books. once week II puo"."
review OF Books Of the Week. in Whic" as ".,.,s.
works Of any Importance are noticed someu ",S
very briefly. sometimes at considerable ,s" s",.
The most notable Of all are then reV'e"eu ner.
rately: or maybe il considerations OF sP"
NIT. Mr.. George Moore's novel now "- .,,
! column to itself; and at least TWO app"...s.a.
irreconcilable opinions on the DOCK "'e .z,d
One have quoted above, ana I i e'"p. ,, has
by the remark that in no previous ~ -, z,,a
Nr caorga Moore So frankly follower 90 =.