The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-10
BOOK TALK AND GOSSIP.
The Up-to-Date Literature Of
These Times.
WHAT BOOKSELLERS ARE SHOWING
Mrs. Wards "Marceila," Montegazza's
'Pbysiology of Love-" Pasquier's
Memoirs, and Life OF Holland
Among the Important Works.

Wards new novel, sMarcella," makes 1t
necessary 10 ask what kind OF novel is to
be popular at the next change OF mems
minds. IL Is question that has been
asked at different times during the past
few years and il has yet to be answered.
III the average work OF fiction IL
disregarded, for the average work
of fiction is nothing more than an
attempt to write an interesting and
amusing story that will please, there are
but two ways in which novel can be
written. The author may treat OF old
subjects in a distinctly modern manner
or may deal with what must be regarded
as strictly modern subjects upon purely
old fashioned plan.
In tie works of Mrs. Ward we have an
example OF the second plan. AS in
"Robert Elsmere" and David Grieve,"
"Marcella" owes its existence TO one OF
the pressing questions of the hour, for
Mrs. Ward has found heroine who Is
willing to devote her life to the problems
of socialism and labor. Marcella Is young,
but she enters with passion and earnest
meas into her work. The magnitude OF
the difficulties do not frighten her, and
with all her faults and weaknesses and
errors she retains the conviction that she
is right because she Is defending the poor
against the rich.
would ever have drawn Marcella. Only
woman with Mrs. Wards profound
knowledge OF life could have imagined q
girl with aspirations that could carry her
to such heights OF the ideal, and while
her efforts are like those OF the knights of
the olden time who spent their ifes in
searching for the Holy Grail the readers
enter into her work with !her own
earnestness, inspired by the same hope
that in some time, some way, success may
come.
Marcella's life from her school days un-
til love has at last forced her out of her
Utopia and compelled her 10 admit
that her heart is womanly and that
love conquers all--is one of interest, but
the reader Is not surprised when the book
is completed to find that the vital ques-
tions that were considered have not been
answered.
Marcella has gone into the slums to
fight with sin and vice and filth. She suf-
fers with the wife OF the poor deformed
poacher, sitting with the miserable woman
and listening as the bells in far off London
toll the husbands death. She listens to
the suave speeches of the sham champion
of labor, but at the end the moral of the
book, III IL teaches lesson at all, is that
there can be no reform in the one branch
of society without a reform In the other.
"Marcella" is a thoroughly interesting
book. Ii deals with real characters and
the authors's attention TO detail has pro-
duced pictures that have never been sur
passed for brilliancy OF literary finish. IL
is a book to be read and remembered.
.AIARoELLA," by Mrs. Humphrey Ward: New
York, Macmillan IL CO., Is9i. III. Gregory
has IL. Price 81.
DIR. Paola Mantegazza has written three
books that have had an enormous sale in
Europe, and the boldest OF these, "The
Physiology OF Love-" has just been trans
lated and published in this country. To
say that IL is a remarkable book would be
strictly true. II would be just as true to
saythat il is a questionable book, and no
one would dare To say that it is not in
teresting.
DIR. Mantegazza is certainly bold and
original il not deep thinker. He has
taken the subject of love and has
brought the grande passion down to q
scientific basis. lie treats love as the an
atomist would treat the human body and
his many bold and original theories,
which are expressed in the most delight
full manner, make the book intensely at
tractive.
The puzzle of the science OF love, OF the
philosophy of the heart is one that has
proved most mysterious to the psycholo-
gists of all ages, but DIR. Mantcgazza has
brought the closest OF observation and
the keenest OF insight to the investigation
OF the pcrplexing mysteries and he has
certainly succeeded in discovering the
"whys' and ''wherefores" OF many OF the
various degrees, kinds and qualities of
love.
While the book is one OF great merit It's
possible moral influence is quite another
question, and he would be rash critic
who would dare predict whether it would
result in good or evil IL placed in the
hands of the average reader. Still its
many charms will assure wide circula-
tion for the book and he who opens it will
be unwilling To leave II until the last
chapter Is completed.
"THE PHYSIOLOGY or Love" BY DR. Paola
Mantegazzs. New York: Cleveland Publish
ing Co., 1894. All booksellers have it. Price
Sl.bo.
Charles Scribner's Sons have Just is
sued the second volume of the Pasquier
Memoirs, work that has created great
sensation among students OF history. The
memoirs, which are edited by the Due
d'Audiffret- Pasquier, were found after
the death OF the great Frenchman and
they throw many side lights upon some
OF the mysterious passages OF French
history.
The present volume of the work treats
of the time between 1872 and 1914, one of
the most important periods OF Pasquier's
life. AT the time of the conspiracy OF
Maet, i'm 1912, he was charged with
quittal at his trial was thorough indi-
cation OF his conduct.
Few men at this extraordinary time in
French history had a better opportunity
TO obtain correct knowledge OF the
people and events OF the First Empire, and
his pictures and vivid sketches of the
characteristics of the actors In the stirring
scenes are presented with clcarncss that
stamps them az correct.
The reader OF the remarkable memoirs
willbe able TO obtain from the pages n moro
accurate knowledge OF Napoleon and the
Bonaparte family ss well as OF the leading
personages who played such On important
part in the Revolution than history has
ever given. His descriptions OF this high
life Is intensely interesting and there is
not a student OF history who can afford TO
neglect this opportunity TO become ac-
quainted with Pasquier's story.
"rHE PAsouIER MEMOIRS" Vol II. New
York: Charles Scrbncr's Sons, 1894 All
booksellers have it. Price $40.
:
The admirers OF the works OF !. G.. Hol-