New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-21

understand
craving for the drink which weakens her, Tor the
excitcment without which her life grows unbeara-
bic. But Mrs. Ward goes deeper. and with her ac-
customed insight into the connection between the
soul and its environment she passes quickly from
Besse's surroundings to the heart OF the woman >
own nature To watch its decay. to assist at the
dsintegraton OF Bessie Costrers SOUL to follow
its gradual transition from blank irresponslblity
to the groanlngs OF weary guilt Is to share IN an
experience which Balzac might have made more
picturesque. but which could hardly In MS COM
partnership bring a bitterer sense OF desoiauon 10
the heart. Mrs. Ward has never been stronger than
in this brief story. and never has she left so sad
impression.
There Is n far less strenuous tone to the curious
novel in which George Gissng has essayed 10 trace
the development of woman's soul along through
stages OF oppressive liteness. But that Is the re-
suit Of his style rather than Of his Intention his
notion of nove.-writing is that 1t wants just the
telling OF a pain Straightforward tale, and IN
Ewes Ransom" he Is careful 10 adhere to this
theory His people belong to the commoner middle
class of an English manufacturing town. with one
prosperous purveyor OF brass bedsteads among
them who might be credited with manners per-
haps IL Mr. G.ssing could quite have his way with
him. but who is thoroughly vulgar like all the
rest His bmss bedsteads weigh him down. AS
for Eve the author does not even make her p.ausi-
BILE She moves fogglly through the first half OF the
novel inspiring innumerable surmises as 10 wha'
she will do what shall be done with her. ana
all the time she Is on her way to nothing more
than the life OF comfort which is her IDEAL. Eve
has some graces. to begin with. Mr.. Gissing makes
us feel hot she dressed in good taste. was reserved,
and that her reticence had its roots In some haii
buried sorrow or still-lIvng annoyance. whicn
must be romantic. But the truth Is that Eve was
tired Of poverty and mourned privately over 1t with
an intensity that gave her In public the aspect Oh
one who has been acquainted with grief SO she
tfor.l nd "
morals remain rreproachab.e, her character gen
orally grows weaker and weaker. until. with all
due respect for Mr.. Gssings charity we nhd IL
contemplate. She liked Hilliard but she wouid
have liked any who behaved IKE gentleman
and helped her over a stie. The upshot OF her own
behavior is that her comrade becomes her suitor'
only to see her made the wife OF man whom
presumably she loves little II any more than her
first benefactor but from whom she receives the
position of material ease. which was CONSCIOUSLY
or unconscously her one aim all along she, 100
leaves bad taste In the mouth. ana IN her ue-
cadence she has a place in the same gallery WIN
Bessie Costrell But 1t is place some distance OH
For in her exit at least Mrs Wards heroine has
some dignity and Eve. who makes no exit, OUT
ANONYMOUSLY stays after she has thrown over her
first lover. has dignity at all
n Eve were herself to hear this charge she would
meet II probably with reference to ner surrouhu-
ings Mr. Gissing keeps her sordid inquire sohe
how ms he keeps al her companions In spite OF the
recurrence OF Narramore and his profitable stock OF
bras. bedsteads Eve might have averred that she
hal no setting that she followed everywhere
bv the vulgar impedmenta Of her native Dudley But
here comes Mr. T.. f. Benson and proves that the
setting has nothing to do with 1t. that dignity Is
dignity whatever your station or surrouhdngs' anu
tina, its quality is keenly realized than
in the presence Of figure who has none OF "
whatever We cannot just where the unfolding
Of The Judgment Books becomes attractive. JUST
where It's morbid hero gets the fascination whch
he had for himself. Frank Trevor thought so much
upon himself and his past that ne strove TO put
both into a picture-he was portrait painter by
profession: but the process OF seif-ceIeorauoh
goes on only perceive that the artist was once
weak IN his morals and Is now weak In his head,
and that he has dignity whatsoever. be-
fore his marriage he had been In Paris,
Ike most artists and stu Ike great many oil
them he was indlscreer. We don't like him the
better for that but Ike him less for trying 10
revive the sentiment OF his youth on canvas when
ne might have been making a man OF himself on
new lines Mr.. Benson gets MIN out OF 'n's oy
hints Of the Imperative summons OF the artistic tenn
permanent and he leaves II to be inferred that the
summons with Mr.. Trevor meant good deal his
p.rsonal,,y was so intertwined with his work. But
then the maudlin analysis Of self goes on. MI Ire
vor appears 20 become hypnotized by his own por- |
trait and to produce a psychological masterpiece |
In that mysterious province 10 which the portrait |
That the mystery should be felt was perhaps MT |
Henson's principal object But that being the case
IL must be confessed that he gives small excite
men, for the readers trouble there are no thrills
In his narrative and Trevor as we have said gains
only humiliation by picturng himself as ne once |
was As mysiincation. The Judgment Books
lacks the power convince AS a portrait 1t Is not
IN the least exhiaratng.
Mr. James has made a mighty effort be ex
MI. ias. NJ
reader feels the effort. not the stimulus. 'Termi-
nations is the less moving. moreover. when II is
seen that three o. the four tales have pathetic mo-
lives and that the fourth. and best is also far
from gay The vlvacity seems. therefore, all the
moro forced The trouble. apparently. is that Mr..
James has changed his mood without altering his
style. and that while the former has grown sad. the
latter has become more hncal and thin Inc
theme is tragic. the tone is the chattering tone OF
the tea table. In The Death OF the Lion the
pathos very nearly becomes bathos. We all know
how literary lions are hunted. and to behold the
dissolution OF one more noble creature with more
compliance than character Is the more interesting
when We the quarry chased through London
lra wing-ro and English country halls. But
Mel Paraday is not touching. He Is poneess
ngure in the text or out OF 1t. and Mr. James
makes matters worse by png trivial details about
him until the first idea which promised 80 well
Is quite lost sight OF. and you are conscious only
OF a ruck Of vulgar types. too vaguely drawn to De
typlcal and too dull TO be borne II they were. IL
they had any souls. 1t is plain that those were
thrown overheard for the sake OF talk Talk. talk
OF that Mr. James can never have enough: and 1t
is a matter for some amusement that the central
figure, In his longest and most admirable story Is
a talker OF Coleridglan magnitude. an eccentric
genius with whom speech is really golden. beyond
price, but whom 10 publish would have been TO ex-
plode A pretty parallel might be drawn here but
refrain
What really needs to be stated. though Is
that the delightful Mr. Frank Saltram Is never
allowed to really satisfy the Imagination OF the
reader. He Is In the backs ground statue. an alb
straction. intermittent personality which from
time 10 time Itself felt, but which is always
Just the point OF being a man. and never paying