New-York tribune., 1895-10-13
CURRENT FICTION.
THE ROMANTIC AND THE iCRiO.

and q Their TTSvfli T,SSf 4D1I:,ns apa Aa
ninFs TIM Fa,,SfH SGT confesson chrstop6sr sutton
BY Frank Barrett. PIP " 3i6 Macmillan %
THE RED BADGE OF COURAGE An EPsCqe Saen @'
Pp. 233. d. Appleton & co.
Mr.. Barretts story Is cross between the span
,sh picturesque novel and the English tale OF ad-
venture after the manner Of Defoe IL answers
10 ita character in the scenes where 'its piot II
laid. for these are either in England or Spain or
Earbarv Mr. Barrett has also managed to con-
struct his tale without the use OF single villain as
a nermanent character. Downright scoundrels make
their appearance for a moment, hut only 10 COM
plete an episode. As for the principal pcrsohaseS'
all are victims rather than perpetrators OF in'e"-
tional crime Even the steward or the estate "hich
makes occasion for the tale turns ont not to be the
grasnnc uiser he seems lie puts nothing into his
o,,, nockots-not even what he has justly earned
1Ie s 60 passlonately fond Of the property simply
a an object OF his that he cannot pear 10 the
q pennv from the total which he goats upon Ills
f,hfuness to his employer Is lost In faithiuihess
~ a soriid IDEAL There is for a long time no one
"a interfere with him. and so the estate grows
rlcher and richer awaiting its owner. whom the
s,ouard would not wrongfully deprive or shiiIlhg'
though he would at the same time besrudge every
fartb.ng tina, the owner might be tempted TO spend
on the whole the steward Is cohpIeA char"c'ei III
the midst of others simpler and at the same time
,oo-e attractive He IL example OF the way
,,-tue exaggerated can be made to seem vice
cunnose that the owner and also the direct heir
90 an English estate are both slaves In Barbary
NTH llt,le or no hope Of release In fact the heress
dies before she Is ransomed. the cohditioh OF the
o,ar,v ie we'll known to various persons. II could
hear a heavy burden to pay Tor the liberty OF its
ourer But there is nobody 10 decide the matter
excent the steward and he has an eye solely TO his
dv,y az manager The Of the owner is not
mar, of his business: it is his only task 10 welcome
The owner II she should ever return. TO a richer
,,.o,or,v than was hers when she disappeared.
plans for rescuing his mistress and her daughter are
eugges,ed TO him. but he IL overwhelmed by the
,boucb, that II these plans mscarry the money
Tho, no exnends will be lost forever. SO he evades
oyerv call Of humanity that is made upon him.
u,s reIuc,ance furnishes the pretext for crime
nlo,,ed by a certain Spanish Don. who has made
himself familiar with all the circumstances OF the
case In the first place. this stranger In apparent
,.od faith offers the steward the opportunity to
save his mistress But he can give no security that
" the venture miscarres. the steward VIII not be
be,d responsible by the next heir for the money
that "a sunk For the next heir has also dsap-
naared and only comes into the story after the
conspiracy has ended In the actual theft OF the
property The reader is left In some doubt as to
the spaniard's good faith. but In none as TO the
genulneness Of the man when necessity calls out
his good traits. AS the estate. the Spanard's 3
reason is that Of an adventurer who no reason
why he should not manage TO get a living out OF
what. as affairs stand. is OF no use to anybody
Having given the steward an opportunity 10 act.
he then feels free take his course. He needs
the aid Of persons who sustain false character
with the least danger OF Icing detected. and 80 In
vcig'es into his plot n trio OF strolng. needy play
ers. who weary OF act!nh and dancing In barns and
tavern ktchena do not very SHARPLY the moral