New-York tribune., 1895-10-13


her. while the third actor becomes merchan' p
tending TO advance the money for ransom Now III
order 10 carry out the plan successfully, II ~ ny
essary that the girl shall be perfect III 'he way" VI
Moorish women. That necessitates journey W
c,a,, II ,s comparatiyely easy to convert this
Journey into merry tour. In wh'ch '"e a''o' IN.
aside their role OF consplrators and become ny Jo'
.nd c.re,ns. as ever they were In England Never
,h.Ioss In a town where Moors and Spaniarhs meet
peaceably for trade. the travellers setue oo"'' or
the young girl learns TO act just Ike person. ' 49,
in Parbary Then the whole party return 10 r.s
land with the Spaniard ana soon oo'''" wv
which they covet tar,
T, 70 easy TO carry a false semblance for snort
t,re Rut the plotters find that the hypocrisy
must be kept up FOR life Then. quite ha.u'''' Wv
little actress who has become great iany' mar
ries the heir to the estate, IN 'he pe'son VI
half-starved painter and II Is simply impoSs'o'e ~
keep secret the wrong-dong which all these eoou
hoor,s wou,d gladly undo II they could There is
an unexpected disclosure angry quarrel, ptter
renentance and the girl fees from her husDahu
to play a new. strange part Even he' i"''''
cannot euess her purpose lie thinks only that II
will cheer her up to return 10 the old Vasapo'u
life in Spain. But she puts herself in the hahds
OF the Moors. who persuaded TO eNchahse lo'
her Young and beautiful she is. the aged woman
whose estate she has helped to steal out OF this
act OF self sacrifice on her part, whch draws a'er
u good deeds from all the conspra tors. there comes
of course freedom. reconciliation with her huSDahd
and as the true helress Is dead. the honest pos
session OF the lands which for while she rueu
under false pretences. In reading the story one
has his notions OF morality almost as much mixed
as were those OF the aged woman rescued from
slavery, who seemed to wonder at the chahse
which must have taken place in Christian couh-
trles while she was In Barbary to account "for
pack OF thieves nowadays being so very unhKe
what a pack OF thieves in her young days
Putt : 10 no n1pr Of
one svmpaihIze with rogues who merry even
though they do wrong at times ones head is hot
bothered in this book by the attenuated analysis
OF motives Such a story should be enjoyable 10 all
| novel readers a relief from the self-conscious
studies OF modern life The style barring some
lapses IS a clever imitation of early eighteenth
century English.
The title of Mr. Cranes book is incomplete. Red
Badge Is well enough though why not crimson or
| urld doos not appear But simple Courage is dis
appointing and inadequate TO proper description OF
the story 1t should have been colossal. or purple
or Incredible OF perhaps crushed stra"Derry' for
this Is volume Of adjectives and adverbs. largely
| chromatc and always intense. There IS scarceV
| thing Of which the quality is not described. ana
,hore are few TO which color Is not attributed
There are crimson oahs, and black curses ana r''
| cheers and urid There are colossa! noises
and a crimson roar and black rage. and blue maze
| Of curses These are numerous The hero OF the
| episode has an eternal debate in his own nlnd ana
| feels a vast pity for himself. He sees haze OF
| treachery too and conceves red letters of curious
| revenge Men march along an eternal way ana
| swear with incredible power. They make desperate
rushes perpetualy backward and forward, and their
! crings are incredibly fierce. Gray. bewhiskered
hordes advance with relentless curses and chew TO-
| bacco with unspeakable vaior. And so on, TO the
| end Of the wenty-fourth chapter. Inc WhoIe
| episode Is a chromatic nightmare.
This characteristic OF the book demands attention
because II Is Of all the most conspicuous But there
| are others Notably there ant-climaxes pro
duceG by strivngs for grotesque effect the result OF
which is to make ridiculous some scenes "nich
| otherwise would not have been devoid OF tragic
pover Thus in all the wild frenzy or Dayoiet
| charge at tho supreme moment OF II. We are asked
10 pause and to observe Of the hero that puisa,he
| saliva stood at the corners of his mouth. Ana
| again at the close OF desperate ana pioouy r''-
| ,le ..the req sun was pasted in the sky ike
wafer" Had not the typeseter or the prooireaue'
| copyholder authority TO eXpunge such pe"''''"s
b-utalties? Could not the printers deVli nave oo'
| rected such expressions "a ITO further risk nun
| Golf" or .he tried to mathematically prove IL
| mo- ,,, from, words which are turgd, inflated, ana
| o0oc,ed n a degree 10 the action. we ma II weak
whore II should be strong and hesitant "heIe ]"
should be preciptate. The writer taxes nan al "o
| 80 nscr,ha what happened in half minute. The
story is largely OF haste, or tuhlul'' vi eN'.e
ment; but by dwelling upon insignificant ue,a'i'
| and rnapnifving them unduly, he makes 1t tedious
| as a funeral march. 1t Is as H. IN 'epl"s VI -"
horserace. were TO mention each n"iiN
ing up and setting down Of each individuai loot oi
| the contestants. . 49,,
| This IS after ALL the most serious II MOI 'ie
| mas, ohvious fault OF the book There is an Ola
| saving about not being able to see the WOODS De-
| cause Of its leaves Mr.. Crane gives us so many
| tells and dvels upon them so elaborately. tnat
| be obscures the broad motive and the general ac-
| ,Ion Of the story n more simply ana u'ec"s'
hs
| is one Of a young man who had ureahe" vi '
| leeds: who went to the war ra" rec'u'' III "
| a, roc,ront. who in the midst Of great battle
| got scared and away; and VINO re'ur"eu !" NV
| nLs rext dav and played the hero. There Is
| ,,,,. IN I, for n fine delineation Of contend
| ~, ,oss,,ns for humor pathos and dramatic force.
| ~ nathos Mr. Crane seems to have httie 'ohceP-
,ion or indeed. of humOr, such as ne gives us III
| this book being sardonc and grotesque' whlie' as
| ye have suggested his dramatic powers ofteh IAN
| NJ the supreme moment through some hI-auVIseu
| Dbrasing or petty detail sketching. tie s' now
| ar ga vet a very young man. a mere novice in the
| t, % letters: and his models and masters have
annarontlv not been the best The exaggerated COM
| , ,,ocos NJ TolstoL the brutal coarseness Of
zo,, and the redupiicated profanities OF Maeernk.
ro mot CONNIE ndable ideals for the student or lit
| erarv art Nor s decadent morDidity destined 10
| win a commanding place in literature. ii MT. crane
| ,ur oscbev such influences and tendencies. try 10
| forget the iejune foolery OF the BIacK hiuers'
| and fix his mind upon the wholesome themes ana
! r,etbods which distinguish true classics from the
hothouse fruit Of a single season, ne may perhaps
| produce some profitable works Meah"n"e We can
not hail him Master
rHB LESSON or HISTORY
Mr. W. s. Lilly. writing OF the new spirit in his