New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-23
RECENT FICTION.
. GROUP OF WOMEN. ONE OF THEN
HEROIC.

l6rno. PIP liS -. ApDiftoh " ~
THE PICTURE OF LAS CRUCES by Christian
Reid. f2mo. PIP 275. ID. Appleton II Co.
CAMILLA by Richert Won Koch. l2mo. PIP 30.
r. Y. crowell co.
IN HOMEsPUN. BY Edith Nesbit i6mo PIP iss
Roberts Brothers.
"Wisdoms Folly" by A. V. Dutton. Is described
on the title page as "a study in feminine develop
ncnt" Preci: ely what the author aims 10 prove ~
not as clearly expressed might be desired. unless
1t be that 1t IL possible for a woman to love her
husband very sincerely without exactly knowing IT..
Women are frequently met. in novels. who are so
constituted; and they Invariably require some Vio-
lent shock bring them TO their senses and 10 set
them cooking at life from the right angle Eleanor
Romeston required. fortunately for her own
future happiness and TO the readers unaualited re-
lief. Just such II shock at critical moment She
was not certain that she loved her husband. but
when she thought he was smashed up in an acci-
dent she lost consciousness, and when sh" came TO-
found her heart completely remade Eleanor was
the eldest daughter OF an English parson; she was
beautiful but cold and tribe selfish. she re-
nected on the prospects Of matrimony. as young
girls will but hestated risk the actually. since
ITO begin with IT implied certain amount OF pre-
liminary making. and love-making she consid-
cred exclusively as the privilege or penalty-she was
privately disposed regard the lattcr-of SORT
nrctty lovable women" with these Ideas In her
head she meets and marres Cedric Ifatherton. ana
begins shortly aferward filtration with MS COUSIN
Rudolph This Irritation progresses by the usual
stages arriving in due course at the point "here
the lover proposes and the woman. who In THIS
case does not yield. is overcome with notification
With her It is case conscience the fact that she
has not denounced her lover being taken as the
equivalent Of acceptance That the husband Is not
disposed TO see the situation so seriously matters
little In her then overweight state OF nerves Inc
reconciliation is brought about slowly but IN
manner entirely satisfactory to all concerned In
style the story rises little above the commonplace
and is occasionally dlshgured by extravaganza OF
language
Eleanor Stuarts "Stonepastures" Is well-written
story the Of which is laid in a Western min
ing community composed of Swedes and Polacks
The latter contribute the element of recreation the
former work the ore beds. toll in the smelling
works or In the nut and bolt factory. Life In SCOT
City as the name implies. was dark and grimy
Accidents and sudden death about as fire.
quent as night and day A squeeze between two
orecars or a tendency to slumber on the tracks af
ter a 'cosey or arrack at Grigg's drnkshop. meant
black on some ones oor-handle. But the blast
was the horror that made the woman kiss their
men with the fervor OF the last parting when they
went off TO work at the ore bed. The blast was not
famous for respect OF persons. 1t rarely killed but
its victims were rarely cured" II ia a blast that
interposes to cast temporary gloom over the
simple love affair Of Emma Butte and August Jarl-
SEN and 10 bring out what Is truly noble in their
natures and to show how. even when bese by tempt
ations. woman. If she loves truly and has i'm"
spirit may rise superior to everything and get
her reward in the end. Jarlsen is "baste1. ana
while his bride is tempted cheated, threatened and
prosecuted by the INSCRIPTIONS and drunken Simeon
Quarry he Is tenderly nursed by the unhappy wom
an who permits herself TO be daunted by nothing,
and reveals herself at one point az a capable hero
Inc. To her courage Is directly traceable the dis
coverv Of Quarrys cruel plot 10 blow mp the powder
MAGAZINE The chapter in which this episode Is de-
scribed Is not only the strongest In the book but II
fingers I'm the memory a thoroughly excellent
niece Of work-vigorous In conception and artistic I'm
rendering The book Is not remarkable but shows
a certain cleyerness.
In Christian Reds book. The Picture Of Las
Cruces" the personages all seem to express them
selves with considerable difficulty suggesting that
they are only partially familiar with the idiomatic
uses of the English tongue. This defect Is not
wholly atoned for by the fact that the action Of the
story passes in Mexico. and that several OF the
characters are of Spanish stock 1t looks very much
as If the fault lay with the author. But It is not
necessary to go into that point. For the rest the
story NAV be described as conceived and exc
cuted In n spirit of uncompromising romance A
Young American artist finds his way into Mexican
home ruled by the proud Don Luis. Here he meets
charming maiden named Carmen, whose appear
ance bears striking resemblance TO portrait OF
a certain Marquesa. about whose life and unhappy
end dark insnuations are made. lngraham Is i'm
mediatey filed with the idea of painting Garments
picture and as luck has II. is able TO portray her In
the very gown worn by the mysterious Marquesa. at
the time she posed according to tradition, for We
lasouez 1t IS scarcely necessary remind the ex-
perenced reader OF romances that lngraham falls
desperately in love with his sitter, or that an IN
superab BILE obstacle is thrown across the path of
their happiness and that the maiden Is forced
against her will Cor in this instance in further
ance OF her reprobate fathers ambition TO marry
4 man for whom she cherishes little esteem and no
love The story is divided into two parts. The first
ends with Garments botrothal to Don Luis. the sec
ond describes Ingraham's return to Mexico after
period of years and a most unfortunate episode in
which be barely escapes with his own life. ana Is the
inadvcrtent cause of the death Of the charming
Carmen A husbands jealousy IS at the bottom Of
the whole tragedy. and Of mistaken identity
the immediate cause of Don Lus's violence. For
II appears that Carmen has sister Ines and that
these two sisters. while resembling each other little
In face are uncommony alike when seen from be-
hind This fact had. unfortunately, escaped Don
Luis's scrutiny. and 50 when he discovers Ines
walking with a young man named Brooke in the
moonlight and only her back. he leaps. with
the impusivcness characteristic OF his TO the
conclusion that Ines Is her sister his wife. and
that the American artist Is plotting to ruin his
happiness The error leads to a duel and the duel
10 Garments death.
Rchert Won Koch is a Swede. and his novel,
Camilla" has been translated from it's original
language evidently by Nathan Haskell Dole so
much we infer from the fact that Mr.. Dole Ia the
author OF brief Introductory note in which the
reader informed that "the story Is masterpiece In
It's way and really loses much less by transcription
into English than might be supposed" There are
other compliments besides but all alike seem super
fuous nasmuch az the reader has the book before
him. and is able to form his own conclusions. For
our own part. n seems quite easy TO overestmate
Mr. Kochs literary skill. even admitting. as are
not prepared TO do without reservations. that the
picture OF the CrusenbOrg family Is well done.
Annals religious mania Is certainly In need of elu-
cidatlon. and the discussions about Salvation Army
aims and methods have an unpleasant air OF being
pulled I'm by the heels Moreover. what verlsimili-
tude the picture of the family might have is de-