New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-01
RECENT FICTION.
az ENGLISH AND AMERICAN ACIhoN''

n.
HApJIRA BY "Adale," i2mo. Pp' do '''
win Arnold
(sEORCFr'S MOTHER. BY stephen franc ''0'' W
III New-York: Edward Arnoa'
poprpr arrERBuRY BY Thomas II Braineru
ismo PIP 2si. The Casse Puohsmhs 'o''''"'
..rh. Dancer IN Yellow" Mr. W. F. Norriss ia'es'
novel. shares the merits and detec's OF Tvs s..
previous work 1t Is written IN 'ha' s'"Ce'' "
supple English which we nave ea'"eu r..
from the author of 'Ma;rimony' ANU INV ~
ho,k and others is neither aggressivey Original nor
...,.a Wa 40 NOT 60 80 far 10 say that II IL
.o,,r,o,,,ace hut Il has strong leaning toward
eonvent,onality Daisy Villiers Is young "o''a"
whose luminous eyes, luxurian' ha'i ar"
parable figure have. in combination WIN 'espe0
able talent for dancing. given her prominent pi'N'
among the popular variety artists OF the honr'"
s,aCe She has had many admirers pu' eiNe7 '''
hand and en- much OF her heart as she can spare
from her profession. TO Frank Coplestone-a young
gentleman for whom Mr.. Norris mas proV'ue" '"o
usual aristocratic and semi-arstocra'ic fanny 0o"
necton Had Frank been candid Win MS re'd'Ne''
had Daisy been passionate lover instead OF being
merely witty and trine selfish. there Is no 'el""s
wha, Air. social catastrophy might not have nap
pened early in Mr. Norris's history. AS IL Is FRANK
keeps his secret. and does not betray hinSen UNI"
CHAPTER XXVlII Meanwhile the impossioiilty OF Nv
ing at peace with Daisy Is borne In upon h'ih Inc
circumstance IS accounted for. If we correctly
tistic temperament. Daisy we are assured IS
Young woman Of exemplary character cursed--pe-
cause she is the possessor of the aforesaid temporal
ment-with occasional apses In respect OF cohnuV'
She does not attempt TO justify herself. Du' s'ic
knows too much OF life and conventional society not
70 realize that her manner OF existence. as well as
her profession must continue under existing condi-
tons 10 ostracize her. We confess that this trait
IN Dasys character IS rather vaguely presented pS
the author; It certainly IS not generally pecuh" 10
artists Of her class who have managed TO make soou
matches II would seem that Daisy oush' 10 nav
been more ambitious socially: that even II she ala not
Iaoe her husband but only liked him tribe better
80. .,,o o.b.r men she knew she should have used
h,s social pull TO raise herself But without being
positively wicked. Daisy is weak; more 'hth '"e
typ,cal new woman" she Graves her liberty ana her
convention OF married bliss finally comes 10 De an
arrangement. in which. within certain limits not de-
fined. both husband and wife are at liberty 20 ieaa
Sndenen5ent lives Come. old boy wei 90 the Des'
We can. and we won't attempt what can't he done
Well bear and forbear. you shall have all the I'D
erty you can wish for, and. on my side Ill promise
no, 10 disgrace you 'Mein lehchen. was wls' uu
mehr?" she exclaims 10 her husband she Keeps
her vow consistently. until her oppor'uhe ue"'"
leave. Frank free TO marry Mrs. Tafford, the kindy
widow with whom he has been carrying on an inno-
cent filtration from an early stage in Mr.. Norriss
narrative THE Dancer In Yellow" we repeat. is
an agreeaoly written tale. which may be recon-
mended 10 while away summer afternoon.
''Hadtira" is a Turkish love story, written by
young Turkish woman. and. as the publishers IN
form lis In Introductory note composed orig
inally in English Exoticsm can go no fur;her'
although we must confess that :he note Of strange
ness which the odd combination of circumstances
10 which we have referred lead us to suppose We
should detect in the narrative is conspicuous only
by its absence. For the fact Is that Turkish ro-
nance. through Adalet's eyes, strikes us as
much like romance In other countries. 1t mas us
moments Of exaltation. alternating with those Of
detection: its periods OF jealousy. It's misunder-
standings and reconciliations. II is. IN short the
eternal theme which has the same ring and the
came color. whether enacted In the familiar Eu-
ropean surroundings or in the mysterious secluson
of Oriental harems We hasten 10 add that the
story Of the loves OF Hafz Bey and the beautiful
but unfortunate maiden Hadjira. told by Adalet.
is quite as commonplace are most love stories,
when they are divorced from the charm OF local
color That the anonymous author Of this volume
has been able 10 produce novel which betrays
scarcely OF scenery is most extra ordinary
circumstance considering the opportunities for
picturesque descriptions Of customs and costumes
and scenes offered by the conditions Of Turkish lfe
both in town and country
Mr. Stephen Crane is doing his best destroy the
little reputation built up for him the strength of
1.-The Red Badge OF Courage" That story, in spite
OF its crudties and apses OF taste. dealt with a
theme which suggested intentional rOughness. and
left room for hope that the writer owed of his
glarlng faults 10 youth and bad models. But
the almost Simultaneous publication of Maggie"
and Georges Mother" his first and his latest ef-
forts strips away the pretence OF conscious art as
the for brutality. and reveals writer who
handles the common side Of life IN uniformly
coarse and commonplace way. Georges Mother
Is a less offensive book than Maggie" 1t Is less
profane. and does not leave SO strong an impression
hopeless ear,hiness. But its virtue is purely
tive. and II It shocks less often Is all the
relieved yacuity. 1t IS not much more interesting to
learn that the nero sNears "a tangled of
oaths' than to be compelled hear those oaths in
their badness. The pious mother and the wayward
son types in slum stories, and Mr..
Crane is not all original in the deneation OF
them
OF local color Mr.. Crane has nothing: his tene-
ments any tenenents and his streets any streets.
A few shadowy figures belong 10 gang of roughs
who purpose except to introduce hints OF
beer cans and bTawls in vacant lots and other In
distinct loafers Of slightly higher class people the
saloons Mr.. Cranes highest flight Of magina ton
and psychologist insight is found in a description OF
George meeting with his friends. drinking himself
into q stupor. falling down with "a yellow crash
and waking the day perceive all the futility
OF red existence" The mother is a peevish and
p.ous coun;rywonan. whose dialect belongs neither
TO tie country the town When she worked about
the house she sprang from her rest and began to
buffet with her shrivelled arms. IN a moment tho
battle again In full swing Terrific blows
given and received" but whether the return blows
were given by The dr:pping-pan or cobwebs the
sound spir! in her voice. that had broken wing"
IS not revealed. Other gro;esque figures OF speech
destroy all impression OF serious characterize ton
George and MS friend into the saloon that sat
blinking 1ovia.ly at the crowds. 1t enguifed them
with giecfu motion OF its TWO widely smiling lips"
After that oahs lose their reality and become
fantastic fabrca,ions.
Georges Mother" falls both as a picture OF slum
life and as character study. and does
suggest a story. The actually to which 1t pretends
IS entirely fictitious and unemboded. The book j
bristles with coarseness and duness. but there is
no vitality anywhere which makes them anything