New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09
RECENT FICTION.
MUCH ROMANCE AND SOME MELODhAMA

THE SILK OF THE kline BY l.. McManus'
i2mo PIP 1885, Harper & Brothers.
EFFIE HETHERLNGToN;; BY Robert Buchanan
Emo PIP. 26a Roberts Brothers.
A MARRIAGE BY CAPTURE BY Robert Buch-
anan l6mo pp 1856 j. Il. Lppincott Company
A new woman is the heroine of THE Madonna
of a Day.: her name is Mary. and she has an uh-
fortunate habit of walking in her sleep. 10 DC az.
CITRATE she has walked thus once During hei 0"'iu
hood before she became new woman anu s"' io
peats the experiment once again during d sHo"'
night as she is journeying across the ROCKIES VIII"
h.r Communion This comes near being her I'M
doing for although she escapes serious pouis
in irv nv falling off the train into SOFT sno"Olh
she is obliged to seek shelter among OAHU VI
Western desperadoes clad only In coque.'i'"
Oriental dressing gown. to the wearing Oh WHY"
sh,. Is pcrversely partial. AS the story mas d
s d,r,, Il need not be noted that Mary
oscares from her captors and is finally restored 10
bcr friends with the assistance of a most depraVcu
dwarf who falls in love with her' ana Hsps' AZ
,rost however centres on the heroincs expert
ences with the desperadoes ana the devices ~
which she IL forced TO resort in order to keep them
at . distance At one point she comes perilously
near having TO marry Hamilton man WIN
reckless wicked handsome face. Hamilton gets
priest over from distant settlement 70 perform
the ceremony but Mary outwits MN by an APP
neal 10 mis- honor, and by exploiting her OWN
wo,nonIiness and helplessness She displays none
nf ~
new womanhood during her captivity. Ih's Is
nrobaby the lesson the author wishes TO convey 10
her readers: The impossibility Of woman coping
with men on their own footing ana the cohseque".
necessity of her falling back on the oId-lashohcu
weapons OF her sex, i. e.. on her weakness Inc
Madonna Of a Day" is not lacking IN interest," III
snitc Of its being rather loosely constructed Mary
q an interesting character whose audacites are far
more attractive than her hippant illusions 10 re-
ugIon The interview with the minister on the
train adds little the movement OF the story ana
were better remodeed or omitted
THE silk of the Kline" by l.. McManus' is an
,,,or,cl rovel whose scene Is laid in Ireland dur
inc Cromwell's ascendency. The immediate motive
Of the tale IS found in the Lord Presidents plan 70
eyict all the natives and nearly all the Anglo-lrlsh
Inhabitants of Ireland. The scheme involved the
TRANSPORTATION Of the existing cathohc lahoo"heiS
% Connauqht "there TO inhabt narrow. desoate
tract between the Shannon and the sea- destitute
for the most part of houses or any accommodation
for their reception where they were deoarred from
or,ar,nr any walled town, and where Gordon OF
soldisrs were 70 be stationed to prevent their re-
turn" Among these evicted landowners Is one Lazy
Margerv Ny CURE, fair-haired maiden strict
Catholic and patriot. She, on the ROAD 70 Coh-
nought loses her company, falls into the hahus Vi
two swashbucklers is rescued by Major Ottley one
Of Cromwells officers. and by him is handed over
into the hands OF the authorities, for although
Ottlev Immediately fall in love with the fair Mar
gerry he loves his honor as soldier more. She Is
imprisoned effects daring escape. Is recaptured
and IS saved from transportation 10 the lopacco
Islands only by Ottlcy's swearing that she Is his
wife They finally make good their escape to The
Hague and in due course are pardoned and per-
n,itted to return to their estates in Lincolnshire
The tale is crudely told but contains few eHectVc
scenes notably the one in which Margery, AFTER
first upbraidng Ottley for his deceit in swearing
that she "a Catholic is the wife Of follower OF
90 har nnla In
acknowledges the relationship in order TO save the
man who has risked his honor and his liberty to
serve her.
II was Mr. Robert Buchanan who once
caused Rossetti much distress OF nina
by accusing him in an anonymous article
OF exalting the flesh above the spirit IN MS poetry
with that effort in mind. are somewhat sur
prsed TO find Mr. Buchanan himself falling into
the same error in his last novel. Ellie Hethering-
TON Fife IS certainly n young lady about whose
person the author permits the reader to Know
entirely too much. She Is. 10 be sure. not destined
10 he happy; he is. In fact. destined to die misera-
hlv. isolated from her family and friends This is
bad enough but in opinion. does not Justify
the author in dwelling persistenty on her phys-
cal charms in the early chapters II Is suff-
clent 10 know that she had small, saucy, pug
nose: that her mouth was "a Veritable ROSEBUD
that her underip full" and would probably
be fuller yet; that in disposition she was, as her
historian II,
might have spared us the size OF her waist the
measure OF her shoulders and the texture OF her
skin We will not say that these data may not be
presented unobiectionably All we claim Is that
Mr. Buchanan either cannot, or did not wish TO.
present them In this manner He lacks frankness.
and his cant is only another means OF FOCUSING
attention on details which he to wish 10 con-
ceal Eflc IIctherington IL the sort OF girl that
men often like but do not always respect; she is
A natural nrt, and II Is her misfortune to exercise
her powers certain Laird Douglas uhe scene
is laid In Scotland. Douglas is gloomy. morose
man who lives by himself. and. like Hamlet, has
foresworn family life. lie has curious laugh.
which sounds like the "croak of corby crow"
whatever that may he. and thus expresses himself
on the subject Il women early In the story. Damn
the women Damn their soft smooth faces and
their scented hair and all their winsome ways!
Ave- damn them all save one." When Douglas de-
lyers himself Of this TRADE he Is reading Boccac-
clio lin the original in his lonely cabin; thunder
storm Is raging outside. and it is Halloween. Sud
denly there Is Il clattcr of horses hoofs, and
party of jewellers bound for the caste-Lady Bell.
Arthur Lamont Ohe villain of the tale), and Eic-
enter seeking shelter from the violence of the
storm. Here Mr.. Buchanan seiZcs the occasion 10
tell his readers that Efic wears silk stockings. and
that at each successive clap Of thunder she snuggles
M against Douglass brawny arm. although she
has never mot the before. When the storm
abates Douglas accompanies her on her way TO
the castle and pops the question. Space forbds
detailed analysis Of the rest of the story. Mr.. Bu
chanan's admirers may be assured. however. that
It is a glittcrng example Of rhetorical fiction. and
Is written from title TO Colophon. has been
sid of Hail Gaines books. "at the top OF the
voice"
"A Marriage by Capture" Is also by Mar. Robert
buchanan. 1t differs from Ellie lcthcrington" in
that IL * considerably shorter. and that the action
passes IN ireland. The subordinate characters are
drawn with spirit. and with just appreciation OF
picturesque detail The drinking party At Cascys
Inn is an excellent BIT OF genre painting, and sets
one asking why Mr.. buchanan does not more often
prefer 10 do this sort of work TO depicting, try
inE 10 depict, the elemental emotions. 4 passing
word Of commendation Is also due 10 his rendering
OF Father John O'Donncll; of Kennedy. the captain
Of police and particularly OF Mary OF the ready
tongue For the rest the tale Is specimen VI
sheer meodramA