New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-26
RECENT FICTION.
LONG NOVELS AND SHORT STORIES.

i
dee-Bu l6mo PIP. 300 d. Appleton G. co.
YELLOW AND WHITE. BY W. Carleton Dave.
l6mo PIP. 225. Roberts Brothers.
JERSEY AND Jersey LANE: URBAN AND
SUBURBAN SKETCHES by H. c. Bunncr.
limo. pp 23l. Charles Scribner's Sons.
THE QUICKsANDs OF PACTOLus. BY Horace
Annesley Nachcll. l6mo, pp 324 Henry Holt
e. Co.
Depth and snbtlety Of observation are no more
the conspicuous qualities OF Mr. +. Marion Craw-
fords last novel, Adam Johnstone's Son." than
they have been Of tho score Of other volumes which
bear his name On the other hand, the story is
nucnty and pleasantly written. and Is constructed
with sufficient ingenuity to sustain the readers
curiosity the final chapter, when, after the man.
ner OF tho good. odfashioned novcists, rewards
are distributed and perpexity ends There are sew
cral excellent scenes In the book. One, In particu-
lar. In which Mr.. Crawford describes the hero and
heroine fighting With a drunken carter on the ro-
mantle road leading along the face of the cliffs be-
tween Amaf and Salerno. is full of action. The
picture Of society at the little Amalian hotel Is OBJ
viously drawn from the life. and Is amusing
enough TO excite n mild laugh. Commentator Is
also due the rendering Of natural scenery; but
whole the story, spite Of the curiosity aroused
by the skill with which 1t has been constructed.
scarcely rises above the level Of the commonplace.
"In the Day of Adversely" by John Bloundee-
Burton, is an historical novel, whose main facts
are drawn from the secret memoirs Of lie Comle
de Busy Rabutin and Roussets "listoire de Lou
vols" But the bare fact that novel Is founded
on truth does not make 1t an interesting work Of
art Mr. Burton has, however executed Il credit
able piece OF work which will compare favorably
with most other specimens of historical fiction of
recen. manufacture. lilo has caught the trick or
style and the movement required by the formula
OF the Weyman school. and he displays, In addi-
ton considerable constructive skill Interest CEN
tres on the fortunes of certain George ST George.
&c in tle ctHDtpr
the Kings orders between Pontarlicr and Paris.
He carries under his cloak little child, or whom
he Is inordinatcy fond. The reason appears at an
early stage in narrative st. Georges wife died
In giving the little thing birth; moreover both ne
and tho. child the objects of persecution. for.
as St George suspects, the great de Nannes, who
loved the Marquise de Roqucmaure, was his father.
and he and his little daughter are, In consequence
heirs to the great wealth at the time held by the
powerful family Of De Roquemaure. The complica-
tons which grow out OF this relation. and the real
animosity displayed by the son Of the family. and
the supposed hate OF the daughter Of the family.
furnish the novelist with the framework Of a series
OF thrilling adventures. There pictures OF the
French Court of lonely rides and hairbreadth es-
capes o. gallant lighting against almost insur-
mountable odds; and there Is finally happy end
Ing in which all true friends are recompensed. and
all double dyed villains are punished according to
their deserts On the whole may say candidly
that there have been many historical tales written
which are mucn worse than Mr.. Burton's In the
Day OF Adversity."
Excepting for a few vulgarities Of expression AMI
OF thought Mr.. W. Carleton Dawes yellow and
White Is an excellent collection OF short stories
The tales have at least one conspicuous merit
they are we'll written and put together. Mr. Dave
knows his business and when he learns TO avoid the
outr4 and 10 eschew certain Alterations OF style
which are modish In the present day among our
new writer's, he may look forward TO composing
hook which every one Will be delighted 10 renh'
and 70 keep There are nine brief tales In the
nresent collection the being about evenly d.
vided between China, Japan and siam. An Eng
ushn,an Is invariably the hero and the stor'es de-
mic, his adventures These partakc OF the nature
NJ purc adventure. either OF courage or love- 10
the latter category belongs the opening story,"Aich
a,,ea i,s title to the volume. and the japanese
,dvl called "Sada"; TO the former the thoroughly
admirable story entitled Coolies This IS i"
our otin,on by far the best of the nine II de-
scribcs the experiences OF a company OIL fhs"'u
marine officers in bringing cargo or COOLIES from
one OF the China ports to Singapore Chu'r the
leadership Of a scmi-blind coolie named wing
nutiny is set on foot which threatens ior ui"c
TO end the life OF the first ana stooho nla'e' "s ~
ods chat Of the unfortunate captain Thanks 70
the ingenuity Of the Scotch engineer inc "p'iS''s
"a ouclled by a novel device ana tHc '"'s "
human freight is successfully de'Vcie" "' 10
,,,or There are flashes of genuine humor IN
tbi Irief
inc because they are grim. Another clever Skc'ch'
h,oh &c called "Fan-tan." describes the acVeh'-
- y, an Enelishman who wins n large stake ~
this oopular Chinese game The charac'e' VI ~.
hoIf-breed Portuguese Pinto is draw" ,'o I
M. and the picture OF the attempted roop''s' -.
the subsequent humorous interview oe 49,
,,,c,,m and the proprietor OF the MOTEL WHO, We
are left 10 infer. was In TIC p''
niece of subtle art.
Under the title Jersey Street ana jersey i""e
aro collected the last writings or inc ia'e '
a a'' ~. ,o,,,me contains a half-dozen BRIEF
sketches entitled respectively, jersey anu '..,
harrv " ..riemann's 10 Tubby Hook. Tine bowery
and bohemia" THE Story OF rain INC 10y
Child, and "A Letter to Town As 10 'ne'"e' W
sketches are equally divided between the low" '
the country and as to treatment ana concep'oA
ar. I'm a high degree characteristic OF 'hc "u'"
Individuality Pv this is meant that they are
couchcd in a style which. without n trace OF sus''
or conspicuous rhetoric, reveals the h""" "a
poet. tina; the spirit which animates the'h 10 ~
tolerant Of human weakness. and compassionate
toward those who suffer. 1t must. OF course De
added that they are pcrvaded by a delicate h"mo'
~. ,hc humor not OF the professional joker put
., that superlor sort OF which Thackeray was
master 1t has the virlliiy OF experienced ROBUST
manhood tempered by kindness This qua"y Is
particularly noticeable In Mr. Bunnet y low"
sketches and especially In the two entitled Jersey
and Mulberry" and ''Thc Bowery and Bohemia
The theme Of the former Is the Sums or New
York. "A locality which the author knew well ana
without exaggeration may be said to have loVed.
II appealed to him by reason OF its richly varied
life by It's picturesqueness by Its frank display OF
mn ssons But Mr. Burners sum Is not the meio-
dramatic slurn OF the young reaists; his lmakina-
ton does not figure II a huge cage poopled with
human monsters. whose only motives are those OF
brutal greed and equally british sensuaiity. To
Mr. Burners eye-and his eye was that OF an eA-
pcrienced obseryerthc congested tenement district
Ga le.s the home OF melodrana than OF comedy and
tragcdy-of the tragedy OF those who suffer. and
bear patiently the burdens which misfortune has
saddlcd upon their toll bent shoulders We do not