New-York tribune., 1896-03-29
RECENT FICTION.
A GROUP OF MODERN "HERolNES."

Emo MnN'p pp s75 Frederick A. Stokes Company.
nrRNICIA. by Amelia f. Barr. ismo. pp. aos
Doid Mead & Co.
IN 4 SILENT WORLD. BY the author of Views
OF English Society" 1smo. PIP. 80 Dodd' Mead
A QUESTION OF FAITH. BY I. Dousall i6mo
pp 2so Houshton. Mniin Co.
A COLONIAL wOoTNG. BY Charles Conrad Alb.
bott NJ D. limo pp. 2h. J. i. Lppincou
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A PROFESSIONAL
nEArY s Ry r apnse E5ssse's domany aPRf ''" ''"'
THE Wish BY Hermann Sudermann. Trans
lated by Lily Henkel i2mo' pp' &c., D. Apple
In Mr. Robert Barr's "a Woman Intervenes,"
tho pIot Is ingenious complicated and wlthal paus
BILE The characters although not profoundly stud
led are observed In sufficient detail to answer every
necessity the dialogue is witty. vivacious and erse
the situations dramatic and effective without
being melodramatc. This last observation especial
Is appies to the OF the stormy interview be-
,veen Jennie Brewster and Filth Isongworth. The
former Is young journalist who Is sent out to Eng
land with general orders from the managing editor
OF The Ncw-York Argus to extract a secret re-
latlng to certain mining operations. known
to be In the possession of two young mining ex-
perts-Kenyon and Wentworth. She embarks on
the Calorlc and by means OF a series OF ingenious
questions whose object Is artfully disguised by
feminine weakness she succeeds In learning from
wentworth the contents OF the coveted report on
the Canadian mine. The Information thus gained Is
promptly converted into copy" which Jennie mis-
chievous.y insists upon editing and correcting In the
unfortunate mans presence.
Then comes the scene TO which auson has been
made Edith I.ongworth Wcntworh's emlssary,
seeks interview with Jennie In her stateroom
and offers brlbe her into silence. The interview
is piece OF most effective dialogue. serving at once
to carry the story rapidly It's course. and TO al
low the author 10 exploit number OF searching
questions into the morality OF the particular sort OF
journalistic enterprise In which Miss Brewster Is
engaged Contrast Jennies appearance In this
scene with her demeanor, at a later stage. during
an interview with Wentworth In London and a fair
idea OF the range OF Mr.. Barrs skill may easily be
formed. II Is AS impossible not to like Jennie Brew
ster II IL TO approve OF her There Is sonnet thing
uncommonly attractive about her audaclty and
something very winning In her tears The reader
feels that she ought not TO send the cablearam TO
"The Argus. and yet In that agonizing moment
Just the boat Is pushing or for the shore bearing
the passengers messages. when Jennie with the
fatal telegram In her hand liz held n prisoner in her
stateroom II s doubtful II the reader does not give
his sympathy to her rather than to the imperurb.
able Edith. her jailer. The story IL full OF strprses
the best being reserved for the final page
With no special pretence to scholarly accuracy
Mrs Amelia Il. Barr has succeeded more than
might have been expected In annating the pages OF
her latest novel. Bernicia" with the spirit of by
gone age. The scene IL laid-in the reign OF George
H. and interest centres In the Of the heroine
whose name gives the title to the volume.
Bsrnlca- . vivaninuA hiArk-hrowsd ry-hrsd