New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-04-19
RECENT FICTION.
SOME FANCY AND SOME REALISM.

A CLEVER WIFE. BY W. PETIT Ridge. lZlno' ~
3O0 Harper Brothers.
THE SECOND OPPORTUNITY OF Mr.. STAPLE
HURST BY W. PETIT Ridge. l2mo pp' S'''
Harper & Brothers.
Livingston Prescott. 12mo, pp 24s. Harper q
Brothers
ROSE OF BUTCHERS cooLLY; BY Hamlin Gar
THE LIGHT THAT LIES. BY Cockburn Harvey.
l6mo PIP. 1913. J. b. Lppincott Company.
Mr. w. PETIT Ridge appears to be we'll satisfied
with the world he finds It. He Is, indeed. 80
convinced of the orthodoxy OF his philosophy that
he has written two long novels to prove that OF all
the Joys there's that Is sweeter than others
YOU meet here-'tis the Joy OF being alive" The
first OF these novels bears the title "A Clever
Wife" and celebrates the strange married Ito OF
Harry Halwe, artist and quasi-journalist' ana
Cicely westerham, novelist and new woman. MISS
westerham's particular fad may be dehned as
consuming conviction that woman, TO attain her
highest state OF development. must live lie OF
absolute Independence. Family ties. for her.
provided she does not want them, are not stimu-
lants to artistic achievement. but hindrances. ana
II Is the same with social conventions TX they
chafe little then the higher WISDOM or 'he
new woman" says cast them Off, Make up
your minds" says Cicely In the course OF an ad-
dress delivered to company OK young iaoies III
their teens make up your minds not 10 Do ae-
TERED by a false prudery from investigating the
causes Of evil and the causes OF all wrong that ex-
lists in the world. You may have to unlearn some
thing when the time comes but whatever happens.
/ hope you will all have strength OF NINA 10 s'ep
out OF the common ruck OF average woman anu
make your mark In the world" Cicely had already
stepped out OF the common ruck OF woman AS
for the mark she was to make Tor nerset-.ha'
was TO come later. After an eccentric engagement
she and Harry are married. and Immediately pegh
to live in different cities-Harry In Paris busy Win
h,s art bemoanlng his separation from his wife,
Cicelv in London scribbng novels. ana presidihs
over sort OF Bohemian salon IN 'c'o''a-'"
flat" confident that In following the WHO the
wsp OF false philosophy she Is doing right one 70
making her mark. But Cicely had not recho"ea
with the worlds resentment and she becomes I'M
knowingly tho object Of scandalous Tumor
This req ches her husbands ears and complications
ansue which might have proved troublesome had
not the husbands friend. barley. put the matter
right He Is the means OF reconciins husoanu anu
wife the latter declaring As the curtain 'a's TIN"
,hs world as II Is Is after all the best posso'e VI
worlds The fable is told with consideraoie S"i''
and with picturesque details. There arc seve'a'
utellke gmpses into the journalistic woria Oh A'"-
don
.r, vou haven. what you love. then you must love
what YOU have IS the Wise maxim which WI, MUS.
attempts TO illustrate and enforce IN mo go.
ononr,uni,v OF Mr. Staplehurst" MI Giioer.
III.
, o,tov all the thrills OF lion OF the literary sea-
90, "a really quite unhappy. because. as ne con-
oa.s "a the members OF the Nomadic O'uo III M
,,,cr-dinner speech (al Mr.. Ridges charae'e' o.
given 10 speechifyng). he Ia no longer so"'s 80
.o, Cor ia ieunesse'' IL quite as strong ana con-
P a., ~ nass,on for strong drink and to-
49,, v,,b loss gifted folk However. IN justice 70
A. s,an,ehurst be II noted. his regrettui mus'"s'
y, tho blessedness OF youth are oaseo Oh nv
.e,nsh envy OF the unrcstraned freedom oi 'e"H,'
y.ars ON the contrary. he would be youns $50,
1T, hoc,uss he feels that. II ne has achieved
.rreatness' "a II Is. he might nave rea0"eu
s,ir higher pinnacle Of fame II he had tax" NV
a,,s 20 avoid many OF the indiscretons OF Fout"'
with his mind full OF reflections OF th' hn' w
c,anl.hurst sits down 10 write satir'cai my ~
,oyicol article on Jove. and just as ne hhs"e' w,
"corv" there Is a ring at his new telephone anu
% his surprIse he discovers that the perso" WI"
has rung him mp IL mono other IMAM INC So
o,.u,,on himself The unhappy novelist cohieses
h,. no, ambition and Is Immediately transiateu oa0n
70 his salad days. or rather 10 so"eoou'
This device constitutes the great deiect Oh INC
hch must be ranked because OF II. Infinitely oeio"
AZ Anstey's Vice Versa" Even the most creuu-
lou. are loath 10 believe in the mysterious po".''
=, ,ausmans and the transforming gifts OF the
yoas II Is possible for some clever writer's 10 I'M
nose these absurditles on the nina OF the p"o"o.
pu, % do It successfully they must have wit ana
.e,,-res,raint enough 20 avoid extremes MT. h'ose
hoa
mower Of constructing an effective plot Is not eN-
,ora,,arv Such being the case. 1t Is no surprise
, d., that the adventures experienced by Gilbert
o,on,.hurs, I'm his second youth lack Interest ana
Significance
,,,,,s NAV be forgiven n book that is well
,rh.ro,ore while II has defects. The
,no,hcosIs OF Mr. Tyrawley. by r.. Livingston
prescott. may be commended 20 reauers u "."o
,o are no, averse TO an hour or TWO Oh p'sasa,'
r.cr.atlon Tyrawley properly christe"eu i',."N
49,. h,s living mo- her. is cheerful vagaoond' win
"' " a., .r,,rt clothes and with a shadowy. ad-
.o,,s n,s, that rises up TO NEEDLE IN his pet
r,,rs nj the most inopportune mome"'s az '"o
p''' ~" NO ia discovered lazlly lounging on the
49,. =, c,orctown a watering place IN fhg'ahd oh
The same pier n small boy ha'neu De'"e' ""s
h.rr,ng Young girl. Nina st. Just are nsnns'
ro has certain idyllc charm due to the de-
,,,,, descriptions OF the color OF sea ana coast
~, dramatic quality is withheld until pe''e SLY"
overheard and the girl drops IN AFTER nun" 'y,""
,.,, cares nothing for young girs-he mas o"'"'eu
tho weakness: II he liked the society 0, "u'es al
=, mas tho society OF dowagers. But ne cou'u not
80, though he was stand by and see small boy
$50 70 saw nothing OF n pretty young girl 90
occoutred as ne was. he plunged IN ana resc"eu ''e
unhappy pair. The sequel Will be OBVIOUS " ca
,an.oa readers Tyrawley's better nature begins
- ass.rt itself under the influence or the maui
,oso ufe he has saved The complete conquest OF
~,a 9, Inst Is not. however. achieved without
law unhappy adventures all traceable to Tyraw-
,".s unfortunate past. The story Is admirably tod
with skin In the construction OF the plot and In the
composition of the dialogue
A false method and a coarse mind have combined
% DESTROY whatever merits the story unfolded by
U,mrn Garland In Rose Of butchers Coolly may
have possessed charming and Interesting MS
torvthe growth OF n young girls mind. and her
gradual evolution from n simple country maid Into
the cultivated ambitious city woman-is theme
which might we'll prove tempting to student OF
psychological processes and graceful literary
artist But Mr.. Garland Is neither the one nor the
other His style Is turgd. strained and forced his
nsvcholoyy materalistc and vicious Life to him
ia series of purely physical and physiological SEN
aa.ions. more or less closely identified with sex.