New-York tribune., 1896-11-29

that term and a page out Of life. In the one case
an artificial adjustment OF affairs Is looked 'o' "
the other II Is impossible to feel any other emu
tions than those Of a spectator who accompanies d
number OF persons through number of weeks anu
guesses. the days pass. at what Is haPpe"'e "
them all. I.eversedgc's fate is not. as mas
been said, q matter of much mystery. Inat IL ~.
cause his character IS being developed. MS crS,'
is being FASTENED. by physical and pphdet'"'e
things But the Carissima IL Il spiritual puZZie
and the highest compliment that could he pa'u "
Lucas Malct would be that her heroine pa'''e'
those who read Of her quite as much as She ap
pears to battle the other personages IN the poo"'
Since the author protests against having ii mean,
ing read into her story any attempt at explaining
must be abandoned. Furthermore the atteinp,
would be fruess. Yet the book does not emu
against dead wall. IT is not futiiity' "e
Car.ssima il an exasperating soul ana she mas
ignobe depths. but she is curiousy attractive an"
no one who begins to follow her career VIII "'
down the narrative until the last page has peeh
reached. What matters ii that that iaS' p"eN
/ leaves the reader still unsatisfcd as to her cf"i
actcr? thing OF beauty Is JOY forever peau''-
full and original woman is the more enchanting io'
remaining unsolved.
Between Carlotta Carissma and Clarissa Furosa
there Is an Interesting contrast which empr'ces
not alone tho two women. but the me'"o"' VI
Lucas Malct and Mr.. Norris The former sr"''
toward the type which IL 10 typ'' ~ ''S -
ccptonaI figure whose truth to human nature ooes
not make II conceivable that many other hsu'es U,
exactly the same sort are likely to be encountered
in England anywhere else. The root oi inc
matter is always present the man. the woman 10
always unmstakably manlikc or womanly' o"' ''.'
individuality Is Invariably unique Mr. MOTIFS Is
the high priest of the average type. We say 'h's
with no inclination 10 undcrvaluc his art On tnc
contrary he always rings true and his characters
are people OF nesh and blood. Bui no one III CON
temporary English fiction keeps closer TO 'he p."'
OF accustomed English life. The heroine OF Via"
rissa Furiosa' has her oddities her picturesque
phases but she Is lust such a girl as Mr. MOTIFS
has depicted before. with her situations somewhat
changed and she passes through her stages OF SEN
timeni rebellion and sentiment once more WI"
the pIausibity for which dcvotocs OF MT. MOTIFS
have long had an indulgence ana Il liking me I'm
ing Is as inevitable as the Indulgence IL II never
possible to accept the Norris heroine. or nero as
one of the masterful creations of romance the
Illusion Is never complete: but so FAR as IL goes
there Is something positively endcaring apout '"c
men and women over whom II Is thrown. 'i"r'Ss"'
I'm the present volu ne. 1, sympathetic creature
and she is the more for being New woman
without the New Woman's artificial charac"'-
is,icu Nr Norris has sacrificed little NOR"
definitely than usual TO the passing interests o'
his time he brings In Lourdes by the h"'lS' ne mas
II few summy chapters. there are glah'eS III INV
.,manc,patcd' wing In modern society. the wing
ments" But he IL a story-teller after All. ana Il
TELLER OF love stories in particular. The ruling pas
sion comes 10 his rescue and the 'nd-o'-'"
tury" motives take their proper place III '"' "ooN
,oov,g clorssa and her errant husband To mo-
nopolizc more less. the attention ana IN" a"h'r"
ton OF the reader. II may be hard 10 nave in"'h
regard for the husband; through most oil the nook
and even al tho end he leaves much to be desired"
Yet he compcls warm feeling Jus' inc sum
being the average kind OF man toward "ho" " i
sometimes easier TO be sympathetic thar toward I"
rascal or a saint He recalls another hero IN the
Norris rcpcriory Billy Bcllew. with few diner
cnces The book whole 1t may be "u"'"
shows an amusing beyilde, mcnt on the part OF the
author In choosing between the logic OF wh'ch ne
Heavenly Twins" gives us perhaps the most s'rN
ing example In recent nction ana IN" UTlu'' cor"
clusions OF tho generous weaver OF tales "'lArissh
Furlosa" Is on the side Of the angels MIS-. 'rah'
and the thought she represents have fertizei the
authors mind but Mr Norris avoids tl'o'"S
cli,,,x despite his power TO make 1t interesting
nnd n. does not allow hts heroine 10 develop 100
far In her progress toward emancipation
Mr. rernali. book OF short stories IL 80 good that Z
may seem ungracious 70 approach 1t Win he'nahd
,or n. excslon o, half ~ contents But ;hls de-
mand l. on.v made becauss the hfst hhi-dO@eh "''S
50 obviously beong IN a lur collection by 'hef"-
..i,.s They deal with Chinese NE In san Francisco
and they are 20 new. 80 direct. 20 run oil hNmor
,ha, their author only has 10 continue "rns IN the
same vein 70 make himself one OF the na)o' "''''S
IN his provin-c He mas something OF MI. hip"he
crispns-s ami Imagination IN handling phases OF '''
| u,,,mlia- 70 ~. b,ii no, at all remarkable In the
,f,r.s where they are to he observed. The Gentle
mon IN the Barrel" H. perhaps the heat h"sTa'o" o'
hls- gl, for the exploitation ~ Chinese manners
II. aualnincss Of this is enhancing Tn" picture OF
The b'ue barr,l with It's extraordinary con'ents as
s.,ing a. Il does AZ a mi-cheyous oriental function
- one M those rare sketches which md their way in'o
prln, only Al long intervals The substance OF Nj.
F.-nald- Chinese stories ranges from "pisoi"s as
nm. sp.cieI a. those u The Gentleman N the
uarrel" 70 others. in which the cat ard the
/ ch.rub, Il rich which are no, novel. but abor'
which ne nngs quite ins;lrng glamour. II seems
a pl,v ,h,, since he do much with his Chinese
neonc Mr. Fernall should trouble himself 10 write
stories of the kind ha; Nil out his present volume
They ar. good ,hoy could not help but have some
value brt the Chinese tales Will bc longest remem-
berci.
MIR Henri Pcnc Du Bots has not been content
with translatirg the Tales From Moth'r-oi-fodrl
caskct' he has written a eulosistr preftce-and
ON. cannot blame him Anatoe France has GER
tainly all the good qualities OF syi" ana sympathy
with which his translator credits him ana ne mas
| be.n wor,hly put into English In the pretty volume
under review Mr.. Du ilois catches the turn OF
phrase the color tn, movement. whlch lriohs 20 ms
origlna.. and that he IL In love WIN MS material
makes him all the more sku In fusins me various
merits of NJ Franc into homogeneous pages Al
the stories good and some Of them are dran,ti,
brief narrative demands PerEap' the finest story
In the book ls the first. which Describes meeting
bctwe Aelius Lanla anG I1niius Plate long after
the which has done most To peserV" me attcr
name from oblivion. The Jixtapositon OF theSe Two
nsures mlsh, .srn to piosc con sorS G u, "' rrance
I proceeds with consummntc tact. and the climax to
his tale, coming In only nine or ten words mas d
force which is almost tragic.
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