New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-02
RECENT FICTION.
MIR. MALLOCK'S NEW THESIS.

THE HEART OF LIFE. BY ". H. Mallock. l2mo.
PIP. 3s7. G.. r. Putnams Sons.
MY LADY NOBODY BY Maarten- Maarten. l2no.
PIP. il3 Harper < Brothers.
Mr. W. II. Maock, who IS Ike his corntryman.
Mr. Grant Alien. writer OF novels wlth-a purpose.
has produced his latest work. The Heart Of Life
presumably to prove that the familiar cOpybook
maxim should be revised TO read do whatever you
Ike and your sins shall be forgiven you. provided
you mean vel" Ethically Mr.. Mallocks thesis
foredoomed to failure; art!stical;y. its collapse
IL due the fact that the author has allowed his
zeal to NEEDLE too aggressvely with Ills art The
attentive reader VIII find this statement confirmed
by the noticeable difference In tone between the first
end the concluding sections OF the novel. In the
conclusion ddactcism will be found usGTping the
place occupied In the outset by atmosphere OF art
as witty and eplgramatic and brilliant as II Is true
to the social surroundings in which Mr.. Mallock has
placed his characters The contrast OF qualities here
noted is so conspicuous 10 suggest that they
originated in different minds. which is, of course.
suppos,on which cannot be seriously entertained.
one forced therefore, back TO the proposition that
the purpose" which Mr.. Malock wished to pursue
slowly usurped In the process OF composition the
spirit Of art which inspired him during the intro
ductory stages while engaged IN getting his char
acters the stage and defining their peculiarities.
The career OF Canon Pullman illustrated the develop
ment OF this transformation Ills early exits and
entrances Invested as they are with the very air
and movement OF reality. undergo a slow process OF
pe,rfaction until the creature OF flesh and blood Is
converted into a mere puppet. through whose mouth
the author expresses those views OF conventional
morality with which. noted above. he Is pre-
sumably only half In sympathy. As Canon Bulman
wakes loquatious and dogmatlc he loses his vitality.
Mr. Ma;iock has apparently tried In the consistent
pursuit OF his radical purpose TO present his
good" peope In an unfrlendly light by making
them like the Canon noisily aggressive or like the
Miss Cremers or Miss de Sousa vague and uninter-
est!ng However this may be. 1t Is manifest that
he has lavshcd such skill In portraiture as he
possesses, In the elaboration OF company Of men
end women who their morality lightly ard
regard the conventlonalitles OF society as more I'M
portnnt thar the Ten Commitments. Pansy the
Countess Shimna. AMI Lady Thyrza. admirably
drawn types and 1t is TO these persons and to the
men Of their set that Mr. Maoci wishes
terd our sympathy. "By means OF these attractive.
slightly unprincpled people one may fancy him
saying II hope prove that not only does Love
conquer all things but that Il has perfect right TO
do SO The mission OF human beings in this world IS
to md the Heart OF Life. which Is pure. simple
Love. This must be fourd. and. according TO my
unconventional ideas OF everyday matters. rather
than have a man not find this thing at ALL should
prefer to have him find II In the affections OF another
mans wife In cxemplihcatlon OF this principle |
invite your attention TO the career OF Mr. Reginald
Pole. who Is the hero OF my last novel He finds the
heart OF fe' In precisely this way. as his ancestors
did before HIM
Rerinad's quest involves him in passing hlrtatons
with three women-wiih the ETHEREAL and common
place Miss de Sousa: the daring Russian princess
Shmna and Pansy. who carried the day In the end.
Reginald winds and twists his way through the
wles of these Graces with the accomplished art OF
a man Of the world. iIe is not lacking in charm OF
a certain kind. although we doubt II the general
reader Will admit that his conduct is invariably
heroic There Is. FOR instance. rather be
said against than for the herOsm OF the long speech
he delivers to Canon Bulman at a certain crisis In
his career: and il Is doubtful. moreover il Reginald
succeeds convincing the reader that he Is noble
as Mr.. Maock presumably wishes to believe him
But perhaps Mr. Mallock. instead OF wishing his
readers to accept Reginald as Il hero. merely wishes
to cmbody in him a type OF man who Is driven aim
iessly along by the of the times, signing
against Fortune because she seems powerless 10 re-
yea. the presence OF particular vital idea the
disordered tumble OF his brain There may be a
spirit of satire lurking In the conception OF Reginald
Poles character and In the ARRANGEMENT OF events
through which he Is made 10 pass. But suppos!ng
Mr.. Maock to have been inspired by such whole
some motive, II is difficult to explain why he should
then have made his good people so uniformly du.
ard uninterestng. Furthermore, If. assumed at
the outset. Mr. Maliock wished to prove
the old maxim true In a negative as in a positive
sense why lid he XIII off the real husband" at the
last? II he wished US to accept his theory OF the
quest OF the heart OF fe' literally which naturally
have no idea Of doing. then consistency at least
requires that the superfuous husband be kept alive
to the end.
Turning from criticism OF the fundamental idea
OF Mr.. Mallock's work to details of workmanship.
may commend, the Of art. the descrip-
ton OF the little world OF Pole Park. one must note,
moreover the authors skill in depicting that type OF
feminnity In which charm Is found TO depend on the
perpexing fusion Of sof;ness with Almost mascu-
line aloOfness OF character.
MY Lady Nobody" Is long. comfortable tale or
domestic complications. which by virtue Of the
authors insight and penetrating analysis. are made
Interesting without once being exciting The effect OK
the story depends less single episodes than on the
cumulative impression produced by the slow abort
Gus collection OF trining details. II Mr.. Maarten-
Martens story has purpose II Is the direct con-
plot MY Lady NoDody" carries unobtrus.vey the
salutary lesson that happiness is OF the conse
quences OF goodness. Ursula Revere experiments
somewhat audacously-too audaclous.y. In fact.
considering the OF woman Mr.. Maarten-
Martens has drawn her be-on the Maliock
theory OF conduct. and succeeds in convincing her
self that happiness does not lie that way Then she
confesses and secures the conventional reward. She
IN OF the authors most successful creations
but despite tendency toward the caccharne she is
lo,a able nevertheless. and many grounds to be
preferred to the beautiful Helena who quoted from
"une We to her over. and IL witty almost to the
point Of indecency.