New-York tribune., 1896-05-24

unfamilIarity with the new life is SHOWN III
able little instances. Althea. on the o."e' , . =,
tolerably constant to the old Ideals aithouH" 0"'
love for the man she struggles brave! u h'p ,,
in subjecton. Her position seems 10 pe 60 =.
this. n Lorenzo insists she will marry hn' anu uo
her utmost 10 live In 'the world OUTSIDE out sic
wouId nrefer that they should go back 10 the am
ilv" and live as brother and sister or as companion"
able angels. A.. a,
This s ultimately the wish which wins the day'
She has been married for few hours anu 70 s'''
ting disconsolately in her room in the great sara
toga hotel Lorenzo leaves her for Hoi'e''
When he returns he finds her again dressed IN her
s,mnle Shaker gown "If you say for me 10 stay III
the world side with you and be your WIFE,
will do IT, DO you say SOP Nay, doh say
an Althea." answers Lorenzo And they hasten 10
make ready TO return ID the lie WHICH they hau
sought half-heartedly 10 abandon. Inc pr'"cp''
IN which they have been brought up prove TOO
strong for them; they are stronger even tnah io'e
itself-or so at least Mr. Howells wishes us TO be-
Hove He falls however as we said at the begin
ming 70 be convincing Neither Lorenzos nor Al
thea's conduct 10 be inevitable; IN lac'' 'eS
seem never to have been deeply In love. Prooao'y
from a Shaker standpoint. where such Things are
discouraged and forbidden. their Attachment
amounted to consuming Iassion; but judged py
the standards OF "the world-out-side their emo
tons were feeble flames which the first adverse
wind extngulshed How does Mr.. Howells expect
the reader 10 interpret his fable? Is II nothns
more than the narrative Of an episode IN ohaHe'
life? Or Is It an exposition OF the authors own
IDEAS Of marriage? Are to understand that ne
considers marriage impossible among those WHO
are committed 10 an ideal philosophy?
Shakerism interrupted the married life OF TWO
young people in The Day Of Their Wedding ana
the same influence ntervenes to separate the lovers
who are the hero and heroine OF another story ny
Mr. Howels. entitled "A Parting and Meeting
Chloe Mason and Roger Burton are represented as
deeply In love. and as being on the very verge OF
marriage on the evcntfu day they took ride out
into the country and accidentally visited the Shaker
settlement Then # was that Roger went over to
the sect and Chloe mortified and grief stricken
but brave returned to her family. This Is the
parting referred IN the title. Years afterward
when Chloe Is grandmother and Roger In MS
dotage she visits him. They talk over old times
dispassionately and the little story closes Roger
admits that he has found happiness and peace In
the angelic life" "and STILL" he says. I'm not
but I'd have done about as well 10 go with you
Chloe" The human element. as will be evident
from this brief analysis. is not conspicuously pres
ent. Rogers love. like Lorenzo's is questionable
quantity and the attraction Of Shakerism. although
stated 10 be irresistible is nowhere felt to be so.
The heroine OF Miss Montresors Worth while"
Ike Triby. has French and Irish blood in her veins
Her good Is be attributed TO the latter;
She Is under deep Obligations TO Samuel Green,
a humble cerH He saved her lie one
occasion and looked after her while she lay
sick In the hospital But she thoughtessy
70 Paris later and being In need Of
money took TO posing. and met her fate In the per-
Of VI. Jules. She IS the point CT mar. yns him
when she discovers that Samuel is pin.ng away for
love OF her. and writes him letter accordingly
that he should have at least "one real human
know.e1gment of his human kindness" What COM
plicaons might have followed from this note are
disposed Of by the tme.y deoth Of the hero. Lefty
is left free 10 marry her Frenchman The history is
tod IN n series OF letters addressed by the clerk
imaginary mother. The second story In the vol
ume emitted Lady Jane" Is vague and nconse-
quent al. and Is mainly concerned with the eccentric
actions OF Jane-a young lady who Is finally sup
posed to reveal herself. through her devotion to a
fallen sister. the embodiment OF dis.nterested
goodness.
The collection Of brief stories Of Western lie
which Mrs Ella W Peatue put forth under the
title OF "A Mountain Woman is decidedly out OF
the ordinary. These tales vigorous in concep-
ton. and gracefully and effectively told, and
field rendered dangerous ground by Bret
Harte srlklnsly original Here and there the note
is perhaps trife strained. as In the title story.
but the poetic feeling which perviies the narrative
than offsets the defect. The mountain scenery
Is depicted graphically. ard the author may rest
shc aimed to convey IN her descriptions, and 10
typify In the person OF her heroine Judith. has
been transmitted with entire success. The poetry
OF nature IL. however far from monOpolizing Mrs.
Peattit's talents. In proof OF this attention is
directed 70 the grim tragedy with which the story
entitled Jim Lancy's Waterloo" closes and the
simple pathCl OF The Three Johns and of "A
Resuscitation.' The temptation to be sentimental
in the !ast-named tale must have been strong. and
II anything needed to convince the impartial
reader that Mrs. Peattle is a writer OF ability 1t Ls
the success with which she has avoided falling into
this inviting trap.
Charles Burroughs. the young American who is the
hero OF Mr.. John w Harlngs book. AN Art Fall
ure." tried two occasions 10 end his miserable
existence He was an art student living as all art
students supposed TO i've In the free atmosphere
OF the Bohemian Latin Quarter, and life became
d!stastefu TO him when his rich New-York father
cut of his allowance and he made the discovery .
that It was much easier 10 paint pictures than TO
sell them. Then II that he tried jump off
the bridge over the Seine and was restrained by
the young woman who afterward became his wife.
la Madeleine was person OF easy morals-most
conceived TO be such by authors who
write about the Latin Quarter-and large heart.
Her past life gives rise to n tragedy which enables
the writer to describe execution on the Place De
Ia Roquette. bu, she marres Charles nevertheless
and travels with him. and finally when his great
picture-the masterpiece into which he has infused
his very soul. and the aspirations OF his yearnng
hearts rejected by the jury Of the Salon. she con-
sents TO lnhas with him the deadly fumes OF char
coal. Fortunately for Charles he does not die and
the curtain falls he Is his way home pre-
sImably to begin new life La Madeleine is less
lucky-the fumes are too much for her. and she X
pres the fatal night. and is destined probably. to
fill the young mans mind in after years with daz-
zng. melancholy visions Of Il paradise perdu"