New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-13

THE QUEST or THE GOLDEN GIRL Ro-
3s John Lane.
MARGARET OGILvY. By Her Son J. NJ Barrie
octave PIP 201. Charles Scribner Sons
THAT FIRST AFFAIR:AND OTHER SKETCHES p,
S ~ Il a. MSnsr! sons sl'"s''"'' "''' '
The most interesting of the new novels IS an old
one and 1t Is pre-eminent at this time because 7"
happens to mark. In Its English form. the compe-
ton OF a task unique In the annals OF hcuon' we
refer /, The Deputy OF Arcs. with when Miss
Wormcley terminates her version OF the WORKS OF
Ralza, II is the fortieth volume In her series
md though the intrinsic merits OF the tale. one OF
the authors most characteristics scenes from 70
uticai Life" are such to admit OF renewed as
ciIssion even at this late day II Is tempting 10 *
more the story and TO touch upon Miss Normee!
nobl. loyalt, to the story teller. She looks back
now upon a labor which will be recognized as hav-
ing given ts . classic. Her i'alzac Will remain the
standard Bazac In English. Other good transla-
tions are not ignored. Some exccllen, work Is being
done in the edition now appearing under the edi-
torship OF Mr. Saintsbury. But a conscientious
and impartial comparison OF Miss Woimeleys
TRANSACTIONS with those Of her predecessors and
prescn; rivals must leave conviction that Tor
accuracy sympathy. discretion and editorial )udg-
mcni she stands alone Her volumes are unen-
cumbcred save In one or two Instances. with pref
aces or notes. and. useful as these may sometimes
b.. 4, must he confessed that there Is pleasure In
picking up "A novel without anything Offering To
come between it and the reader. Miss Wormeley
intorposos nothing between Balzac and the Eng
lsh reader. nothing more than the thin veil which
the best OF TRANSACTIONS must always throw over
his work Her style Is clear. supple. animated
and has sufficient color but II 1t Is not the style
of Balzac. which English prose could not pretend
to be- IL is at any rate the most satisfactory equiv
alent which know. IL Is an heroic TASK
spienddly achieved that Miss Wormeley now brings
to "A close, winning for Bazac wider public In
America and England than he has ever had be-
fore, winning for herself lasting place in the
history OF English and American letters.
To pass from the fiction of Balzac to the fiction
of Mr. Richard lie Gallicnne il to pass from vlrile
thought To tcpd dthyramb. When this young
man goes In search OF the Golden Girl he takes
a certain number OF handmade emotions with him.
and along the road pauses every now ana then 10
prattlc IN moon calf fashion about them. He dis
courses OF pettcoat. the petticoat of one sylvia
JOY 1T almost tempts one to change ones sex.
he exciaims. In burst OF sentimental rapture.
Ito wear such things" 1t is not surprising to hear
the writer OF this observing that the gypsies have
been overdone. just AZ the Alps have been over
climbed I have great desire to see Switzer-
lard for am sure the Alps must be greasy with
being climbed" This registers the hgh-water
mark Of Mr.. lie Galllenne's wit. We may leave
him 10 find the little Surrey common on which
he says he wouldN rather idle, with the other
geese and donkeys. than climb the tallest Alp.
IL is odd this passion of Mr.. lie Gallene for
claiming affinity with donkeys. lie did II in
book published not long before this one. and now
he is looking wistfuy toward his companions OF
1.-THE little Surrey common" again.
There dithyTambs and dithyrambs. just AZ
there ~ sentmentality of more than kind.
Between Mr.. lie Galenne and Mr.. Barrie there
Is a considerable difference. yet Margaret Ogvy'
is hardly more engaging than THE Quest of the
Golden Girl II Is manlier book and Mr.. Barrie
writes Of his mother with much tenderness that
IL may almost brutal to ask him why he
made her his theme at all-but that question GER
tanly rises In the minds of his readers His ia
miliar humor and style richly displayed In this
book but does that lend any witchery to the
six hair bot toned chairs? Briefly Mr.. Barries
portrait of his mother Is In bad taste His rev.
erence for her one can question. he endears her
to the reader: but he does this only to make
blush to- what Is nstinctively felt to be an in
truslon upon Il helpless woman's privacy. Mrs.
Barrie's friendship must have been sweet pos
session to all who had II, but cannot see
that tho public In general has any claim to It at
all. This Is point less for argument than for
intuitve understandings II Mr.. Barrie cannot see
II We sorry for him.
Du Maurier used to say that the brief legends
which he devised for his caricatures were very
hard TO write. 1t has been noted that they gave
him the best Of trainings In literary workman