New-York tribune., 1897-01-03

,,c tre. ~ more than one bicycle 80 vari-
ousy wabbling or scorching. and tho tinke OF tne
cyclists bell IL necessarily heard 1t is spnsnty
book and will be chuckled'over alike by people VINO
love the bicycle and people who regard " Win
scorn.
Mr. Conan Doyle has q fluent narrative ssy'o
which with judcious handling may De e~pec'eo "
carry him through the whole library OF roma"'e.
before he lays down his pen. But Rodney stone
that he will lose his grip IL no Is not more
discreet II js one thing to marshall human beings
In the midst of historical or scmI-historicaI events
as In "Thc White Company" and "Micah Ciarhe.
1t. Is another to put together lot OF incioen.9
garnered from old books and by drawing tn'h
sketches OF various celebrities TO pretend that you
have written an historical romance II Is this sec
ond depressing course which Mr.. Doyle has taken
In Rodney Stone" Tie brings In Sheridan ana
Fox and their friend the Prince OF Wales, he tells
OF the prize ring In their day. and the fashion,
able life generally. and he entw.nes the story OF
picturesque murder in the description. But 1t has
manufactured air In the long run, and only that
fuency OF the authors to which reference has been
made saves this from being dull book. DR.. Doyle
is too skiful to be quite Disappointing but he has
never done anything more artificial than Rodney
Stone" 1t Is far below his best and the final I'm"
preston Il leaves Is that he ought to lie fallow
for while and not write another novel until IT Is
pleading imperatvely In his imagination to be writ
ten.
The romance by Mrs Hugh Fraser which she
calls "Pallada" IL really extraordinary perform
ance, exciting at one moment the admiration for
what would seem to be new and genuine ideas. at
another moment raising a feeling Of positive dis
gust though the author had tried to rival Ouida
at her worst The tale opens with romantic si'u-
alton In an old castle, created by an intriguing
nobeman who has gone to the most astounding
expedients In order to marry his daughter to cer-
npt Nj
Then the blue lights brought In. the nddes
scratched dsmay. explosions occur through
the amiable minisrations OF a pack OF anarchists.
there is heavy villain introduced, and after him
comes a woman whose yilliany Is twice as heavy"
Before 1t is possible to regain ones breath. after
the awful crash which early In the drama,
another crisis follows, and then things
plunge madly on to the last spectacular picture.
Now and then there will be a little oasis OF pretty
romance a modest inspira tion. a hint Of true
ina gnation. Then the brush Is dipped In earth
quake and eclipse, Slavic and Teutonic individuals
jose another with the strangest effect OF In
congruity, and Oriental prince is flung into a
rural English drawing room. a prince who carries
a private man-kier in his train. Altogether the
result is puzzl!ng 1t would be agreeable to speak
with cordiaty of "Paladia," but the book IL too
incoherent II Is too exotic Mrs. Fraser has the
promise Of some power as novelist but she Will
have to learn how to iarify her whirling dreams
before she takes conspicuous place among ner
contemporaries.
Mrs. Fraser may congratulate herself, however.
upon having not half much to learn as either
Mr.. Coulson Kernahan the author Of Venus and
Cupid" The latter book and THE Child, the Wise
Man and the Devil are two egregious productions
In which the authors declare that, having no ideas
of their own, they will borrow the best attainable
and wreak themselves upon their material.
Mr.. Kernahan's pages commonplace so un-
inspired that they seem impertinence II one
cannot write Of holy things In noble, impressive
way 1t is far wiser to keep still about them. Smi-
larly the author Of Venus and Cupid" ought to
know that unless one bring the Oympians to
earth with the aid of indubitable imagination It is
much more judicious to let them alone. In this
case we have the gods using London slang, Apollo
playing match with an Italian futist in a music
hall, and other banalties OF the same sort. The
work to have been done we'll should have been made
like gossamer. As matter Of fact. 1t resembles
wet blanket more than anythink else we know.
A handful Of little books from the West proves
to be of mixed value. The collection of stories
printed from THE Chap-Book" has two
good fragments In 1t. such "Orestes Patron" by
Grace Ellery Claiming. or the fantastic little pict
ure of a monastic garden by Mr.. Meth Boyce. and
Octave Thanet is welcome contributor, but the
general effect of the book is one Of immaturity
and aHectation. In "Artie" attempt has been
made to delineate sort of Western Chimmie Fad
den the heros unspeakable speech being recorded
with almost devotional care. The author. Mr.. AIDE.
should grasp the fact that an abundance OF slang
does not give the measure Of human creature, nor,
even when 1t is most adequate to that task does
1t make him necessarily interesting. The hero Of
"Artie' is, briefly bore.