New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-24

More than once Mr. Dunbar hints that he re-
yards his men and women as having some OK
the traits Of children. and ne forc!bly brings
this ont In his stories We have mentioned his
hulnor There is pathos too In his charming
sketches pathos 4 the sort that may not Drlhs
a tear but that gives the reader a peculiar
tenderness FOR the people IN the book mo
loyalty OF the old slave OF tn" : uth IN recon-
structicn days has often been EXPORTED IN our
fiction Rarely has it been handled win the IN
sight and skill shown by Mr.. Dunbar IN mo
Coloncrs Awakening" Again. "The ordeal al
Mount Hope" seems TO US "A perfect revelation
OF the situation involved in The arrival OF
negro minister OF urban culture ami experience
among villagers OF his own race" whose entlFe
tradition is a contradiction Of his own MI
Dunbar. In short. has produced book ot re-
fnarkabIv convincing stories at The same time
that he has added materially TO the store OK
hurnor and diversion in contemporary hcton.
For Mr. Cranes new stories we have quail
ned admiration Thcy are good in some re-
spects that they ought To be better in others
Thu, initial story. for example. would have been
greatly improved II the author had DISCARDED
the ambition to be- psychological and brllhans
which We feel lurking beneath every page inns
Is IA tale intended 10 he after the fact. and Mr.
Crane apparently observed all the details OK
the adventure with the closest care. but instead
OF presenting a straightforward narrative he
bores us with little reflective asides and gives
the reader an uneasy suspicion that the worus
30 gIibly put together were really sought out
with a tcrribl" consciousness of their rhetor'-
cal value IL will bc seen that II Is not 10
tho substance of Mr. canes volume that We
take exception; it is his style that Jars Asiue
from the impression of strain conveyed by lhe
oiction this book is distinctly amusing. and
while Mr. Crane shows in THE FIVE Whte
Mice, and "Thc Wise Mem that he has not yet
outgrown a rather immature 'ynlcIsm, the cpl
soJcs Of life in The Far West which he describes
are hit of with much spirit "Ihe BRIDE comes
TO yellow SKY" has an odd touch of farcical
humor at The end Through all the stories there
blows a more frcshcnng air than is associated
with memories of much Of this authors recent
work. and altogether the book marks an ad-
vance Flanagan ana His Short Flibusterlng
Adventure" is decidedly well done. But Mr.
Crane must avoid the making of shallow. cpl
cramrnatic observations in his stories. They do
not impress the reader.
",rhc Gospel Of Freedom" is a clever. vivacious
book which IS fairly easy 10 read from cover
TO cover. but which leaves an unpleasant taste
in the mouth. The heroine is anything but
heroic This. perhaps. is no fault The modern
realistic novel seldom scars to high issues. and
"A novel like this. which deals with people OK
sn all cabrc and uninspiring aims, Is certainly
not unfaithful to nature in its portrayal or the
Young woman who has vague aspirations after
higher things and does rot know how to realize
them. Miss Anthem is a very plausible young
person. and as Mrs. Wilbur later on she rs even