New-York tribune., 1898-11-15
OLD NOVELS MADE NEW.
REPRINTS OF CLASSICAL AND LATER
FICTION.


tratiOns tin' by E +. and Il. NJ BROCK In Ten Ten
York: The Macmillan Company.
SKETCHES BY BOZ--HARD TIMEs-AMERlCAN
NOTES BY Charles Dickens GadsaiI SU,sa Essay 9si;
and Notes by Andrew Lang. Svo. Charies
scrbner's Sons
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$50 40 Houghton Minin Co.
7, has often been said that 1t was Jane Austen
glory that she made a group OF delghtruly WISE
end witty novels out OF perfectly commonplace
neon,e set in circumstances of the most ORDINARY
Kind II We repeat this trusm 1t is oniy 10 re".,u
the eisured reader 10 compare her oooNs wiz" w
ourront realistic novel. wherein the commonplace
character usually becomes deadly dull or VII" e
"analvticar novel. wherein the most COUPE ',''
meanderings into motive fail to produce the hei'ke
effect OF her vigorous simplicity. Inc s'uus
useful and will 90 far 10 expia'n WHY .,,.
"noouIar" novels forgotten In yeai' ""i'0
rooro and more charming editions OF Aus'e" Wv"
a. This in hand-are moving 10 new plehsu'e "'"
generations Of readers. II is comforting 'es.iio"S
e ,ho sometimes disputed improvement or tas'e
that a genuine enthusiasm for thls au'no' no'
arisen OF late. As transcripts OF i'e anu ',''
nre,ations Of human nature, her BOOKS WI" Aeep
their own assured place next to the great ones
snd Cervantes and Fielding. and Scott aho haiA"o'
and the author OF "Esmond" and Barry Lynoon
need not be ashamed to hold out hands OF feho"-
,h,n 20 the quaint little sister whose sparKhhs
hrovn ewes saw so shrewdly and so kindly 'he goou
and bad in human kind
Miss Austen's qualities as an author are na"er
s1. IRA
telling their sum over again one turns the pages
~ The denure dainty. od-fashioned volumes IN
uhich Mr. Dent has enshrined her stories 40"
the sense OF fun and the satire OF the niue '"u'
fash irresistibly 20 the surface. even when she
dvels most sympathetcaly on the sorrows OF "e'
fayorjte heroines, She was fond OF Miss Fanhy
Prjc. one cannot doubt Il. but she does not Try 10
sloss that Young person's little weaknesses and
continental absurdities Yet her very laugh mas
tenderness in IT, and We love Fanny and Jane 100
all the better for those revelations porn oi 'le
keen eve and whimsical humor. as well As 'ne
warm heart. Her humor and her style are touCn-
stones 10 which the works Of modern feminine
writer's may be applied with disastrous results ~
the latter in hese particulars
Perbaps there is some secret Of achievement /"
,be fact that Miss Austen wrote little FOR money
and nev-. COR vanity's sake. Though her DOCKS
we're pu.. anonymously. says MT. hIli"'S
Iohnso, ia h .creeable Introduction. the secret
hu, mo- one seems 10 have sought out the young
novelist, and she never thought Of trying 10 enter
any society beyond her family circle. 1t IS salo
that she refused to be introduced as the author OF
pride and Prejudice and she once declared tat
she was rather frightened by hearing that some
one wished 10 make her acquaintance. lf am
q kind Of Wild beast cannot help IT. It is not
nv own fault In marked contrast TO such
writers as Miss Burnoy and George Eliot she
worked all her life without the stimulus Of the IN
teuectusl companionshp and conversation OF h'er-
sry men J., is a most remarkable fact that she
never alluded TO this want, Of which she cannot
have been entirely unconscious. She did not re-
gard the possession Of genius as any excuse Tor
losing her interest in the passing concerns of those
around her or even allowing II TO slacken Her
cores spondence shows her TO have been one VINO
among women Of letters was almost alone in her
freedom from a lettered vaniy'-a freedom which
has indeed been seldom equalled by authors OF her
critics sex She wrote TO amuse her correspond
ents. and seldom referred 10 her books We should
have bscn disposed regret the large share of her
time and attention which given TO the affairs
OF everyday Nfe II her work appeared TO have
suffered from u. Bu, her whole development was
thoroughly healthy and wel.-bahnccd The self
respect OF true genius led her 10 take pride and
delight IN the exercise and perfecting OF her powers
and prevented her from yielding TO false ideals Of
self-saCrifce"
A reproduction Of the Zoffany portrait Of Miss
4 lStSN = prflAfl 10 liF UfSl NplNn" oi ~" lfl
II is bewtchirS embodiment OF sunny spring. OF
sweet and honest-hearted girl. with fresh round
cheeks and bright hazel eyes" not handsome.
hardly pretty. but winsome 10 the last degree. The
illustrations are thoroughly characteristic OF the
period the early years of the century. in which the
scenes Of the novels are set-characteristic not
only in carefully studied costumes and accessories
and In their delicate faint coors. but also in spirit
and type 1t is true that the faces have not much
expression. but IL i, not easy 10 depict emotion
features tiny Mr. Brmley Johnsons workman
like editing 90 the novels has for some years been
the subject ot praise. and these prim and pretty
pictures furnish the pleasantest of excuses for
new edition The size OF the volumes and Of the
print unoommonly comfortable for the reader
in short they fascina ting little books and de-
serve 10 be heartily welcomed.
The Gadshin Edition Of Dickens as We have more
than once pointed out mas the merit Of possessing
q peculiarly attractive exterior. Paper and print
ere excellent the old Illustrations used have been
reproduced vel. and the new designs are accept
able. The binding IL brilliant. but IN good taste.
and looks as II II would wear well. Mr. Lang's
introductions are the work Of confirmed Dickens
fte. but they never sentimental and are often
felicitous. He writes charmingly Of the latest
volumes that reach Us. Sketches by Boz" Hard
Times" and American Notes" In the introduc-
ton 70 American Notes" Mr.. Lang tactfuy
weighs his authors qualihcations-and disqualified
tions-for giving a Just picture OF America. Fore
most among the latter ne puts the fact that
Dickens saw the States as wonderfully success
ful Ion them; consequently he did not
them a normal traveller does. nor see them
they All impressions OF hasty travel
chaotic. much moro must The impressions of A
90 feasted and crowded he chaotic" Mr. Lang
draws interesting contrast between Dickens's
account OF the Mississippi and Mark Twain's in
Tom Sawyer" and "Huck Finn" Dickens" ne
Gays. saw the life from without. a hurried,
comfortable and much aped-at traveller IT,
Mark admits the shootings. the feuds. the slavery,
the poverty, the lounging habits OF the loafers
But his picture Is genial and attractive. The pict-
by Dickens il drawn in sharp outlines. with
angry colors" Yet how much truth there is IN