New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-02

OF 'Ihe Arabian Nights IL IS obscure, and II
Is irresistible
Mrs Peattie is star upon the horizon.
If the promise Of the Shape of Fear is full
filled she ought before long to be one Of the
brightest lights in the literary heavens. These
ghostly tales OF hers are remarkable little per-
formances. In the first place they are irdubi-
tably ghostly OF them "creeper than
others, but all of them touched with the unmiS~,
taxable shadow of mystery, and bearing moro.
over. that rare mark OF original imaginative
force which will do more than the utmost in
genuity to impress and awe the reader. They
are new stories Mrs. Peatte looks at life-and
at ghOsts-in her own way, and gives to both
certain unexpected aspect which speaks hot
only of originality in conception, but of fresh
view upon everything that the author has either
observed or invented. II she brings new ghost
upon the scene she is not content 10 make MN
merely fantastic eruption upon a plane OF
commonplace. She causes That ghost 10 90 the
most amazing things. and adjusts her mortal
personages to the situation IN plquant 1dshlon
She does this without making too great demands
upon our credulity. All is natural anu lifeIlke
in her narrative. She keeps close TO actualty
In a tale like that of An Astral Onion, for
example. and then, as the crisis arrives
smoothly. legitimately. exactly as crlss IN
real life often does arrive-she introduces her
ghost. And such a ghost as 1t is, SO pathe'Ica'Iy
droll. 50 friendly. and. Withal, so Ghosty FOR
this story alone We are grateful to Mrs. Peatte
But THE House That Was Not" provokes the
same feeling: the STORY Of the Vanishing Pa
tent makes Us think of Poe without thinking
any less Of the author. and we shudder over inc
tragic tale called From the Loom OF the Deau
with delight equal to that inspired by TRAM
matical Ghost" This last tale with It's MINI
liable climax brings the book to an end and
leaves the reader wishing for more. Mrs Peat
ties stye we may add is terse and expressive.
All in ALL The Shape OF Fear cohVlnces us
that she is a writer with whom We have got 10
rerkon She writes a short story with the ease
and effectiveness of one who has natural GIT
for the work.
Something has happened to change the color
NJ life as Mr.. George Gissing sees it. For years
he has looked at it in lis drab phases. lingering
over the doleful sordid tragedies in which the
dignity Of the human soul rarely triumphs over
it's tourreos surroundings and over comedies
with no CLEAN OF the sunshine OF humor IN
them In fact we have been driven TO conciuoe
that humor was the one thing omitted from Mr.
ist 1t has been impossible to ignore his books
they are among the strongest things in con-
temporary fction-but if one has admired them
il has been in anything bat a Joyous spirit.
Now comes The Town Traveller" and reveals
Mr. Gissine IN a new light with laugh on his
lips and with the liveliest relish for everything
that is quaint and amiable and ingratiating IN
Cockney life What does it mean? Has 1t come
urifi pp nj a
Dickens? That may have reused a slumberins
sense Of the gayety in things Perhaps Mi Giss-
ing has realized that if Dickens could find
laughter in the slums he might find 1t there
also. But he has known Dickens all his life.
WHY should he have waited all these years 10
emulate the great humorst? Question is piled
upon question. but the pursuit is vain IL we
follow it at all it is only because this vote ace
of Mr. Gissing's is such surprising and tanta-
lizing phenomenon.
The book is not tantaliZing. on the contrary
it is an unmixed pleasure. Cannon, the hero.
is a bagman to love, and though Pony Sparkes'
whom ne almost marries is provoking young
mink she is also amusing, and the adventures
NJ those two as they get themselves mixed up
in the family affairs Of Pollys aunt are DIS
diyerting as play. 1t is not improbable in
decd that THE Town Traveller would make a
rafting comedy of the slightly farcicaI sort.
The ingenuities of the plot would be fruItiui
in a pIaywrght's hands, and the characters are
completely ready cor him But it must not DC
supposed that Mr. Gssng himself has mad any
theatrical intentions. He tells plain. straight
forward tale and If the astonishing noblenah
who is the Grant husband OF Poilys aunt Is
not exactly the kind OF creature one wouid ex-
pect to find in the private annals OF Cockhey
life he is al any rate plausible, besides belhg