New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04

lSl1O. I'D. DOuDSuuy ~ 4dCCIult NOM-
RODMAN THE BOAT sTEERER, AND OTHER
STORIES by Louis Becke. l2no. PIP. S9i ).
Il. Lirpncott Company
MEN. WOMEN AND THINGS. BY F. C. Philips.
l2no. PIP. ZA lIadiey Mathews
SOME PERSONS UNKNOWN. BY f. W. IIor
nunE limo. PIP. 27s. Charles Scribner's Sofs
sroRIEs OF THE CHEROKEE HILLS: BY
Maurice Thompson. limo. PIP 10. houshtoh
Mihiin Co.
Mrs. Greene shows in ali her books much
native talent that the reviewer cannot but be
saddened in realizing the unsatisfactory results
OF her labors She has little constructive ability
If we may judge by the tenuity of her plots and
the ger eraI resemblances between the charac-
tiers Of her various works. she has no wide
acquaintance with life. In imagination, the
glorious substitute for this knowledge OF life.
she is also lacking. With what literary quail
tiles. them may we credit her? For We have
said that within her limits she shows Gooo
deal OF talent Certain types OF character
especially the weakling. she can embody with
much ingenuity and force. The moral imbeciies
of this story people who will be recognized
by every observer OF human nature, and IN us
pages they are thoroughly alive. AS fer the
cool gift OF humor. author is not unpro-
vded The comic, the crack Drained, the irrele-
want and the contradictory appeal to her
lrrcSlStlDy, anu III as u HoNSHSt ShS ID ASi'N''i
hcred at all it will be for her small but genuine
share Of this cnviable quality of humor. She
has sympathy and gentle feeling too-so much,
indeed that one doubly regrets the necessity OF
saying that ner books me an wasted work.
The hero Of Mt. Ollivants story is dog a
noble sheep-dog Of ancient breed. wi them
sorrerful eyes on him that niver goes but wi
good un." His adventures with his dog enemy,
m
cerned two members of the human race and
the readers blood tngles with excitement when
Red Wulrs Finish comes. Mingled with this
narrative OF these two dogs OF strong character
are the life-stories OF divers Scotch men and
women and It says something for the authors
powcrs that we forgive his lavish use OF knotty
dialect in our interest in his tale. But first and
last "oor Bob" the gray dog Of kenmuir. domi-
mates the book from the moment he enters upon
the scene-"a gentleman every inch" strong.
kind and faithful wise and true.
We have only one fault to find with Mr.. Louis
Pecke in his recent collection of short stories.
His method Is a little uncertain; he practises 1t
with more care than spontaneity, and hence he
seems Flooding and even little 'gauche But
on all other counts he Is extremely entertain
ing We do not mind that his plots are oc-
casionally little hackpeyed The stori have
freshness in spite OF this, because they deal
with saiormen, beach-combers. Latiyes and
other picturesque figures OF the southern seas. |
1t Is a rough life that Mr.. Becke usually DEPICTS
and in his titular narrative, "Podman the Boat |
steerer" he celebrates again the theme OF mu- |
tiny for which before this he has shown pre- |
dilection but the brutalites as well as the raw
nesses OF the episodes he treats are softened by
the air Of romance which moves family and yet
Enthusiastically through his pages. He only needs |
elasticity Of spirit and style and an increase OF
imaginative power to become a irst-rate story !
teller AS 1t u.s. he has much sympathy. and
that carries him along pretty steadily
When Mr. Philips wrote "As in a Looking |
Glass he created a sensation. which the trans |
formation OF the story into a play only pro-
longed. No one reads the book any more, we
SUPPOSE. but there was just enough merit in it
to win the author a friendly hearing and to
suggest that he might some day do excellent
work The promise has never been fulfilled. |
and his latest book, Men, Women and Things"
puts him irrevocably among the mediocrties.
The stories in this volume not invariably !
poor-some of them, in fact, are marked by |
c!everness by ingenuty-but the trail OF
cheap sentiment and cheaper humor Is over
them all The trashy elements in the authors
literary quality. which were temporarily OBJ
secured by signs Of talent in his one successful
book are now in full control.
Mr. HOrnung has humor and vein Of slightly |
morbid, but the whole. tolerable pathos |
Though he spins his stories out bit longer
than Is good for them he is not dull Some
Persons Unknown" is readable book. with |
some pleasant people in 1t whose transactions