New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-02-19
FICTION.
AN EXCELLENT MUSICAL NOVEL.

GOOD AMERICANS. by Mrs Burton ii''rr'So''
emo pp 20 The Century Company
n WRITER OF BOOKS. BY George Pasloh' l-"io
PIP. SH. ID. Appleton q GO
..p,or Human Nature is one Of the cleverest
,,sical novels we know ard it is particularly
,,,e,,, - that II holds nothing Of the hys-
,o,.a, c,sh with which the feminine "ile'
-. en-. cc,i,, Of this kind. Miss Godfrey
,ndulres in no vain and vacuous hifaiutih o'e,
10. .v,eeome possession called the musical
rr,,,erament" and She moreover. reveals III hel
,,,as a very practical subtle and intimate COM
,horsior Of human nature. The STUDY OF inc
oroun NJ singers at the Royal Opera IN ihhoi
carrnan CITY IS astonshingly we'll done ana 80
ia the portrait of the great tenors peaSa", VIZ
"A mean little person. but so uiiih's'iN'
true that she must have been drawn from ny
DahIman is perhaps little more lofty IMAM -
natural considering his breeding anu niS 9
roundings-but. given a great tenor anu
feminine author to picture him. and what can
YOU expect? The sketch is not at any ra'e d
silly one. and we are thankful to MISS "ouie'
for her artistic self-restraint the plot Is sim
Mo perhaps somewhat sentimental, but WIN
ALI due allowance for that the novel remains al
un.ommonly attractive and interesting one.
"The Archdeacon" is a keen. wise. charm
yrplv told little story of character. conduct anu
love In the first half OF it we watch BOY anu
girl fortunate in birth. brains and good ioohS'
an innocent enthusiastic and hopeful PAIR Inc
boy still in the university. IL a thoroughly "ne
follow absorbed in his work. full Of high ideals
which he means to blend with everyday me-
and entirely unused to feminine society. Throw"
one summers day with the lovely GIRL VINO Is
lust emerging from her school days ne 'dA'S
fire at her sweetness and sympathy ana Pou''
out to her all his unworldly and noble dreams
The afternoon wanes and they part-to meet no
more in youth. The girl goes back TO L|ohuo''
only TO fall in Of a contagious fever and when
she RECEIVERS she goes with her father anu
mother TO a distant home Her illness depriVes
the hero Of the opportunity ne seeks to see her
again and he presently loses the wish to ilhd
her His many gifts attract the notice and INK
ing of a shrewd man OF the world who knows
that the brilliant youth may easily become
Somebody if judciously trained ana VINO u
determined that his protege's progress snail not
be hamperej by an early marriage Iheo uoe'
become Somebody under Chesters guidance ne
enters the Church. makes rapid Advancement
and ends as the arch Ieacon," sleek. dignHien
winning, conceited and tremendously popular
50 popular that the highest ecclesiastical non
ors are predicted for him. But he is the priest
in the drawing-room no longer the ardent and
noon when he uttered TO Irene the most glorious
aspirations known to human soul.
AS the years go on the girls memory Of the
boy grows faint, if still sweet She marries at
last and is left a widow but not before she
tastes many bitter sorrows which turn the
bright loving spirited creature to the things
that are not Of this world. Then the chastened
woman meets again in the polished and pomp-
Gus Archdeacon the youth who years before had
seemed to her to be very Galahad. The
meeting and the disillusion that follows are
described in the latter half Of the story with
wit. with tenderness. and with light and easy
grace that recalls the best OF the authors early
work We won't anticipate our readers pleasure
by setting forth the denouement. 1t is enough
70 say that it is delightfui-but certainly not
true to life
Mrs Burton Harrison continues to be severe
and satirical in her sketches Of American soci-
ETY.. Foolish and vulgar and ill-mannered to
the last degree are most Of her female charac-
ters ard the only really pleasant person in the
book is her herO-a Southern Gentleman Of the
Old-Fashioned Type-to whom she allows in
tellectual activity patriotic feeling and honest
pride A foreign reader OF this story will gain
from it an especially unpleasant impression OF
social life in New-York-
The author OF "A Writer OF Books" skirts
constantly the disastrous sands Of utter COM
monplace, but there is enough virtue in this
fraii craft to bring II at last safely into port
In other words, we are always the verge OF
being bored. but somehow brought to con-
sent to read the book through Partly George
PASTOR has failed through choosing thread
bare motive. The budding novelist OF genius
to Md tn wi IN nd