The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-04
WV BOCHs.
Rr,.f Itevisws of Important and Lnterestins
New Publications..

Miranda Of the Balcony" by A Il W. Mason
Macmillan Company 10 an unusually inEen-
Tow, and interesting story. Miranda really was
only twice on the balcony. as We remsm Der. and
the whole period OF her sojourn there could
hardly hav. exceeded half an hour The tale
4. crowded with matters more I'm portant than
tho circumstance that this charming person
VA. ever on balcony at all. and We must think
accordingly that Mr.. Mason's title was chosen.
NOT because OF its descriptive felicity. but
becau.. IL sounded well. The late Artemus
ward gave tn one OF his lectures the title
y, Tho Babes In the Wood" In the
course OF It the babes In question were
,.ysr once mentioned. but the beauty
and interest OF the title were undoubted,
md the genius which seized upon 1t
VA. never Questioned. II any reader can
sue.. out the explanation OF the strange
Incidents which crowd one another In the early
part OF Mr.. Mason's story. or can lay down tho
boot before he hs. arrived at an explanation
AZ them, we shall have a high opinion Of his
p.n.trstIon and his fortitude asa novel reader.
The disturbing and CHASTITY circumstances OF
IN. discovery Of the wreck in the Channel
T,I,pd.; the brutal and astonishing proceed
,,g. in Tnnsier and the African desert; the
.v.nt,ul pilgrimage OF the virtuous and enam-
or.d Charnock In search OF the clever and
r,.caly wsrrlner. his enemy and rival. the
husband OF Miranda; the vsngeful and shock
in, manifestations OF Hassan. the blind Arab.
rhom the sonsciencsless Warmer had I'm
no,eri.hedt the blaokmailins enormitiss OF
IN. rniidls-assd and portly Major wilbrsham.
who translated Horace In the intervals OF his
petsrious occupstions-it 10 long list
OF sIceedlngly moving matters which
miranda Of the Balcony" sets wildly
before Us Lot the reader begin the
ara, chapter. which presents to US
NJ. Fourpier. fat taxidsrmist OF TanEisr-and
sometbipg more than taIidermist, as In due
TINA tr,n.pires The waves beat high, the
wind sing. like q chorus OF demo ns, the fog 10
p.oplsd with a nj multitude OF unseen tsrrort. and
N. Fourier. who 10 plainly no sailor. and who
pels- and shivers with his fears. insists on
going In the 81 AGnss luGger. which car
re, the relief men to and fro between the
Trinity House barracks on 3d. hary's and the
Bishop lighthouse In the Atlantic. NJ Fourier
sees through the fog az nobody else can see
n. cries out. "A wreokl" and Jams tho tillsr
hard over to port. to tho utter amazemsnt OF
the skipper. who shakes his fat passenger like
4. rat for nearly upsettIng tho boat. But u
wreck there Is on the island OF Rosevsar. aud
dead man lies there whose face has bsea de-
stroyed. psrhars by the ashss. and how the fat
taIidsrmlst OF Tangier managed TO divine
10 all 10 the fog. and to bring the St. Agnes
lugger up TO II, to see II and to send abroad the
news OF H. 10 the particularly remarkable
thing. II was Warmer. q treaohsrous British
offosr who had ned from Gibraltar. who gave
aims 10 Hassan. the blind Arab. at the gate OF
the cemetery at Taneier. and whom Hassan
kidnapped and delivered into slavery; and II
was Charnock. civil engineer. In love with the
traitors adorable WIFE, who went into the
desert after Warmer, and found him at the
II
slavery: and IL was wilbrahan who black
mailed the beautiful Miranda In her Moorish
home In Spain. most poetioal home. such as
the Moors knew how to build. and shadowy
and cool even In the ardent embraces OF an
almost tropical temperature story that
will carry the reader. 10 a hIrl OF curiosity and
goose flesh aud 10y, even TO the final page.
In Jesus Delaney" a story OF Mexico. by
Joseph Gordon Donnslly macmillan Com
ranyl. the hero 10 a very handsome and capa-
be young person given to enthusiasts. One
succeeds another. and the kind seems to DO OF
ht'ie consequence. since he 10 equally ardent
FOR religion. politics, love and war. One day he
AL a-throb asa Protestant evangelist, pour
ing INTO Roman Catholic ears fervid and per-
sIasivs eloquencs which II 10 altogether r.
markable that they should be able to with
stand. Another day. and with equal inspirn-
ton, he 10 In the arena fighting bull We have
no wish to make an undue revelation OF the in
sidsnts Of the story. but surely We may DO per-
mitted to say that he killed the bull. thereby
browning highly Interesting chapter. Love
wenigh consumes him. and politics gets him
promptly into Jail. In amomsnt no turns from
both. and the finish fnds him q soldier. his
rrst and only thought being. In Buns's
phrase. how TO kill two at blow. And here
comes in the idea ofheredity. His grandfather
At Dat lab dab n.l -hnNn
he came over from Ireland. where he had been
Troublesome to the established government,
He was called Pat, on the banks Of the Liffsy.
In his childhood. He -onfided to his Mexican
wife. the heros grandmother. that he was de-
seendsd from tho Irish kings He was clever
gentleman. after the fashion OF his country
men. q good shot, n skilful swordsman. and
ovsraowing with the lust o! manly contention
Altogether. considering his mingled Irish.
Indian and spanish origin. IL seems TO be no
wonder that the hero should have had enthusi-
asms. One OF the characters In the story 10 a
eowardly and rascally American consul. and
American missionary enterprise In Mexico IL
ridiculsd all through the tale. Here 10 q BIT de-
Hrbng how the hero. q convert. . teacher In
the American mission. an eloquent and ardent
svangelist. fought the bulls
Yes. Jssu. mAtsdor, Iwsntsd 70 get away. 1t
vas dreadful 10 think OF. let alone to see. But thsrs
was no escape. would have to crawl over the heads
Of those below the laps OF those above TO get
OF the scoursd place. had to sit 1t all through and
sorry perfo anoe IL was. Shall relate ~ Well
IN. revelation may serve to keep others who visit
Mexico from attending an amateur bullhght.
Twice the procession. headed by Jesus. sireisd
the arena. Then all who afoot threw aside
mats and eloafs aud took thsir appointed places
While the mounted picadores. encouraged by 90 n
slant vtvls poised their long pixies for the expected