The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-01
NEv&ooks.
Brief Reviews of Im krtnnt and Intcre,
ing New bAcations.

Brief Review. of INN ,rtnnt and Inter1
ing New Pun c"tions.
Mr.. Henry Jomos's now THE Awkwardv A
Age" Harper & BrothersAis an account Of
the doings OF a little company Of superfne
persons In London. To say "donGs is not,
perhaps to be quite exact. This is a novel ~
conversation. and the happenings consist Of
40 ries OF long and very clever but exceedingly
placid dialogues. They inform with great de-
liberation More than once in the course "
hem the hint is thrown out that directness il
vulgarity Allowing this to be an accurate
definition. It Is hardly necessary to say that
nobody better than Mr.. James knows how not
to be vulgar. Probably the very beautiful Mrs
Brookenham, nearly ~, the mother OF four
children. is tho most subtle and overlooking
OF tho rare group OF conversationalists hare
celebrated. though Mr.. Nanderbank. 81. re-
markaby handsome. nicely provided for ink
public offlce-General Audit. Deputy Chairman
is not much behind her. Mr.. Longdon. a
little more than SO and rich. is sensitive
and subtle enough. but he lacks tho fire
and what may be called the audacity OF
persistence that mark the younger members
OF the group. He is capable performer. but
his love OF talking hardly amounts to a passion.
the reason being perhaps that he has lived
forty years In the country. taking silent i'm
pressions from the soft cooring OF his old
red surfaces and from the flicker OF white but
terfiies. The Duchess-her husband In life
was Duke in Naples-is q very capable talker.
frequently condescending to make sharp and
singing points: Mr.. Mitchell. with his pale
and prominent eyes and his receding chin. Ia o
most gifted taker: Nanda. Mrs. Brookenham's
daughter. talks as well any OF them. though
she is deficient in devousness and is suspected
OF lacking humor; and the only non talker in
the book really is the fair Aquesina. tho
Duchesss niece. who reads Pictures from
English History " In corner and symbolizes
the freshness and vacuity OF uncontamnated
youth.
The story Is divided into books" Book I.
contains thirty pages and consists OF a conver-
sation between Vanderbank and Mr.. Longdon
in which there Is brought out the fact OF the
wonderful resem blance OF Nanda to her grand
mother. Mr. Longdon in his youth was In love
| with Nanda's grandmother and with Wander
banks mother. neither Of whom reciprocated
his somewhat pale and unsu bstantial passion.
1t is reserved for Mr.. Longdon. in the early
meowness OF his years. to cherish very
beautifully and tenderly. and without undue
excitement. the memory OF these two. He
is overpowered. in his gentle. delicate
| way. by the discovery that Nanda 10
| the living and articulating reproduction
| OF one OF the perfect objects OF his early
| attachment. The intimation OF this Is also
| included In the generous provisions OF Book I.
| 1t is said in description OF Mr.. Longdon that
| his smile was beautiful; It supplied so many
| meanings that when presently he spoke he
| seemed already to have told half his story.
| One less astonishnGly clever than vanderbank
| at grasp and Interpretation. listening to tho
| sensitvely disjointed utterances OF Mr.. Long
| don. might readily have understood him.
assisted by His smile and the occasional sig
nificant manipulation Of his eyeglasses.
| In another book" on page 112. we have the
effect upon Mr.. LonRdon Of his first sight OF
| Nanda. She is making tea for him. and for
| Nanderbank and Mr. Mitchell:
"I can mako tea beautifully" she said from
behind the table Mother showed me how this
| morning"
| This morningf" and Mitchy. before the FIRE,
| greeted tho simp. remark with uproa rious mirth.
| Dear young lady. you're the most delicious
| familyl'
| things to do She thought might have to make IL
| here and told me tc OFFER" the girl went on. II
| haven't yet done II this way at home-I usually
have my tea upstairs. They bring It up in . cup all
made and very weak. with q pieco of bread End
| butter In q saucer. That's because I'm young.
| Mr.. Mitchy. sugarf -isn't that the way to
| say it1 Three lumpsi You're like me. only that
| moro often take nve." Mitchy had dashed forward
for his she gave It to him. then she added. with
| her eyes on Mr.. Longdon's which she had had no
|
| sorts OF things"
The old man had got up to take his cup from
yanderbank. whose hand. however. dealt with him
on the question of sitting down again.
Here We must pause for a moment TO ac-
| knowledge the pleasure arising from the
phrase. whose hand dealt with him on tho
question OF sitting down again" 1t would
have been direct. conventional and gross to say
that he pushed him back into his seat. To
-. \ l.aI Al t.
Of it a reasoning and debating hand and
greatly to increase its interest. The ratlocin-
ating hand OF Vanderbank was not efrectual In
this instance:
Mr.. Lonsdon, resisting kept erect with low gasp
| that his host only enough to catch. This
| suddenly appeared to confirm an impression gath
| cred by Nanderbank in their contact . strange
sense that his visitor SO agiated to be tre-
bling in every limb. 1t brought to his lips kind OF
| ejaculation. 81 say But even he spoke Mr..
Longdon's face. still white. but with a smile that
was not all pain. seemed to supplicate him not to
| notice; and he was not a man to require more than
this TO achieve divinaton as deep as 1t was rapid.
why. we've all scattered for Easter. haven't we?"
he asked OF Nanda. Mr.. Longdon has been At
| home your mother and father have been paying
| visits. myself have been out OF London. Mitchy
| has been to Paris. and you-oh yes. know where
| you've BEEN"
| This clever diversion had the desired effect
Mr. LonGdon. with Vanderbanks covert aid.
had begun to appear to have pulled himself
together. dropping back upon his sofa and CIV
| ing some attention to his tea" 1t Is n curious
| circumstance. by the way. that there is an
| enormous quantity OF tea drunk in the story.
| and that never is anybody represented to have
| drunk anything else. The book is quite lit
| tered with teacups: II Mr.. Longdon had been
| DR.. johnson. and Vanderbank the poet
| Cowpor. they could not have asked for more
tea In the passages that We have quoted and
| frequently throughout the story. the reader
| will be reminded Of MIR. George Mercdiths in
trepid manner Of expression. He was not
man to require more than this to achieve a