New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-07-21
FICTION OF THE HOUR.
A REALISTIC NOVEL AND NOVEL, STORIES
OF THE FROZEN NORTH.

pa. Houghton, Miff1in & Co ' PP'
HALAMAR. BY Gertrude Potter DaniaIs oA,oo
PIP. 100. George NJ. Hill Company. N1ino'
laughter OF THE SPHINX. BY Albert White
worse. limo. PIP. 329 Drexel Biddle.
Mr. I. K. Friedman suggests by his novel. Poor
People" that we may have produced another
writer whose work will in time deserve 10 be
placed in comparison with that of Israel Yang
will. In Mr.. Abraham Cahan we already have
an author who has achieved nota BILE SUCCESS in
writing Of humble life in this country and has
been called "the American ZangwiH" Mr.
friedman does not at present give evidence Of
anything like the insight Of either of those two
writers nor the skill, nor the hurnor; but he has
the rare gift of interesting the reader in his
characters and Of letting his characters disclose
themselves in the dramatic manner He an
parently possesses little faculty in plot building.
indeed he shows an indifference to mere compr
cations of incident. But he can take a sinnnIa
theme and make it attractive by the force of his
treatment 1t is curious to observe the difference
IN his manner when writing his story and when
writing his proem and epilogue each Of which
Is wholly gratuitous piece of sentimentality
II is to be hoped that as he develops Mr. Fried
man will see the absurdity Of such language as
this: THE tenement is a mine? Yea, but the
bold, daring and persistent-with what treas
ures countless do they ascend to the sunlight of
pleasures with the nuggets of ripe experience
delved in the gloomy darkness where the CRYING
spirit tainted with unutterable WEAKNESS! De-
scend thou. lest the glory Of the ascension re-
mains as the precious lore of book seven sealed.
Angel of charity and mercy. thy lamp was not
kinded in vain; whilst the oil burned shedding
a grateful glow, l unearthed the gold sought
and the end crowned my beginning May the
rays of thy lamp fall undiminished over the
,f
children for though their way winds through
easier realms than mine. yet comes temptation
to the sinless the night engulfs the day, and the
pit yawns for the unwary."
Mrs. Gertrude Potter Daniels takes an actress
for the heroine of her story "Halamar" At the
opening of the narrative the heroine has retired
from the stage to live with her husband But
we all know how undressing domesticity can
appear TO women who have had success in the
theatre It is possible. however, that Nine
Halamar-or, rather Mrs. Herbert Worthing-
ton, known 10 her friends as Jean-would have
permanently abandoned the stage if she had
not been prosecuted by her mother-in- law. This
lady, besides being martinez. had a habit
of crunching toast in a way that used to get on
Jeans nerves. II is a familiar fact that little
things can drive the artistic temperament al
most to desperation. Indeed. many Of the
tragedies of life result from apparently
trivial. Jean eventually leaves her husband and
goes to New-York to reassume her stage life
She makes a tremendous success in a new
play; but blight falls upon her. She becomes
a leper. The way in which she contracted the
disease opens up a nice question in pathology.
The explanation comes from one of the charac-
tiers. 1T is omar's play that has used her up
Maurice calls it law of suggestion. 1t came
from overwork, oyerstudy and oversenstiveness.
She must have an entire change of climate
and an absolute rest, also peace Of mind. You
can supply these things; Maurice says he can