New-York tribune., 1901-06-16
FICTION.
\ STORY OF OLD NEw-YoRK.
GODS PrPPErS

GODS PUPPETS Story Of old New-York By
lmegen Clark, Emo. pp. 81. Charles Serb
THE INLANpER. Hy Harrison Robertson. 12mo
pp. 3-e Charles Scrhner's sons.
fnE SUPREME CRIME, By Doroihea Gerard
--no. pp. s1e Thomas Y CroNru a Co
Gods Puppets is a love story. the scene Of
which is stt in the New York Of the eighteenth
century. This period provides for the noveiist's
use much that IL quaint ana picturesque in
manners and some neat contrasts i'm character
LoNe,iest thing in the old Dutch dominie's fra
grant garden is his motherlrss daughter. a
creature guieless and gentle wood dove
on her pale horizon appears British officer
a handsome gallant given To meaningless fiirta-
tion. hut 50 far as he is capable of seriousness
in love with riquant, daring Colonial cousin
Here. q course. is matter for complications.
and They arrive in due course. The tender
hearted dominic Nillanous young Dutchman
Who brutally resents Annetjes disregard Il
MS so-call,d affections. "A good old dog. and
some eccentric serving people help - make in
their interehangins relations "a vivid, often alb
solling. and sometimes touching story. The
author. Ne are inolia,d to think. has given un-
necessary pains 10 The study Il the idiams of
eighteenth century English. The effect Is ocea-
sionaNy strained cannot see thc woods
Tor the tr,es" The l.tt-r Vnich Opens th- vol
ume strikes us A. lahored tour e-fprce. thu
author of "Tha NiEin.ans" surely offered a bet
Ter mode! for IN, Time II must be said also that
Miss Clark hei- AND th,r, mikes hrr eighte, nth
century d.c,j.n with that e tho Shak,-I Ieariau
and that u the Restoration period This. however.
ia affair Il passing fiction is not important
she has given as an entertaining novel; ami
one which suggests a promise Tor the future.
Nlr Roiertsen's ~In.aud,r' IS "a lu, yeuus
Southerner Il high moral instincts n.ee t--t $
and heroic possibilities IL mas al the star. an
old fashioned reverence for uorAauhe.1. ANA
when he Is Jnt,1 hy Minx h. becomes So
warped in his aIpr,hensl,n ~ tEe Eternal
Feminine that H. Nickedly ,ni-juae,s Tie .Ii,c.
az tender air Whom he wins as his VIfe on-
episode is a dramatic encounter with "a som,-
what Ineffective r,prahate on the platform ~ "a
railway train Claiching each ether in . deadly
grip, hero and reurobate fan from the rushing
train into darkness. But this is far from ending
the tale. The reader must discover the conse-
quences for himself Tho Mink is the most
convincing person in these pages She is
sketched with intuition, lightness and precision
The heroine with her unsophisticated child ike
sweetness ana h-r theatrical career. is al IlttIe
out Of drawing.
4 book which almost deserves 10 T.. r.s.,,as
from thar stream II fiction which. year iy year
runs more rapidly from casual entertainment T.
Oblivion. is The Supreme Crime It, author
has long been known one of the most con-
scientious and careful q modern story teIers.
and in this novel she rises nearly t. the height
II tragic power through the successive steps Of
a plot purely simple and natural Her char
acters have the air of life ITSELF and they so
inevitably fulhl in action the laws Of their
spiritual being that the reader finds il hard 10
realize that these not actual experiences.
The young Ruihenian priest who yields 10
beauty what he owes TO love and loyalty and
Who lets a grim mistrust slowly poison and Kill
his happiness is painted with remarkable truth
and force.
4 pOET"S THEORY