New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
FICTION.
A STORY OF NETWORK socUIx.

STORY OF NETWORK SOCITIY
OUR LADY VANITY. BY Ellen OIney Krt
Crown Svo' PIP 1853 Houghton Miftn & Co.
ANNE M M MsAIN oi By Alice Ridley, 12mo,
MISS PRITCHARD's WEDDING TRIP BY Clar.
Louise Burnham. 12mo, PIP. 366.
beauty, witching and wilful alert of wit
gifted In wiles. a child of earth. loving nothing
and nobody better than herself. the typical
worldly girl OF her period-such is the heroine
of Mrs. Kinks new novel of American society
Out Of Joan's selfshness is framed the plot. TIL,
material is to her the sum of good; her own
desires are her law. She seizes everything she
wants by right of triumphant charm, with
ruthlessness almost magnifcent-till day
fate sets a bound to her empire not to be passed.
The girl is drawn with the facility of prac-
ticed hand and begues even while she repels-
as when she conquers with her gtterng
weapons Of loneliness and audacty the hard
headed suspicious old business man who has
no Illusions no social experience and no suscept-
Utility to ordinary feminine persuasion. The
novelist has treated this old mionaire's char
acter with considerable force and keenness of
perception. Even more successful, though the
sketch is of the slightest. is the worried father
Of the fashionable family, whose effort to live
up to his wifes expectations plunges him into
dominates the rest of the family is realized also
with little humor. A refined and vivid stye
| contributes to the easy movement OF the story.
The author has not attempted to preach a
mon the worship of Vanity. but she has
nevertheless managed to show her readers that
a few ideals convenient and pleasant things
! to have about.
Il liked the little dark one; her face is fuil
OF character" Here is the keynote of what any
| devotee OF fiction must guess to be novel of
sad and serious import. The little dark one
Anne Mainvaring, to Wit is wrecked on the
| rocks OF her own generosity. sensitivcness and
| ignorance. \ pitifu ignorance of life and Of
| her own heart it is. indeed that sends her, Will
| almost n child. into marriage with a mean cad
! Cruel disenchantment prepares the way for tn
| appearance of the sympathetic soul whom she
| remembers as a boy friend With his comu2
| comes also drop in the story-the latter half
| IS artificial and weak. Anne. passionate and
noble in impulse. and her husband. in whom the
faint OF the cad is ineradicable. in spite of his
struggles for the lofty tone" are the most
convincing personases of the book and their
| life together did not need the incursion of the
| conventional Other Man to create a situation
fun of psychological interest.
Miss Prtchard is prm but pleasing LITTLE
| spiuster whose early romance. nipped in it,
| bud is recalled to her elderly heart by the
| legacy of her faithlcss lover-that legacy being
his charming daughter. on this fair ward Miss
| Prtchard lavishes all her affection, and when
she begins to visions OF suitors she carries
the girl to Europe il the fear of losing her
| The greater part of the book is devoted to this
| Journey and is a highly agreeable and senti-
mental toprsts' guide, enlivened by all the
! timidities. fances and absurdites which are
| inseparable from the makeup of this kind little
old maid. Flying from uncertain ills, Miss
| Pritchard stumbles unconsciOusy upon what
| she most breads. and finds it not so mournful.
! after all The lover who is not to be denied
/ wins even her liberation and the story ends as
/ all wholesome love stories ought The itinerary
! of the two women is an interesting one, there
| are some neat bits of Characterization, and tn
| unaffected style is engaging.