New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-08-10

SEVERANCE. A Novel. BY Thomas Cobb l-fho
pr 3l4. John Lane
STRONGER THAN LOVE. By Mrs. Alexander
emo Do. 364 Brentano's.
THE GOLF LuNATIc AND HIS G i5,Gd S6 |
5il Brentanos.
THE BEST OF STEVENSON. Edited by Ae Iage
der Jessup. limo. PIP 800 boston: L. - l 90
& Co.
Mr. Dyson is an excellent story teller. His
manner is vivacious, his matter is stirrllis
write an unhackneyed tale of gold mining NE
in the antfpodes is no easy task. The de1eat Oh
,.Tr,rv and the triumph of virtue are no douo'
Ata povest's principal stock in trade Dut MI
7,,-eon has arranged his machinery with hhe
new effects. His real hero, strange 10 say
schoolboy no prodigy, but an entirely ProD''.e
human boy" with plenty OF pad III MN ~
1oayen with humor the unmistakapie soou' q"
,,rcbin given to mischief Of the piratlcal anu
birhwayman kind. moved. too, by the sehSe
ro,,,b iustice that underlies strong poylsh
character. and held by the queer obstlnacy tn@'
&c male and young. The conditions OF VIC
.riar mining town give him scope for advent
,,ro and in acting as small god from the
,,,.c,ine he in no wise strains propaphhl''
.'Taint my fault if things happen Is 1t! "
the boy in an injured tone "heh ne 10 o
AN anazin' kid: and his discovery Vi e
,e aud bis rescue of a wellnigh murdered
man are as little histrionic as may BE- we i'
admit that he is most engaging When as No
,iqbter red ruflian of the bush. ne IeauS ms
Youthful cohorts in a comlcai r1iu Oh 'iie o
of the neighboring township.
Severance" is clever STUDY Oh inei an
women with a curious capacity LOT peAis '
thing but clever in just those momeh'S WIZ
some sort of intelligence is expected Vi 'ien'
T,erhaps Mr.. Cobb has an lronlcai putPoS W."
ing to show how naturally and yet no" S'upt'
human beings can come to MISUNDERSTANDING
and take opposite paths when they ousn' "
travel together At all events. the people III
..so,-aranc.'' are amazingly foolish in the man
aran,ent Of their affairs. The heroine mas re-
iected before the story opens, the man "ho'ii
she really loves AS if this mistake were ho'
enough she muslin all unconscoushesS' W Wv
her credit-come between another lrehu VI "
and his wife. These two are as SHY as she "
when il comes to romance. The husDaho 'dhe'
himself too seriously, the wife is TOO hippah"
hut they could easily have resoiVeu 'iieii 49,
o,,ras without separating. In that case hc"
over Mr. Cobb would have had no story 10 'ehi'
\, - g deenite the absurdity of the SITUATION
,,.itt, which he deals he manages to be interest,"
ing in his exposition of the experiences Clare
Somers has in repairing the damage sie no.
done She is ill-rewarded for her pains nus"
Daryers and his wife are reconciled anu o'iI
=, tho hooL, are made happy. but the heroine
can only smile ruefuy at the end OF the pooh
&C she razes upon the outcome of all her eiiorIS'
eb. like everybody else in the story. IS a hltie
x-asnerating to the reader. but she is not WIN
ont con,Deusating traits and all her frlehus. I'i
-b.+ matter are more or less likeabie however
1rvinp they NAV be to ones patience Even M.
1,or-oet Ra,lantyne is somewhat ingratialihs'
tbo,,sb for density he is merely phenomenal
The late Mrs Alexander never escaped i'oi''
t,a thrall of her first success. Each heroine io
lowing Maggie of THE Wooing OF has por'e
:, close family resemblance to that chari''ile
GIRL. and again and again the novelist has ruh6
Tho changes on the motive to be found In inc
love or the liking for the same pony S.''A
+-.3 man, of the mature benefactreSS ana the
,,ourf, 1ependent. At once spirited ana Eei''e'
all endurance and unsefshness, the "oulhiui
heroine has been as perennially attractive as the
,,.,,,rr.nt rose in bloom: hut the phases oil mel
story have become stale with repetition. \
slight but unsatisfactory variation DISTINGUISHES
"Stronger Than Love'-both mature iady ana
ealC-danyinl, girl lose the hero. Weary Of wan !
darinc in the Inazcs of feminine Inconsistency. |
,Inreasoninly abnegation and well meant tara |
dfddles' the Strong jawcd one Withdra"s from
his perplexing situation and marrIes splhcDoHE |
else Small blame to him! The lack of flesh !
moss in plot incident and character 5 matched |
by dulness in style. Age. illness and fatigue /
had sadly weakened the nOVelists .raSp upon /