The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-19
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.


Audrey.
In a literary sense, Miss Mary Johnston's
latest story is a distinct advance on her
earlier books. She shows a better COM
mand of her material, a keenef sense of
values and A reserve power not discernible
IN the other tales. This is as il should
be, indicating d power of growth and con-
veying the impression that. much as she
has already achieved, better is yet to come.
The scene of Audrey is in Virginia, the
time the early years of the eighteenth GEN.
fury. Audrey, the heroine of the tale,
makes her appearance first as a small child
in her fathers cabin in the wilderness.
The Governor. with a party of the Kings
troops as escort. passes by on a tour of
inspection. Accompanying him is Marina
duke Harvard, an English gentleman on
pleasure bent. The little girl is attracted
to him and talks with him. A little later
Harvard leaves his party and returns to the
cabin to make love to Audrey's pretty sis
ter. but in that brief interval Indians have
murdered the family. only Audrey, hidden
between the corn-rows, being overlooked
by them. Harvard takes the child to
jamestown with intent to provide Tor her
future, puts her into the hands of Parson
Darden, who is described by a fellow
minister as a scandal, a shame and a
Stumbling-block to the church. He is really
a man without conscience and uses the
money provided for Audrey's support for
MS own purposes and she comes up a
drudge for his wife and a waif without
friends. Harvard meanwhile, has gayly
taken himself off to London TO look after
his estates and forgets about her. Ten
years later he comes back, a somewhat
phase man of the world and a sultor for the
hand or Evelyn Byrd-that beautiful
woman about whose name much romance
has woven itself, since she figured with her
father in the history of that early time.
But Audrey has grown into wOmanhOod
and has a woodland beauty and grace that
eaten HaWard'S Vagrant fancy, and
hencefOrth there are three figures in the
romance of that Virginia summer. 1t is a
pretty ldyl, the love-making of that sum-
mer in the Old-fashioned garden-Haward
hall conscious of intent, half eXcusing his
course, Audrey innocent as a child. Here
is a picture of her: LAS a flower opens TO
the sunshine, so because she was happy,
she grew more fair. Audrey every day,
Audrey OF the infrequent speech and the
wide, dark eyes, the startled air, the shy,
fugitive smiles-that was not the Audrey
OF the garden. Audrey Of the garden had
shining eyes, a wild, elusive grace, laugh
ter as silvery as that which had rung from
her sisters lips years agone beneath the
sugar tree in the far-of blue mountains.
quick gestures, quaint fancieS, which she
feared not to speak out, the charm of the
mingled humility and spirit; enough, In
short, TO make Audrey of the garden a
name to c%onjure with" But though she is
the central figure of the tale, she is a dryad-
like creature and does not win the sym
pathy as does Mistress Evelyn Byrd, who
is most skillfully portrayed and who stands
out on this literary canvas a parsonage to
be remembered. No man can have two
sweethearts without trouble, and trouble is
brewing that summer for all. What form
1t takes, how the problem is solved for all
II would be unfair TO tell. 1t is enough to
say that events take a turn at the end
which is most surprising. Many readers
Will find these last chapters unsatisfactory
some, who read for the story only be-
enjoyed the literary quality of the earlier
chapters because it is melodramatic and
iEartistic. But apart from this flaw the
story is far above the average fiction of the
year. Miss Johnston does not indulge in long
descriptions, but so familiar is she with
the country she describes, so clearly does
she picture to herself the conditions of TWO
hundred years ago, that the scenes are pre-
scented witt the vividness of life to the
readers eye; he can see the garden at
"Fairview'' and the river flowing by; can
feel the freshness of the dew on the grass;
can hear the rustic of stately Mistress Eve
Ign S gown. Miss JOhnston's style is pleas
ing and often poetic and is we'll suited to
the romances she elects to narrate. Other
characters than those mentioned are we'll
drawn, though more Importance is given
TO one at least-~Angus MacLean-than his
pace in the tale seems to justify. All in
all, Audrey" is a novel of many
merits and is sure to be widely read. Half
a dozen Illustrations in tint, after drawings
by Il. e. YOhn. add to the attractions of
the book. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., Boston.