New-York tribune., 1903-06-28

SUMMER IN NEWYoRK, i, Love Story ,33o I0d
pp V, 1856 Henry Holt & CO.
QUESTIONABLE SHAPES IS By ! p RTos Hswells
THE UNDER DOG By E. H9pknsGgn d6azns gerbnif snh;
Sons.
DIsCoRDs By Anna Alice Chaplin 12mo. pp 2cS
The Pelham Press.
Mrs Banks has drawn in her new book,
Round Anvil Rock" pleasant picture OF the
Kentucky wildwood early in the last century.
Also she has told slender but begulling story
While one or two names familiar in history
occur in her pages, her plot such as 1t Is, mas
little to do with historical events. Her main
purpose has been to exhibit the ways OF GER
tain household in pioneering times. sketching
divers quaint types, and grouping these around
a pretty heroine. When the story opens Mis-
tress Ruth is pledged to marry man whose
sincere conviction was that the smallest mai
ter affecting himself was OF infinitely greater
Importance than the greatest that could possibly
concern any one else" These words prepare us.
as matter of course, for a change In the mat
rimonial plans first set forth In the book. There
is a dramatic episode introduced to fachltats
the change but the author retains throughout
the tone which characterized her first book,
"Oldfeld," a tone very gentle and somewhat
sentimental. This is well written book In ID
quiet way it Is interesting. and it has very
agreeable atmosphere.
The author Of "A Summer in New-York" has
succumbed to the temptation which was being
exerted in full force few months ago, and
still fingers here and there He has written
novel in a series of letters This is enough to
send the reader away from the book the mo-
ment after he has opened it; but Mr.. Townsend
is an amusing writer. and it Is worth while, on
this occasion. to give him hearing. once
safely through the first few pages, once 10
signed to a form Of fiction that has been worn
threadbare the reader may find sufficient enter
tainment for an hour In this sketch OF love
affair in New-York. Incidentally. a good many
familiar phases Of everyday life In this CITY ate
treated by the author. They are Lightly
touched and serve very well to furnish fortn
the setting for a latter-day romance. The style
of the supposititious letter writer Is not 30
much that of New-York girl as it Is that OK
Mr Townsend However, this does not detract
from the vivacity Of the story Vivacity Is ths
chief merit of "a Summer in New-York-
In three stories gathered together in the book
entitled Questionable Shapes" MI. Howells
moves with characteristic delicacy in that
sphere of things supernatural by which OF late
so many novelists have been attracted Inc
psychical motive Is becoming almost conVen-
tional but in this book we find it handled, as
might be expected with individuality. MIR.
HoweIIs is especially successful IN avoiding that
excessive finish which has been the undoing OF
more than one writer bent on exploiting
weird idea His ideas are presented with the
yagueness betting their character; If he gives
us facts he gives US, even more, impressions,
and in no one Of his stories are we allowed TO
feel that the secret of the central situation has
been cleared up and brought into harmony with
received conceptions of this life and the life
beyond. On the contrary, are left feeling as
we feel after listening to some personal narra-
tive of strange experience, interested. half
persuaded Of the truth Of ideas about which we
are naturally sceptical, and subtly bewildered
The people in this book very human Great
ures. but the things that happen to them are
''shivery" in the extreme Each Of the stories
contains an abundance Of the description and
talk familiar in the authors novels. Each Is a
skiifuI and artistic piece Of work.
Mr. Smith is very far from the supernatural
I'm his collection of some ten twelve short
stories, The Under Dog" Though he goes to
romantic France and still more romantic Italy
in some of these tales, he treats American
themes in most of them, and in all actually is
his salient characteristic, the vivid portrayal Of
types every one might have known and the
piruant exposition of situations anywhere pos
sible. Unfortunate men and women cele
brated in this book, but never with morbidity.
1t is a sane and invigorating sympathy for the
Cr,1irH hrin m ha writ