New-York tribune., 1903-03-29

1hn + zangWill, @ limo pp IG 5s5 The Macmillan
Company.
Account Of the Solution of the Mystery Con-
cerning the JefTrey-Moore Affair; BY Anna
khe kaenBoids Robbs SEss compahy en; ny: 4'
THE GOLD WOLF By MaE Psnbe5t0n- f511 nj llaS 1
Dodo, Mead Co.
The merits of Mr.. Nasons first novel, ITO the
End of the Trail" and especially the SAVIOR OF
originality In the book, have caused his next
work to be awaited with special curiosity. Inc
Blue Goose" is we'll calculated to fulfil the
readers expectations. 1t is a we'll told story OF
that life in and around a Western mine about
which MI Mason can write at first hand. Per-
haps his knowledge Of the details Of that life Is
in excess of the needs of q novelist. When the
men on the night shift in the mill OF the Rain
bow Mine sleep at their posts or desert theTn'
the author adds: The result was that the
stamps unfed having no rock to crush, poundeo
steel on steel, that stamps were broken boss
heads split, clog screen would burst, ieaV-
ing the half broken ore to flow over the plates
and into the wash suces with none Of its value
extracted" Though this must mean something
even to the layman, not sure but that we
could spare technical passages of the sort from
'sThe Blue Goose" But in every other respect
Mr. Mason fully justifes the confidence in him
inspired by his earlier book. With admirable
artistic balance he has painted vivid picture
Of mining community in which the laWless
elements still lingering in the West come into
conflict with the strict business principles OF
the East, and he has at the same time unfolded
interesting little drama. largely Influenced by
the individual traits Of his personages, and en-
hanced by the indispensable love motive. His
hero is a young fellow of character and charm
k1fk kIoT TOosT,1
are handicapped by the intrigues of mischief
makers at his door and the stupidity of higher
official in the corporation owning the mine who
comes out from the East to set things straight
when they seem to have gone wrong, but only
succeeds in making matters worse. OF course,
the girl with whom he falls in love belongs in
the camp Of the enemy, and everybody con-
cerned has to pass through some exciting ex-
periences before the end of the book is reached.
Mr.. Mason is slIilful in expedient. Firmstones
troubles with the miners and with the obtuse
representative Of his company make good read
ing, and all the local color is welcome. but what
we most appreciate is the dramatic movement
Of the narrative. its vitality and interest as
story Of character, adventure and sentiment.
There is numor in the book, too, and altogether
THE Blue Goose adds to the authors repute.
Mr.. Zangwi1rs new volume forms miscellany
of what he calls his newest and oldest work"
The story which gives the book its title and
the four which follow it, are all short. The three
remaining productions a much larger
scale. The first is by all odds the best of the
lot, and that its pathos is spoiled a little
by the iIl-conceaed acridity of the authors
humor, 1t is an uncommonly good piece of work.
It celebrates the joys and sOrrows Of two old
Frenchwomen living next to nothing in an
obscure hotel in Paris. How they look askance
at one another for long time, each seeking to
impress the other with her own superiority; how
they drawn together and become, in fact,
the closest allies, purchasing the grey wig which
beth desire but neither alone afford; and
how their shabby little comedy is brought to a
tragic climax, Mr.. Zangwill sets forth with art
and with a sympathy that is effective despite
the cynicism which always seems to hover in
the background. There is human nature in the
tale, and we like it. There is human nature also
in "Chasse-Croise," but 1t is not in the least
beguiling, and the same disconcerting impress
sion Is left by 1.-THE Woman Beater' and '"The
Eternal Feminine" The best Of the longer
stories is "The Big Bow Mystery" shilling
shocker with more literary quality than ordi-
narIly finds in that sort Of literature. The CEN
trail motive is most ingenious, the crime around
which the mystery is wrapped being confessed,
in the long run, by an individual whose part in
the story is managed throughout with the
skrewdest reference 10 the heWi1derment of the
reader. The book whole, though uneven in