New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-14

THE ADt H-S Win illustrations by Cal san ora
and nom Photographs by the Author l2mo. pp.
X ssS Frederick A Stokes Company.
vz,t4r->. IT WAS DARK. The Story Of a Great
Conspiracy. BY Guy Thorne. Emo, p2. VI 81
G. l.. Putnam's Sons
EvELlNA; OR, THE HISTORY or, OF v YoUNG
IADY'S ENTRANCE INTO THE WCti-L
BY Fanny Burney WIN i an IN INN i TFo3 M
son. limo. pP. xxxv. al The Macmillan Com
pauy.
There is only one point Of criticism to be
brought against the new edition OF Tolstoys
~Sevastopol" an old book which Is FAR more
welcome than many new book would be-the
volume contains too much PREDATORY matter
Nearly fifty pages are given to Introductory re-
marks and other data, and while we appreciate
the translators anxiety to make US perfectly at
home with certain difficulties involved In the
uniting Of Russian names into English, We do
not reed for enjoyment OF Tolstoy's work, quite
~ much editorial talk as Mr.. and Mrs Maude
seem 10 consider necessary. For the rest this
book IS n boon ToIstoy wrote IT with a feeling
for the mistakes OF poor humanity no less sim
core than that which has controlled him In the
composition Of his later works, but he was
young man when he produced these wonderful
pictures Of war. and he had not acquired that
unhappy conception Of the authors responsible
ties which has Iatterly moved him to turn a
work Of literature into tract Though he had
even then deep insight into the issues of life
and death he studied them with a mind free
from metaphysical obscurity and sociological
bias. His main point was to paint what he saw,
to present the truth without seeking to make IL
serve IS 4 stalking horse for theory. The result
is that "SevastopOT' Is a masterpiece Of nor
Inally realistic art 1t vibrates with emotion.
lat It il the emotion OF a man OF genius assist
ing at n great crisis and interpreting its ele-
Iaents with almost inpersonal candor and accu-
racy. In this and in the three stories which
added 10 It in the volume we have the true Toll
Ftoy. unhampered by that hortatory impulse
which has done much to spoil the writings
Of his old age Only Of powerful magma
tton could have written the work. but the author
allows nothing TO lure him from the solid rock
Of human experience on which his book in all its
essentials Is based Altogether the volume has
a weight and vitality sufficient to put all tbs
novels Of the moment into the shade
To turn from Tolstoy to a book like Hem
ming. the Adventurer." IS Like turning from
burgundy TO milk and water. In order to do
justice TO Mr.. Roberts. indeed. IL is necessary TO
forget. II can. that ''Sevastopol' has just
been relinquished- His book treats Of a young
British officer who Is first financially ruined
through the dishonesty OF a man he has tried
TO serve for the sake Of the woman he loves. and
IS then rejected by his sweetheart, who has
readily swallowed the falschoods Of the cad in
question Promptly Captain Hemming shakes
the dust Of Dublin and London from his feet
and with an ernbttered soul but a brave front
enbarks upon the life Of a literary freelance.
al manner Of things occur In his experience. IN
al sorts Of places. and these things inter
esting enough to keep the reader from putting
the book down unfinished But MI Roberts has
small skin in constructing plot This novel Is
very Loosely put together. and its Incidents are
boon forgotten
In his book Mr.. Crockett, like Mr.. Rob
erts s. al for adventure. but this time he seeks
Il IN a way with which his previous productions
have not made US familiar. THE Adventure IN
Spain Is a kind OF mixture q fact and fiction. a
collection OF Impressions which the author saves
from sulsiGing into the category OF ordinary
CuidebooEs by adjoining II with narratives which
may may not be due 10 his invention Per
haps the people described are Spanlarts with
whom he really talked and around whose per-
sonaities he has allowed his fancy to play with
freedom. He has not been able TO shake of his
trick of writing in a fiorid and romantic style.
The book Is mildly amusing. but somehow a
little too triillng to give the reader genuine
pleasure. 1t Is Illustrated with photographs
taken by the author himself
It is a great pity that GONE noveIis;s cannot
let gIon alone IN their books- Mr.. Guy
Thorn has written his story, called when 1t
Was Dark around an enterprise In which two