New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-06

HHE STORY OF SUSAN By, MIS- HenIS
Dudeney. limo, PIP. Isl Dodd. Mead q %
N ER st0ry Of the Sy G Charlotte WEBER
limo, PIP. tx. SsZ a 5. Barnes & Co.
sHEIR CHILD. By Robert Her, IeTTGk & d4 Tbs
Novels BY Favorite AuthorSl Lno' PIP % ANe
Macmillan Company.
Ghetto life ike many other interesting themes
kas been sadly overdone in recent fiction The
novel has been so persistently cOmmercialized
that constantly We find II written for no obvious
purpose save that Of making II pay HIS
torical romance, Scotch dialect, the slang OF
great cities negro humor-all these things, ana
many others. have been exploited by one writer
or another for what they have been worth In
dollars and cents, and the Ghetto as n literary
subject has not ESCAPED the attentions Of the
money-grubber To remember these things is
70 feel a special gratitude to Mr.. Leasing for
his children of Men" He outstrips all his
competitors with ease None Of the writer's
that we can recall dealing with the obscure
Jews of New-York. has ever produced such
capital short stories those which are gath
cred together IN this volume In the first place
they are interesting: IL you read one of them
you are bound to go and read the rest. Mr.
Lessing's men and women are no doubt types,
but he does not make US feel that that Is his
reason for writing about them On the con-
trary. each one OF his characters seems to have
a human being. The book is absolutely sincere.
one proof OF this lies in the genuineness OF the
authors pathos. Over and over again we have
had the little tragedies 81 the East put before
US IN fiction, but nearly always with the SAVIOR
OF melodrama, with touch indicating that the
writer has made up his mind to reveal the suf-
fering OF class. and IS going to gain his
eject ct any cost Mr.. Leasing goes about his
business in the spirit OF the true artist
He sets forth nothing for effect but gives rs
the truth with other adornment save that
which an artist unconsciously brings TO his
work when he has an instructive gift for express
sion "The End OF the Task" the first OF the
stories in the book is an intensely painful pro-
duction. but II Is beautiful. too a page from
life written with delightful sympathy and sim
pliclty. There are other painful stories in this
collection. and there are some In which Mr.
Leasing displays humor quaint Il Is
spontaneous. Take. for example. the narrative
entitled "Out OF His Orbit in which we are
shown how dearly certain Mr.. RosensteIn had
20 pay for his attempt TO teach his wife les
son II is funny as n farce yet there Is
nothing in the least farcical about IT. the thing
gives vivid a OF actual life we
could expect from the most serious OF stories
In short, Mr.. leasing treats the Ghetto not ns
an excuse for the working I'D OF types and
4OCaA CD4Or INTO SalaDlc put Us tOurCe
OF material out OF which fiction worthy OF
mature readers may be made. He has written
q good book. and we hope he viii write another
The scene Of Mrs. Dudeney's story Is early
Victorian England. and the spirit Of the time
and place Is maintained throughout with To
mark2ble faithfulness-even the fashion of
thought matches the cut OF apparel Susan is
a beautiful, ignorant little butterfly half maid
half companion-a small wasted sloping shouI-
dered. rose-cheeked, 'genteeI" piece OF foolish
ness, one OF the types OF her period Her bent
TO vanity and pleasure innocent enough In the
beginning takes her into a slough Of sorrow and
Of despair OF future salvation out Of which she
finally struggles by help Of an uncommonly fine
young hero. This hero. II may be said, Is a
manller man than the feminine novelist is ac-
customed TO paint Poor Susans agonIzed
longing for happiness and beauty and worldly
wellbeing IS set forth IN striking contrast
with Martin Heritage's stern devotion to what
he believes right In life and religion. The
quaint and narrow characters OF the small
country town of 1910 sketched firmly and
with true humor. Perhaps there is n unge of
extravaganza in some of these portraits OF the
vulgarians who set up for gentry" or OF the
chapel folk who have forgotten the spirit I'm the
letter. But most OF Susan's friends and enemies
are admirably drawn. and her story Is decided
Iy worth reading.
The situation described In the opening pages
Of Cam Err Is droIl enough in All conscienca