New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-10
FICTION.
Some Nesp Stories of american
Life.


LESLEY Chiffon. BY Eliza Orne White. 2mo.
pp. 35G Houghton. Mifiin & Co.
EoMoRRoWs TANGhE By s Geraldine dine R Boz 4S
indianapolis: The Bobbs Merrill Company.
RICHARD BAXTER Story of New England
Life of 1880 1910. BY Edward +. Jones; Illus
IL trated- 12mo, pp xiv, S3l- The Grafton f4eSs.
. The hero and heroine of Mrs. Kinks book
are not young and behind them lie sorrowful
and prosaic experiences Not out of such mate
xiaI could we reasonably expect the novelist to
create a romantic love story. yet such 4 story
Mrs Kirk offers US Milicent Waldo in her thir-
ties, with beauty and grace and brains and an
unawakened heart, Is a highly attractive per-
son. and when she drops the burdens OF her
Vorkaway youth and energies into the joyous
freedom of unexpected inheritance the read
,er's comfortable premontion Of complications OF
sensibty is more than justified How love
comes this charming woman and is shown
the door-how the naughty urchin works his
reyenges-how stubborn and reprehensiole |
pride is made to yied-au these things set
forth with the agreeable dexterity of the prac- |
tised writer. The secret of the successful suit |
er's identity is easily guessed even before he |
appears upon the scene. but we are not sure |
that the story would have gained anything from
less diaphanous mystery. AS domestic novels
60 this is creditable one, excellent in its ap-
prehension and Interpretation of character. and
engaging in the evolution OF motive and incident |
Well worn is the device upon which the story
of THE Beryl Stones" turns-the effect upon q
girls life of youthful fault That fault Is .
theft committed by the heroine when half |
crazed by starvation and trouble. and COM |
united not for herself but for her father. lying
IN desperate stress of illness and poverty. Mrs |
Sidgwick surrounds the affair with all the ex- |
tenuating circumstances she can think of. and. |
apart from her fault, makes Ursula an angelic |
well as brilliant being; but she heaps upon
the girls head many agonies that she is only |
fair in granting her something pleasant at tho |
end Of expiation out OF proportion to tho
offence. There is a truly beasuy villain of the
ruthless type who keeps the machinery OF tho
tale in motion and provides some queer melo- |
drama in the closing chapters The book Is
rather narrowing, but It has its attractions. tho
Characters well drawn-especially the mean |
oneS-and the action is spirited and unbroken
Lesley Chiffon is an enthusiastic high spirited
young creature whose days divided between |
devotion to the cause" of woman suffrage and 4
fervid effort to withstand the destinations of a
Widower twenty years older than herself. the |
father of four children. and q vehement enemy |
of the aforesaid cause" Lesley is the modern |
college girl. all enlightened zeal self reliance
and certainty. while Northbrooz has the preju-
dices OF a previous generation strongly eInpha- |
SlZeQ IN 4 pedagogical nature Hence battles. !
misunderstanding, and reIentings pretty. senu-
mental and probable. The author shows con- |
siderable skin in the portrayal Of character, and
she uses. though not much as we could wish, |
her unmistakable vein OF humor.
"Tomorrow's Tangle" is clever melodra-
matte story of life In the West II opens with |
O pathetic scene in the desert A Mormon and
his two wives. travelling In OF those old |
prairie wagons which familiar In the |
history Of the gold seekers the pckaxe and
Shovel, pause in their journey to bury the child |
time to realize her loss before another child Is |
born TO her. Her husband is a brute. and pres
emily leaves her at the log hut of 4 couple OF
miners in exchange for some horses The I'M
happy woman finds more than devoted friend
In one Of her hosts and ultimately she marries |
him. despite the illegality of such a proceeding
Meanwhile the man who has deserted her rises |
TO fortune We look for sensational develop
ments. and in due time they arrive. Death de-
prives the deserted wife of the man who has |
TO San Francisco. taking with her her daughter |
Harposa, beautiful girl with fine voice. |
They are poor, and Jake Shackelton, the whilom |
Mormon. is only too glad to seek an opportunity |
TO render help to the women he has so basely |
wronged. but Just when his plans for their |
left alone In the world. in possession of the