New-York tribune., 1906-10-20
Nep Novels By Marion Craaoford
and Others.

1HEEREEN By Mrs. Henry Dudeney. illustrated
by Pau Hardy. Euo' PIP St2 @. W. Dilling-
ham Company.
.r7ycs FRANCE WITH UNCLE JOHN By
Anne Warner lllustrated s ed by May wilson Pres
TIE BELOVED VAGABOND. BY William J.
Locke. Emo, pp. S02. John Lane Company
This mere title Of Ny Crawford's book, "a
rasv Of Rome" IS enough TO wake old memo
.ss and to prepare the reader for a pleasant
hour Il indicates that he has gone back TO
tse scene Of his earlier and most brilliant tri-
-,rhs TO the city Of that Saracinesca family
% which he gave something like a permanent
standing IN our fiction. But something has
come between this novelist and his old inspira-
ton Have the types he drew well disap-
,ssred and has Roman life taken on new, un-
stimulating aspects, or has 3Ir. Crawford s hand
lost its cunning? He disappoints to-day
where in old times he apt TO please US,
IN his choice Of a heroine. The Countess of
Montalto in this book is one of those women
IN whom as il seems 10 US. 1t must be difficult
for any normally constituted reader TO take
lasting interest. She is supposed to be a woman
made unhappy through unkind fate. She
has been married TO a man for whom she has
no love and in her weakness has submitted to
the dominion OF the true man Of her heart. At
the time the story opens her husband has been
arnicably separated from her for some years. but
she has successfully kept her lover at arms
length OF course. that gentleman presently re-
appears, and if Mr.. Crawford were writing
he used 10 write the plot would thicken. char
acter would play its part In an interesting man
per and 2 good story would be in full swing.
But n that case the countess would be a cred
fble and sympathetic heroine
As II is she is the feeblest kind OF creature,
90 feeble as TO excite positive contempt. In
Of
remaining absolutely faithful 10 her husband or
giving Up all for love and the world well lost,
she enters upon q course Of philandering so
Iong drawn out and so mushy that ii is next
10 impossible 10 follow the story 10 the end.
Indeed, the story halts and halts, as though the
sckly character Of his heroine had finally over
powered The author himself and paralyzed his
inventive faculty Through chapter after chap
ts- we are conscious Of nothing but the senti-
mental lady's Stiffness and when at last the
narrative promises 10 take a turn for the better
Il is not because character in action has forced
the pace, but because it has occurred TO Mr..
Crawford 10 drag in a rascally steward, who
steals some love letters. turns blackmailer and
compels the principal figures in the drama to
DO something Mr.. Crawford's earlier novels
are fairly rich IN substance. This one is thin
and hopelessly artificial into the bargain. Now
and then there is z flicker Of vitality n the
countess in her husband or IN her lover;
and then we get one OF those glimpses Of
italian manners Of which III. Crawford used
to be so lavish. But IN the main our attention
must be given to a study, il very watery colors.
OF three individuals OF no consequence what
ever.
The heroine Of "The Battle Of the Weak" an
English woman OF z century ago, living IN
quiet village on the coast Is situated very much
ss Mr CraWfOrds countess is situated. She
has married a grave. honorable and rather dull
person. while she has loved a man of more ro-
mantle temperament. She mourns and yearns.
gives herself up 10 dreams Of her hero, and then
endeaEors with sublime resolution, TO put him
ont Of her mind and do her duty by her hus-
hand No doubt this sort Of thing can be very
wearing 10 the sensibilities Of a misplaced young
matrop. Il you have made g hash of your life
IL must be exasperating TO have your idol for
ever haunting you, and causing you TO notice
ell the unattractive traits Of your lawful part
ner But there is only one way in which to
make the suferings OF a woman so circunn-
stanced really Of moment TO the reader Of fic-
ton. She must be made q vivid, living Great
ure, some one with whom may suffer or be
glad. The trouble with Mrs. Dudeney's heroine.
as with Nr. Crawfords. is that she strikes US
es nothing more nor less than an unnatural little
bundle OF norbidity. q poor, feckless thing. in
whose passion we could not persuade ourselves
10 believe for even the fraction Of a second. The
nero IN this book is almost as unattractive as
me heroine, He is represented as having ex-
traordinarily magnetic qualities, but he never
rings true. We regret this the more inasmuch
as the idylic scene in which the tale is laid has
charming possibilities. Of which Mrs. Dudeney
might have made a good deal, If only she had
Started with T71v,7ay,
Seeing France With Uncle John" does not
Share in even the faintest degree. the preten-
tons Of the TWO foregoing novels TO be taken
Seriously. Il is frankly, a Bit of nonsense. But
II is such nonsense as We are glad to welcome,
tor II is fresh shrewd and genuinely amusing
The girl who writes home TO her mother re-
Ating her adventures abroad with her kind
hearted, irascible absurd old uncle is the gayest
q chatterers. She says all manner Of funny
uhlIgE and while many of these are far funnier
than she means them TO be, the note Of girlish
ignorance is never strained In fact the fun
OF these pages is mixed with much clever If
not particularly deep insight into the foibles Of
humankind In her portrait Of Uncle John the
author gives not unjust idea Of certain type
q american, and her girls. too are very like
NE real thing. That reader would be q dull
COG who failed 70 enjoy many a hearty laugh
over this sprightly skit, the drollery of which,
We may add, is considerably enhanced by the
Illustrators lively drawings
II his latest novel MI William J. Locke has
achieved not only delightful piece Of writing
0ut z story Ct romantic interest as well It re-
CURES not only Imagination but authority to
construct such character as Berzelius Nibbi-
eaFa Paragot-to that one of his many
names which seems most appropriately to fit
I'ia-"the beloved vagabond" Of the tale-and to
INC place for him IN this matter-of-fact age.
ExtraVagant and absurd as Paragot IS IN his