New-York tribune., 1906-12-23

Helen H; Watson. I2mo. pp. viii. s5S The Mac,
milan Company.
THE NEWELL FORTUNE BY Mansfield Brooks
l2rno. pp. VIZ, sO4 John Lane Company
THE TLLUSTRIOUS O'HAGAN Nv J,,s.fn HINT
Y ~ Mccarthy. Emo. pp viiL $50. Harper s.
son. With rrontispiece IN coIorE by walter II
Everett Emo pp. s7A ;. B Lippincott Com
Trafalgar is the centre around which-al-
though at a considerable distance SO that one
hears only the echo OF the battle-swtng the In
eloents OF MIS- Watson's novel The scene is
IAla In the town OF Plymouth Dock, though here,
1o0' Se catch only whi1s OF the salt breezes, OF
NE larry ropes OF the oIdti1ne men-of-war and
q me Teek OF Waterside tavernA II is to the
poAte society Of the place that the author intro
onoes us, its ''genteer' shopkeepers. its rising
'ourIlIists Its un7ecognized artists and a naval
oI"eeF OF TWO The study Of the period. which
AliS- watson has made 10 give vitality TO her
loe'I COLOR has apparently involved 8 reading
OF coAlernpoTaneous fiction, for her style reflects
IN curious fashion that OF the lighter liter
azure OF that day Except for the occasional
references 10 what happened TO various charae-
Re's IN Their later years at times rorestalling
ne unfolding of the plot the book might mass
as having been written at the time II is m
NE whole. placid and engaging tale. rufHed
tflaf somehow fan 70 arouse q co-resnons,np
thrlu IN the reader. The story Is told as II u
"ere-as Indeed IL may be-founded upon facts
The plecing together OF the fragments OF q for
gotten romance Involving when IL carries us To
London exalted personages The rlo. 90 ro
sInpie-the hero's rescue OF the heroine rryrn the
consequences Of al nl considered na-Iare and
her restoration 70 . long lost noble nathe--+hs.
ulene Is plenty OF opportunity for digression and
IA a~rH
Uralness and simplicity in the leading characters
co1lpei our sympathy and lead rs on 70 follow
the incident TO its end ArutahTl,tv vs-,-.-,. a..
narrat1Ve-eVen the Villain has his -aaAe-,,,.
polhts-though for HIS sins the author weds him
70 me one olsasreeahle woman In tie volume
BY an odd coincidence the manner ~ M, -.
matter OF Mr.. Brooks's story IS moulded on v,n.r
che same form as Ms. watson's The ne-,o5
S the same. and so Is the impression NJ con+a,,-
poraneousness save for the same trick OF aIlud
tng, as though actual personases ve-e co,oa-,as
10 events IN the after lives OF certain OF IN.
Characters Indeed. n both novels the authors
make Tree use Of real people OF greater OF less
historical moment The Newell Fortuna
though opening In quiet Massachusetts, town
also transfers the scene Of action TO London but
there carries Us into a very different srrnos-
phe1e- The slave trade gives the author his
motive The hero has inherited from his father
fortune made IN West Coast trade. which his
finer instincts impei him 70 repudiate- To escape
Tom the Unco1genial influence Of his guardian
his fathers brother and partner-the young man
goes secretly TO London where, forgetful OF his
sweetheart and hts high ideals he falls upon
evil courses Brought 70 his senses by the con-
sequences OF his extravaganza, he goes TO Sierra
Leone 10 aid IN The Suppression OF the traffic IN
human flesh on which the Newell fortune was
built The extrav2g2nce OF the hero finds 4 par
Gllel in that OF the author. though IN a different
sense BIS story Is as artificial as Mrs Wat
sons Is natural, and his characters are exas-
gerated n both their natures and actions In
= adopting the style oS the fiction az the early
nineteenth century Nr. Brooks has been unhappy
q choice of his models
In his frolcSSne romance OF the seventeenth
century Mr. Mccarthy makes excellent use Of
the ancient device OF confounding OF PERSONAL
ties 70 afford the complications upon which the
novel depends for its interest and 70 bring about
the climax The ulUstrous o'Hagan, an Irish
soldier OF fortune. has twin brother. OF like
appearance and occupation: and between them
the duality being unknown il The little German
principally where the scene is laid-they are
able TO confuse the other actors 81 the comedy
by the apparently birdIIks capacity OF the Illus
trious O'Hagan 70 be n two places at the same
time OF widely diverse natures, despite their