New-York tribune., 1906-08-04

,rr AwAKENINei OF HELENA RICHIE. BY
5~S Clark limo. ID. s56 Harper & Bros.
- Law. .RREAKBRs AND OTHER STORIES
a Robert Grant limo. pp. 90. Charles Serb
-srs Sons.
- G. P Putnams Sons.
nTscREPANT WORLD. Being an Essay in
Foion By tse ISe,o ou[nor no Ss hT9ggh spectacles
g &c 5sf'ins- -1'"0' - - Aons"aha' Green
enr SHOW STUDIES. BY Francis Metcal6e.
9 Illustrated with many amusing drawings by OH
Ter Herford- Emo. PIP 80 The Outing Publish
s1a COMPANY
FEW NEIGHBoRs. BY Henry A shute 12nno.
n "a Doubleday. Page d Co
when George Gissing died in December. 1908.
:. les, more than one book TO be added to the
,-.ssy long list Of his works The following
ear saw the publication of his curious and
....resting romance of antiquity, 'sVeranilda";
= 1905 viii warburton" was brought out-a
R,sk in which he returned TO his realistic man
,sr without abandoning his later inspiration
80 now we have in The House Of Cobwebs" a
,,uection OF his short stories. fifteen in number
~ seccoulbe. who writes the introduction
,,kes this collection perhaps a little too seri-
suslr but these are souvenirs Of an author who
vhatever his limitations. could always manage
70 be interesting There are obviously auto
biographical touches in the volume. Gissing's
harasaips il London as young writer str1g-
elng against strangely relentless adversely left
"a indelible impression upon his whole nature
He could not forget them. The memory of them
,rsDt again and again into his work. and in these
short stories Iheir influence makes itself felt al
nsost too frequently. so that the book has a
sonewhat bitter SAVIOR. At the same time it is
rain that Gissing learned to smile at intervals
over his long struggle when once brighter days
sarned. He learned to look upon it with
kiuder eye. and If not precisely with humor at
al events with a sort OF good nature The
House of Cobwebs." the tale that gives this
book irs tide. is a little squalid. vet there is
something Of charm in its atmosphere and we
ard the same vague. heeting but unuistakable
appeal IN several Of the other compositions,
notably ~Christopherson,' The Scrupulous
Father a Poor Gentleman" and THE Pig and
Whistle" The last mentioned story is about as
quantity engaging thing as Gissing ever wrote
Il was rot especially important that the book
should have been published. II viii not be
cherished among the three or four books which
remain u the exacting sitter Of his work. There
is absolutely nothing here. for example. of that
delicate quality which makes The Private
Papers Of Henry Ryecroft" or by the Ionian
Sea" positively precious. We regret. too to
see from certain OF these pages how morbidIy
Gissing dwelt upon the inequalities Of the social
system. But there is nothing IN the collection
that is scamped. there is nothing which he
would have objected to publishing and It has
brought Us into contact once more with an in
tsresting personality in English fiction.
The Awakening OF Helena Richie" leaves a
Tather mixed impression It's heroine is a
woman who has infringed the moral Law, and
has come 20 live IN Mrs. Deland's familiar Old
Chester for the sake OF the quietude. the safety
from pryfng eyes and spiteful tongues which she
SEEMS certain TO hnd IN that pleasant village
From the start the author sets keen edge upon
ezpectation; she may not make feel that all
manner OF dramatic things ara going 20 happen,
but she certainly inspires the belief that we
shall sooner or later be obliged 10 take keen
interest n Mrs. Riches character and affairs
As q matter Of fact, neither the one nor the
other ever excites much sympathy. and the
reader is thrown hack. for his satisfaction, upon
the oddities o5 the boy David and the humOrs
of The various Old Chester types introduced
One enjoys the book. but not half so much as
one expects 10 enjoy II after reading the first
tvo or three chapters. Its sentimental conclu-
sion is It's least attractive point, and are not
impressed al all by the italicized lines with
which. al the end Of more than one chapter. the
author carefully dots her rs.
Judge Grants short stories are thoughtful
Er1e studies Of such questions as often present
themselves 70 the modern American. In THE
LzE Breakers q superior young AIugwunp has
fhe true significance Of his BIugwumpery ex-
posed. against His Judgment illustrates the
triumph Of character over theory. In st George
and the Dragon the author reads a lesson TO
al unregenerate press. We wonder. as we pro-
oeed II the author is never going TO strike a
Aghter note. and just then he does so in The
Romance Of a Soul" which IS a pretty bit OF
pf--ov hoo linz q,
TIE next tale. An Exchange Of Courtesies. -
which shows good breeding and vuIgarity first
n mid conflict and then at peace. good breeding
having its triumph II is a book OF no
great weight. but creditable, and welcome enough
az this season Of the year.
The strife between Professionalism and Ca
fholicsm' II the Church OF England, as exem-
piled f the undignifed Interruptions OF high
eaurch' services by an English bookseller not
long ago. is taken by Guy Thorne as the subject
q his latest novel. The author takes the high
church" Eioe OF the controversy. and his book is
nothing e not partisan; IN fact IL is little else
Il Is purely superficial in its treatment, and It is
hafe 10 say that even those who most heartily
agree with the writer win fan TO ind it in the
irast convincing. The booksellers conduct was
regarded reprehensible by right thinking peo-
pc, and Mr.. Thorne says so. High church
asfgymeD usually hard working. earnest
ana devoted. and Mr.. Thorne says so; but there
nothing that he says that is likely 70 convert
ny one 10 ritEalism who does not believe IN It
--'eaoy, however fully he may recognize the
s'oa work done by r1tualists and however he
nay repreherd the means taken 90 abats them
The author Of that odd book OF short stories
s11'ssd Through spectacles OF Feeling has
''s'en what he terms essay in felton, The
--0'a-Sor slch il is, IN FORMS called -Dis-