New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-16
Literary NesOS and Criticism,

r We are 10 Judge from current fiction
this sort o. thing occurs so frequently
IN Central Park that the authorities
would be justified IN excluding all riders.
As IL IS. Wa wonder how the nursemaids
and the squirrels manage 20 keep out OF
the Way &C tho clouds Of Wild horses be-
secchinE daEseis and imperturbable,
uncsnniiy resourceful swans. But per
haps this particular runaway episode is
only part Of Mr. Chamoers's fun. a
strain Of Joking satire flung In TO make
The Green Mouse" the moro amusing.
1t is all delightfully."- droll. and. into the
bargain. very pretty in its sentiment.
The idea OF a machine small enough TO
be carried f. the waistcoat pocket and
pctefit enough 10 discover for its owner
the one woman In the world he is meant
10 marry is good in itself, and the author
plays with It ingeniously. letting himself
60 in a perfect burst Of high spirits. His
characters are all ingratiating. includ-
ing Clarence, the cat. Mr.. Frederick's
vivacious illustrations provide Just the
right accompaniment for q charming
series Of sbsurditics.
Mr.. JanVier. who has written num-
her Of entertaining books, has never been
more fortunate than in the case or his
Legends Of the City Of Mexico" In
deed. since the exquisite Fray Antonio
of the Gardens" ne has done nothing
quite so beguiling as these brief tales Of
romance and mystery. He says that
they arc Of his finding. not Of his maxi
ing. but 10 take them for what he calls
them. genuine folk stories. need not les
sen our appreciation Of the art with
which he has handled his picturesque
themes. From the native lips TO which
he refers with gratitude these stories
could not have fallen more effectively
than they fall from his own skilful pen,
skilful and very subtly sympathetic.
The Imagination is touched by any one
OF his motives even badly stated-by
the story Of the tall nun, obedient not
only I'm life but in death. so that she ac-
conmodated her body 10 an understood
coffin: BY the story Of the Mulata OF
Cordova. who sailed out Of prison in her
who was shod. TO her death, like a mule.
But under Mr.. Janvier's touch these
grim fancies are made doubly awesome;
they are envelCped in the right atmos-
phere and they give the reader chillier
thrill. There is humor, too. in this book,
the ghastliness Of which never becomes
too horrible TO be borne. The full page
~
ton Clark go most appropriately With
the authors weird and absorbing text.
The best compliment we can pay 10 Mr..
Janvier is 20 say that We wish his book
we're three times as thick as it is.
The authors Of The Achievements Of
Luther Trsnt' have almost but not quite
succeeded in making a first rate contri-
button TO the fiction OF crime and SITS de-
lection. Their Sherlock Holmes is 4
Young scientist who develops in the psy-
Geological laboratory a method OF de-
tccting criminal that is seemingly
miraculous In the settlement Of each
case that is devised for him he makes
elaborate explanations. from which We
are 10 infer that this method "a. after
all. simplicity itself; but. unfortunately.
his secrets are disclosed after he has
solved his problem and by that time the
readers interest has been exhausted
! His curiosity should be fed as the mar
rative goes along and completely salts
1 fed when given incident is closed. To
enter into long explanations then IS "a
I spell anti-climaX. We regret the mora
/ that these tales are defective i'm form
/ because in every one Of them the authors
/ deal Nith an aliurinS problem.