Recent Fiction, Part III [pp. 327-333]

~32 kecent Fi&tion LSe~t
felt. The Afonk's [Nedding is at the other ex- late little properties, and respect themselves
treme in manner, eminently of the romantic very sincerely. They come in contact with
school. It is a German imitation of the me- no nobility; the Danish merchants at Reydi~~val Italian love-story, Boccaccio probably kjavik are at the top of their social scal~,
being its model. With considerable audac- and these merchants are by no means outside
ity, it is put into the mouth of Dante. To us, the matrimonial possibilities of a handsome
the imitation seems a little~ciumsy,the passion peasant girl. Indeed, the simplification of
impalpably artificial, and the impression left social life seems to be about as complete in
behind not pleasant. It might be said that Iceland~as can be imagined: merchant and
tragedy is not designed to leave a pleas- peasant, mistress and maid, go to picnics
ant impression; but the sadness it leaves together in as complete amity and equality
in the reader's mind should be of a noble as in an old-fashioned New England village.
- even, to some extent, an inspiring - sort. The lovestory of Indride and Sigrid is pleasThe weakling, tossed about by passion, and ant and natural; but the clear picture of
bringing catastrophe to himself and others, this fresh life with its pastoral simplicity
scarcely rises to the tragic height. The is that in' the book which interests us
monk in this case is granted by the pope a most.
dispensation to marry in order to prevent The latest numbers of Roberts Brothers'
the extinction of a powerful fttmily; he con- edition of Balzac are The Tz~'o Brothers2 and
sents against his own desire (for he is a monk The Aikahest.3 The Tz~io Brothers is one of
by vocation and choice) as a matter of filial the "Scenes from Provincial Life." It is
piety. But having once freed himself from not entirely a story of the'provincial city of
his vows, allowed himself to think of love, Issoudun, however, for the scene of its ache becomes the veriest captive of an over- tion is partly Paris, and the two brothers
whelming passion, regardless of honor or are Parisians born and bred, though their
duty, and reckless of consequence. Whether mother is a provincial. Each novel that is
altogether well carried out`or not, this mod- added to this series from Balzac unfolds to
ern venture into the region of the romantic the reader a little more the marvelous range
tale is interesting. of the artist's vision, the universality and
Sigrid1 likewise is an old-fashioned love- fidelity of his insight. Saint and sinner alike
story; but a perfectly spontaneous and simple are comprehensible to him; love such as has
one. It comes from Iceland; and the trans- given human hearts the material for their
lator assures us in a brief introduction that saintliest dreams of the relationships of
it is only a sample of an abundant liter- Heaven, no less than love "in his coarsest
ary product, which has continued to flow satyr shape." Maternal love is the theme of
forth in that wonderful island uninterruptedly The Tzoo Brothers - but it is, as presented
since its earliest appearance in the sagas. here, less noble than the typical maternal
The Icelanders seem to be indeed a race of love, because the mother is herself a wea~k,
poets and story-tellers: in Sigrid a favorite dull woman. Strong and unselfish as is her
game among the peasant children is to sit and maternal passion, sweet and upright and
tell each other folk-tales and compete in loyal as is her character, Agathe is not an
rhyming by a sort of "capping verses" sys- impressive enough figure to suffice for the
tem. The peasants who figure here are no story, and it is largely occupied with the
serfs or mere laborers, but independent drama of Philippe's contest with an intersmall farmers, who work hard, accumu- Rob%hrOts Brothers. B~~~OOOr~ idif Boston:
1Sigrid. An Icelandic Love Story. By Jon Thordssb'n Saninel carson and compnny.
Thoroddsen. Translated from the Danish by c. Chrest. The Alkahest: or The House of Cla~s. By Honor~ de
Edited by Thomas Tupper, Junior. New York: Thomas Baizac. Boston: Roberts Brothers. 1887. For sale in
Y. Crowell & Co. Sau Francisco by Samuel Carson and company.