The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-04-16 00:00:00

Ettz',catitir.

NOTICES.

Mete Svm's Peculiarities, by Uncle Sam. 2 vols.
John Mortimer, London.
We have seen most of the works published of late years
by British travellers, detailing their "impressions" during
their sojourn in the United States—including, of course,
Mrs. Troliope, and more latterly, the versatile Dickens
but we do not remember having derived so much amuse-
ment, and we may add instruction, in respect to the " pe-
culiarities" of American life, as from a perusal (though
hasty) of the two handsome volumes before us. The two
authors whom we have named are generally considered to
have dealt—from the forca of national prejudices—too
i
largely n what may be called romance of character : both
of them having mingled almost exclusively with the
re-
publican and foreign aristocracy of the country, drew their
•‘ experiences" more especially from those classes ; and
indulging in the usual latitude of flying voyageurs—if we
may judge from various favourable specimens of the
" natives," both here and their own land have furnished
pictures generally overcharged in colouring, or imperfectly
finished in detail. This is the besetting sin of most tour-
ists; and though our present author is not entirely free
from a similar charge, we think, that if offence there be,
it is of a mitigated nature—his expositions bearing that im-
press, which evidently approximates to truth. The author,
who, we may state—having learned the fact sub rosa—is
a talented, literary, and scientific townsman, in fact pleads
guilty, in his preface, of the probability of " a few carica-
tures." but adds, and we think properly, that " these
may be considered attributable to the " art of compres-
sion." " If," he continues, " three of the most comical
Kentucks' be rolled into one, a caricature will certainly
be produced ; but, at the distance taken by readers to
view a pen and ink sketch, the likeness will be the more
striking. Beyond this no exaggeration is admitted."
The " peculiarities," he further states, are by Uncle Sam,
(U. S.) as he himself developes most of them in dialogue,
The papers, he informs us, comprising the volumes.
" were written from memoranda made by a mercantile
tourist curing a twelve month's residence in the United
States." An enthusiastic republican, detesting the mere
epithet of subject, previous to his residence among citizens,
he returned to England to consider, and ultimately to
laugh at his former republican phantasies, perfectly satis-
fied that " the best of all possible republics," to use the
words of La Fayette, " is a monarchy surrounded by re-
publican institutions." He thus concludes his prefatory
remarks—" That the United States do not form the best
of republics, let Slavery and Repudiation cry aloud! And
if there should be a reader who cannot admit the fact from
the mere enunciation of these two nerds, it is humbly,
but earnestly recommended by the present author, that
he should visit America."—We have not ourselves been
in the United States, but a first glance at these papers—
which may be called a series of lively sketches, that may
be dipped into at any chapter and almost at any page—
excited in us some surprise that the author could, after so
comparatively short a residence in that country, throw
together, in so handsome a form, such a body of informa-
tion and amusement—still preserving, in the various cha-
racters he introduces, that keeping and vraisemblance in
action and in idiom, which cannot be the work of inven-
tion, but clearly of lively impressions derived from the
reality, and therefore entitled to almost implicit credence.
The marvel is, however, explained on a closer perusal;
for we find that while other recent tourists were co fined,
by circumstances or taste, to the study of exclusive and
nearly exclusively independent grades of society, our
author " conversed" (to use a Yankee phrase) with the
middle and lower orders, as well as occasionally with the
'high and wealthy. He ming ed with them at their town
and country inns and places of amusement, and in their
private domiciles; spent his long winter evenings amongst
them; partook of their localities, and humoured their foibles
—so that, though still maintaining his national integrity,
and on all possible and safe occasions " speaking out"
against the abominations of slavery, the " repudiation"
of just debts, and the eternal and empty brag of "beat-
ing the British,"—he contrived to keep himself within a
whole skin; to command from the more enlightened a
degree of grateful respect ; and, if we mistake not, to ex-
cite impressions amongst his opponents in conversation
that staggered their previous crude and erroneous con-
victions, and led not a few of them to a more correct esti-
mation of " the old country" and its inhabitants, and a
less boastful assumption of the superiority of their own
and its institutions. There are many graphic and highly
amusing descriptions of men, manners, and scenery,
throughout the .volumes; but we have not space to par-
ticularise. The traits of character are well sustained, and
some of the scenes rendered even dramatic by the intro-
duction of dialogue.' American idioms, anecdotes, and
" Jonathanisms," are copious, and many of them highly
original and ludicrous. A vein of good hipliour prevails
throughout; and, although the author appears to us to
have sometimes hit rather hard, and to have lost sight of
the fact that there are " peculiarities" in our own coun-
try as well as in that of Uncle Sam, we forbear expressly
pointing out these trifling aberrations, in consideration of
our inability within our circumscribed space, to do entire
justice to the work in the aggregate. One or two ex-
tracts will be found elsewhere, and we have a few others
in reserve.

Present State of Aural Surgery : a Lecture at the Royal
Dispensary. By John Wanison Curtis. 4th edition.
Whittaker.

This is an interesting pamphlet, and the suggestions it
contains on the subject of the public heath, are very use-
ful. He touches on the subject of p3rks and squares—
and some good hints may be gathered from perusing
them. He alludes to the Prince's P. rk here in terms of
eulogy. Altogether, though the style say, urs rather of
egotism, yet it is a service to the public ; acrd his remarks
on the deaf and dumb ought to have bees carried out
earlier in London and elsewhere, we.hope it will not be
lost sight of in our own schools for these pitiable objects
of Heaven's restricted hand.

SELECTIONS.

THE POOR SCHOLAR'S RETURN AFTER

ORDINATION.

From Carleton's Traits and Stories of the Irish Peasantry.
No sooner was his ordination completed, than the long
suppressed yearnings after his home and kindred came
upon his spirit with a power that could not be restrained.
He took leave of his friends with a beating heart, and set
out on a delightful summer morning to revisit all that had
been, notwithstanding his long absence and severe trials,
so strongly wrought into his memory and affections. Our
readers may, therefore, suppose him on his journey home,
and permit themselves to be led in imagination to the
house of his former friend, Lanigan, where we must lay
the scene for the present.
Lanigan's residence has the same comfortable and warm
appearance which always distinguishes the habitation of
the independent and virtuous man. What, however, can
the stir, and bustle, and agitation which prevail in it
mean ? The daughters run out to a little mound, or na-
tural terrace, beside the house, and look anxiously to—
wards the road ; then return, and almost immediately ap-
pear again, with the same intense anxiety to catch a
glimpse of some one whom they expect. They look
keenly ; but why is it that their disappointment appears
to be attended with such dismay ? They go into their fa-
ther's house once more, wringing their hands, and betray-
ing all the symptoms of affliction. Here is their mother,
too, coming to peer into the distance, she is rocking with
that motion peculiar to Irishwomen when suffering dis-
tress. She places her open hand upon her brows that she
may collect her sight to a particular spot ; she is blinded
by her tears ; breaks out into a low wail, and returns with
something litre the darkness of despair on her counte-
nance. Shelves into the house, passes through the kit-
chen, and enters into a bed-room ; seats herself on a chair
beside the bed, and renews her low but bitter wail of sor-
row. Her husband is lying in that state which the pea-
santry know usually precedes the agonies of death.

" For the sake of the /ivin' God," said he, on seeing
her, " is there any sign o' them ?"

" Not yet, a luiliish ; but they will Form—they must
soon, asthore, be here, an' thin your mind will be asy."
" Oh, Alley, Alley, if you could know what I suffer for
'fraid I'd die widout the priest, you'd pity me!"
" I do pity you astorc . but don't be cast down, for I
have my trust in God that he won't desert you in your
last hour. You did what you could, my heart's pride;
you bent before him night an' morning', and sure the
poor neighbour never wint from your door widout Lavin'
his blessin' behind him."
The dying man raised his hands feebly from the bed-
clothes; " Ab !" 121 exclaimed, " I thought I did a grate
dale, Alley : but now—but now—it appears nothin' to
what I ought to a' done when I could. Still, avourneen,
my life's not unpleasant when I look back at it; for I
can't remimber that I ever purposely offinded a livin' mor-
tal. All I want to satisfy me is the priest."
" No, avourneen, you did not; for it wasn't in you to
offend a child."
" Alley, you'll pardon and forgive me acushla, if ever
—if ever I did what was displasin' to you! An' call in the
childhre, till I see them about me—l want to have their.,
forgiveness, too. I know I'll have it—for they wor good
childhre, an' ever loved me."
_ _

The daughters now entered the room, exclaiming—
" Ahir dheelish, (beloved father,) Pettier is comin' by
himself, but no priest! Blessed Queen of Heaven, what
will we do! Oh! father darlin', are you to die widout
the Holy Ointment ?"...

The sick man clasped his hands, looked towards heaven,
and groaned aloud.
" Oh, it's hard, this," said he. " It's hard upon me!
Yet I wont be cast down. I'll trust in my good God ;
I'll trust in his blessed name !"
His wife on hearing that her son was returned without
the priest, sat, with he: face shrouded by her apron, weep-
ing in grief that none but they who know the dependence
which those belonging to her church place in its last rites
can comprehend. The children appeared almost dis-
tracted ; their grief had more of that stunning character
which attends unexpected calamity, than of sorrow for
one who is gradually drawn from life.
At length the messenger entered the room, and almost
choked with tears, stated that both priests were absent
that day at Conference, and would not return till late.
The hitherto moderated grief of the wife arose to a pitch
much wilder than the death of her husband could, under
ordinary circumstances occasion. To die without abso-
lution—to pass away into eternity " unanointed, un-
anealed"—without being purified from the inherent stains
of humanity—was to her a much deeper affliction than her
final separation from him. She cried in tones of the most
piercing despair, and clapped her hands, as they do who
weep over the dead. Had he died in the calm confidence
of having received the Viaticum, or Sacrament before
death, his decease would have had nothing remarkably
calamitous in it, beyond usual occurrencesof a similar na-
ture. Now the grief was intensely bitter in consequence
of his expected departure without the priest. His sons