Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-02-18

The publisher, in this case, however,
does not pre,end 10 an unnatural degree
of dlsInteresledness, but lays his claim
Tor remuneration on the liberaliIy OF the
public in extending the subscription list,
and making prompt payments. The
I'll ST number of the nezu SERIES" says,
g II Is estimated that these 90 pages con-
tain The matter OF $50 ordinary pages )"
and we think it, probably, neI over rated.
The quality OF the matter is Of still
more consequence than the quantity !:
and in this respect-perhaps we may not
be very competent Judges, but--we real
'ly think the improvement is as great as
in the other. To say the truth, we have
not always been particularly pleased
but yet, on the whole, have considered
the public alton as entitled TO support, II
for no other reason, because it was We
hicle 10y which large amount OF intor-
mation could be conveyed cheaper, and
consequently further, than any other oil
which we had knowledge.
The present form ofthc Museum ena-
bles the editor to take a wider range,
and, by his means, To increase the lnte-
rest lie need not now exclude an arti-
Gle merely for its length, when, in Other
respects, it may be deemed valuable /;
and supply It's place by one Of inferior
merit, because it is recommended by bre
pity. We acccun; IN tbs way for The
I'M, q a b,Cb
judgment, has taken place IN the selec.
ton OF articles for The Museum and by
which welhink it placed among the most
desirable periodical publications of the
day, 1t communicate mass OF litera-
ry knowledge Cleaned from the best pc
riodlcal works oil Europe; which, to a
great portion Of our readers as well as
ourselves would be entirely inaccessible
without il; at a cost bearing but small
proportion 10 its real value. There are
some articles in the January number,
(hrst of the New Series, which we would
be glad to transplant INTO our columns,
did not their length prevent. Perhaps
we may hereafter give extracts, il no
more.
NATIONAL TALES are published in the
city OF New York, as our readers have
seen by the Advertisement in our paper /;
aud are intended to be continued perlodi-
ically. Ia order TO call forth naive Ia
lent, " The ediil: continues 10 give fifty
copies of either Of the volumes, for eve
ny approved original ale, and half that
number Of copies for every approved
trsnslaliop." In the second volume (lhe
only one we have SEEM there are three
original tales, and one translation, b,
An orleans, besides four stories, selected,
We presume, from English works.
We are not sure that The title OF this
work is not too ambitious. A "nation-
al" work should not only bear the strong
impress Of native genius. but convey a
vivid representation of national manners.
Where we see the stars and stripes" a,
the masthead, we are disappointed on
finding but three eighths OF the officers
and crew Americans and the residue
aliens not fairly na,uraliZed. n short,
we should have been better pleased il
like" Occasional Tales"-or even" Ma.
tional and other tales"
There are, in reality, but two Of the
tales in this collection properly Amerl-
can: the one remaining original story
may belong to any other people as we'll,
perhaps better. W. allude to the " For
tune Teller" which, though written with
considerable elegance, and maintaining
an intense interest," in the reader until he
comes to the explanation (Which, per
haps, had better been spared, or abrldg
ed j nevertheless presents DOT singh
distinctive Characteristic of Americau
manners We would not be fastidi,'. 5
However; and must say, that there are
many striking characters and interesting
scenes IN this tale; The deiincsiion OF
which evinces hand of some energy.
The taste is more equivocal but this
may easily be corrected, and we hope to
see the author, whoever he may be, in
future numbers.
HoosAo MOUNTAIN and The FALLS
OF ST. ANTHONY are certainly Amcri-
can tales. The former is picture which
must be recognized by every one &C.
quain'ed with the people of that part o!
the country in which the scene is laid.
The author has not found il necessary
to fill the mouths of his characters with
parcel of vulgar slang by way OF max
ing them talk like Yankees" but has
conten,ed himself with giving Them Ian
guage SO far idiom atlcal as as necessary
TO render the picture true one. There
is perfect individuality, too, in the dif
ferent persons brought forward, and the