The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1839-12-07

| LlC uOSctS VI COoISA oiSos Ah''" 'eoSeS
similar to these, became universally po-
pular in England. An Englishman who
has never visited. America, has recuIia!
IDEAS of that terra incognita, all Ameri' |
can forest, and of its aboriginal inlIabi; !
tants. His Imagination invests both with
sort Of oriental interest, Of which an
American cannot we'll conceive. This
! can be readily rclorred TO that distance
which lends cnchanlment to tho view, )"
and that leads us, this side Of tho Allan
tic, to view all connected with England
through singularly false medium; an al
lusion, which, Ivy merely substituting the
telescope for the microscopic distance, it
has been proven may easily be dispclled.
Mr.. Cooper, 81 far as The English public
were concerned, had his work half done
TO his hands; and his pictures Of Indian
character and western life and adventure,
were received in Great Britain with un.
bounded enthusiasm:
In 1928, the "Red Rover" male its
appearance, and won for the author fresh
laurel, both from his countrymen and
! Europeans. His works had not only
reached Great Britain, but previous to
! dis time hal drawn the attention Of Ger
many ana France, into the Languages ot
which nations they were translated, and
received with a popularity rivalling that
, which they had met with in England and
the United States. Perhaps no novel has
been more extensively read by all classes
of society. than this last mentioned pro-
duclion. The whole Of this year, with the
exception of few weeks spent in Eng
land, was passed by Mr.. Cooperin France,
Belgium and Holland. The year 1929,
which he also spest on the continent, was
marked in his literary history by the pub
lcaticn of two works-"The Notes Of a
Travelling Bachelor" and the "Wept of
the Wish-Tun-Wish." Neither Of these
productions materially increased his po.
puIari!y as a writer. The first was mt a
fiction. Mr.. Cooper had been SD long
lrea!i his friends to an annual hamper
of champaign, that they would not put
ups;ith healthy c.der, though bearing the
same brand. lie had created ana fosicred
a taste for fictitious compositions, and he
could not complain. The young ladies'
poutch their pretty lips from vcSa'ion, and
woulG! not rea;l il from sheer spite. The
young gentlemen took it up cava!icr!y,
and determined to read and abuse i, OFT Of
revenge. The "Travel!ing Bachelor"
was read nevertheless, with appreciation
bv largc class of readers. whom his no.
vrls bad reached. 1t rro"cd to be work
displaying the finest powers Of the move
list, and although Of different character
from lis former productions. well worthy
to rank among them, and advance undis-
putcd ciaims to 4 high place in the branch
Of literature t, which il belongs. ''Thc
N'erl of tie Wish.Ton-N ish,' an Iliinn
.alt, or novel, published soon afterwards
in the same year, was far lrnm n5tuiring
the popularity OF is predecessors. IN
1880, Mr.. Cuuper H;n;'tc'i sending forth
his annual fiction. ';!il5 ;rar. also, he
passed on t'.c cnu:i"c:.. ,'Hring which
perioG, we believe. he was acting as our
consul a, Lyons. IN l.':l, hc published
tie "Watcr Wilch," nautical novel -;
II redeemed The dnubtI"l success OF "'lhc
Wcpt Of the Ni>'i-Tor-Wisi'," which, 10
pursue figure before adopted, cast a
brief shadow. as ii from passinc conl.
upon tic bright waters over which his
bark r,il Hitherto been prnspero"* Y ca.
rccriar. The apparent resemblance
which, in treating simiiar themes could
! not be- avoided. without too manifest arli-
fec, bclwecn this work and the Red
Rover" caused some severe and not al
WAYS us! criticisms from tie press, on lis
first p;rarancc: but It's did not affect lis
ropu!ar;ry, which eventually equally, if
it did not sHrra$s, that acquired 10y the
prudurtion with which it was compared.
The Water Witch was no! Only dramatis-
cd and successfully pcrfurmed on the Amc-
rican boards, but, also. many of the pre-.
vous novels by the same author, received
this testimony Of popularity.
In lS32, Mr.. Coaper was still residing
in Europe, where he had been since 1928,
touring through England, Belgium, Ger
many, France and Italy. As the fruit,
no doubt, OF sometime sojourn in We
nice, he gave TO the world this year, his
Twelfth book and eleventh novel. "The
Bravo of Venice" This was the first