New-York tribune., 1841-10-02
r H E Il R | B U N E .
saturday MORNING, OCTOBER ., 1911.


Pass o, SHARON l3l2, Edited by Mis-, s C. Eoc. Ar
loo roy Bottom n. Toppkins New.lork: 2. Price
100 Falion-st
The Annual mania is nearly extinct. Ten
roar. ago in this country, and somewhat earlier in
r,glond. il was at its hight; and sad were the
miles and extrayagoncies to which it gave rise The
.,orIing old writer's were for time nearly deserted
BY the Using generation and the Rosa Matilda,
whom cur deectabe neutrality-suspicious. were then
and are still emitting in such sorry profusion-ls-
,resinely accomplished in every thing house
wifery useful knowledge and common scnse-weIe
.irewdly suspicious tina, 10 read a boo, unenbel-
E,hed with steel cngravinss and uagarnished with
gold and morocco was shockingly vulgar, and
heir contre-fables proclaimed that no such de-
partne from gentidty was ever committed by
hem. 4 glance AT one Of these delightful exhibl-
ions OF taste, generosity and art, could not fail to
,rom-t the idea that Literature had emerged from
Il; primitive condition. and assumed the gliiterng
,iriuess of the butterfly.
All this is now changed We have still Annu-
ii. but they are fewer and less gorgeous than for
nery. As whole their Literary contents are
;nrroved though their embossed lids still shelter
sya,t amount Of mediocrity and folly. But out
Of the generic idea has sprung class of works Of
aoexceptionable Of excellent characterize Reli-
rioas Annals Several of these are now pub
H.bed in Great Britain and the United States, and
,bcir influence in commencing the spirit of Chris
,ianity to the hearts and lives especially of the
Young can hardly be ovcrratcd.
The Rose of Sharon is the youngest of the fam
IN. II addresses itself mainly that portion of the
community who assume the somewhat vague de-
,ignaton of Liberal Christmas, in con,radstinc-
ton to that larger portion which is popularity de-
,ignaied as Orthodox. But theological differences
are not discussed in this more than in other gift
books of It's class; and many readers would be
surprised, on comparison, to see how slight is the
difference in spirit ard inculcaiion between them.
Few sentiments are here expressed which Chris
iians of any creed would consider excep,ionable.
The embellishments of the Rose are FIVE in mum
Der: A viguette Title; The Recluse; Ruth and
Poaz: The Hudson Highlands; and the Stolen
Chld-cach of considerable 5u, neither of extra
ordinary merit. The passage of the Hudson through
the Highlands is spirited, but not perfectly finished;
the light is better thar the shadow. The figure
and face Of iluth are most expressive; though the
damsel's foot aud ankle, being natural, would dis
creditihe gentility ola modern seminary foryoung
ladies'. The Stolen Child is good, and it is ra-
her odd that the ironiispiece should be the worst
engraving in the book
The articles are ,wenty-sx in number, fairly d-
yided between prose and verse, and generally OF
decided worth A goedly number of them are from
the pens of Mrs. J. II. Scott. Mr.. c. NJ SAWYER,
Mrs H. ]. B. Case and Miss Edgarton with whom,
a, contributors TO the NewYorkcr many of our
readers are acquainted We have not room TO
speak Of them particularly: but we doub; not that
many thousands The Rose of Sharon will prove
an acceptable and instructive volume.