Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-09-25
AMERICAN LITERATURE.
TALE WRITER'S.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE NATIONAL NTELLIGENcER
Since the days Of RICHARDSON, when novels
were printed sometimes in five quaros, and some
times in ten octavos, their legitimate extent has
been, in England, three duodecimo volumes. The
Germans have gone back to the more ancient mod
els. such as were furnished by BoccAcIo, and the
authors of the Costa RomdRorum; and many things
in our country have tended TO increase the tales
popularity. Partly in consequence of the demand,
perhaps our productions Of this sort have been ex-
ceedingly numerous, and without the imprimatur
of BLAcKwooD BENTLY FRASER they have
been read II has been almost astonishing, new
theess, as il has been disgusting, the servility Of
habit and opinion manifested in regard to such
works when enormously attributed to foreigners
The leading American literary magazines contain,
every month"; tales not inferior TO those in the best
foreign periodicals aud ! have known several in
stances of stories, as well of essays and poems
freceived in silence or damned with faint praise by
our newspaper critics their first appearance
here. being stolen by British publishers returned
10 us as by British authors, and then sent with ex-
trayapant audations through half OF the gazetes OF
the Unon-read as greedy by the intelligent
sneerers at American literature as if they had been
authenticated new revelations of the will Of God.
Admitting, very readily that it requires more
annI;cation-more time and ;o--to produce a
three-youme novel, il must not be supposed that
the production Of tale is very easy business. =
On the contrary, there is scarcely any thing more
difficult. or demanding the exercise of finer genius,
in the whole domain of prose composition.
The writer's to whom shall particularly refer,
are IRVING, DANA, HAWTHORNE, WILLIS, Horn
MAN. Poe, and Mrs SEBA Smith, PAULDING. Leg
GET. and Mesdames CmLD. EMBURY, and KIRK
LAND. and other Names will recur to the reader
but TO some | shall aude in different connexions,
and others may fail TO notice only because, while
possessing powers of high order, there is but little
fany thing in their works sufficiently peculiar TO
merit attention in so brief review.
WASHINGTON IRVING is a name of which the
country is very reasonably proud His rich humor,
his fine sentiment, his delicate perception OF the
beautiful his taste, apparent in almost every
thing he has written. He has given us but little oil
tender or romantic kind, indeed, and less perhaps
10 show the possession Of the inventive faculty
'The Wife. The Broken Heart, the Widow and her
Son. and The Pride of the Village, prove, however
that he could summon tears from their fountains as
easily as he has awakened smiles. speak OF him
thus briefly here, because 1t is not as writer oil
such works as are now under observation that he j:
chiefly distinguished
Next to IRyINo and perhaps before him, in poin
of time. was RICHARD II. DANA. His stories, pub
Iished originally in The Idle Man, are among the
most remarkable works Of their class in modern
literature Paul FELTON, is a history OF wild pas
sion. in which the characters are portrayed with
masters skill and there runs through II strain o
lofty and vigorous thought, and knowledge Of hu
manty. which place it in the first rank OF ethica
6ctions. Edward and Mary, and The Son, are o
most gentle, pleasing, and touching nature. IL
these. and indeed in all that this admirable anlho
has produced, we see the feelings of childhood com
bined with the wisdom Of manhood, power witt
gentleness, and simplicity with grandeur.
NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE is quite equal in ever
thing but careful finish to IRyING. His storie
have from time to time been published in the mag
azines, until there enough Of them, with wha
NAV be permitted to call romantic essays, TO 81
some half dozen stout duodecimos They are va
rious, and they all bear the marks OF their author
peculiar and happy genius.
He is most musical, most melancholy lie cor
trolls his reader as the capricious air does the harI
The handkerchief, raised toward the eye to wip
away the binding moisture there, is checked at III
lips, to suppress a laugh, Weakened by some strok
of resistess humor. The indolent reader amuse
by the play ofhis pleasant wit around slumberou
brain. is ever in danger of being startled by SON
sudden and powerful appeal to the virtue and hi
mainly in his heart
HAwTHoRNE has wandered among the gone year
lie has had chambers at the old Province Ilous
He went with the pilgrims in search of the Gree
Carbuncle With stern old Endcott, he invade
the Merry Mount He was in the famous exped
lion to Lousburg. And he knew all the secre
recoun,ed by the gossippiug matrons and venerab
maids of the colonial age in New England, whc
he has impaired in quaint and curious legends,
remarkable and as fellcitous as the best Dutch ST.
ries of Diedrch Knickerbocker He has invention