New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-09-27
NETWORK IN SLICES.
Slice XVI ..THEL LITERARY SoIRIEs'


Hush Open the door softly, after you have
snoohed your hair with pocket comb which you par'
chased yesterday at pair" of the little girl in
Park Row and adjusted your crayat by the little mirror
which Leary has ingeniously inserted in your hat
crown step in gngerly and make your respects noise
lessly 70 the smiling hostess lest you interrupt what
ia going on in the front parlor where dozen dsIin
euished looking men and twice as many women, whom
the veriest greenhorn would set down as lead
ers of the Bas Beu are gathered in somewhat pic
tl-esoue group listening tall, deaconly man VINO
stands between two candles held by couple OF sticks
summoned from the recesses Of the back paror read
ing basket full Of gtedged notes II Is the Saturday
niyht after the l4th February, and this is the annual
Valentine Party 10 which all the male and female au
thors have contributed for the purpose OF saying on
naner charming things Of each other and at which tor
few hours all are grsted with the full need OF that
pr.se which a cold world Is so chary OF oestowinS
upon its literary cobweb spinners The gentleman 10
whom has been delegated the task OF reading these
delicate illusions is stawart middlesged' pur-
tancslookng parsonage, who reads with clear voice
and pur. intonation, but with sort oil nnexlo!e so
Ndty beneath which the hlagree verses seem 10 oend
and writhe a. It the point OF swapping INTO annnla
ton He has been selected on account OF his classical
accent and the refreshing dsnctness Of his articus
ton All that is wanting is that the thought squadrons
of Milton bnstling with the chain agmor OF genius and
lnspiration should be issuing from out the massive
Mortal of bis lip. instead OF this light holiday process
zion of dapper fances OF which ne almost seems 10 De
ashamed This worthy Knight OF -. Valentine Is
JouS IsuAS, the get,er-up Of nnumerabe things Tor
tho Annuals and Magazines and the leading Editor OF
the Comu,reiai Adr0tiser the btterest and most re-
len,less of the extsnt organs Of Conservatism. Mr.
rpan ia man OF great Intellectual strength but il i
muscular rather than nervous ponderous rather than
anprehensive lie looks steadily but ia one direction
xbie the whole world sails by and disappears behind
him He l. the osrsmsn who never sees aught but
VIVA, he has passed over. The future 1--WE don't mesn
in another world il blank TO him. He goes little into
society and spends mos Of his time at home Or al the
Office engaged arduousy in the duties OF his profession
He has betrayed in his writings little OF that electric
force Of genius which besmed from the canvas OF his
painterbrother Henrybut if he IL never great ne Is
always respectable and never deseends to mere
puerili,y.
Stalking abou, with an immense quarto volume I'M
der bis arm III is early copy Of his forthcoming
Female Poets Of America, Is thin, nervous man.
his gray eyes looking shyly about Ike girls and MS
mouth twitchng every now and them win the concep
ton Of new biography He carries MS head ponder
iuglv upon ms thON4urI Is II eH'AC WIZ 49, -
in t-and 90 there is for mis- room in the University
craumed full of books and he has managed somehow
70 absorb the contents OF most of them into his own
brain. In literary topography ne IS perpatetc ga
zer,eer He knows when every book or other intel
lectusl bsntlins in America was born, who was iis
father Tor rnother) how old il when il died. how
many teeth il had and OF what money or other effects
i, died possessed He is as familiar with the pedigree
of every tyro and buestocking fros1 the Eredoniad
down as Virginia turfman with that Of his stable
hi. memory 10 miscellaneous storehouse OF ceebri-
ties of whom nobody mas heard, and Of great po
ete.ses who didn't know howto make dumpings. he 10
the most unselfsh Of mortas and has dwelt 80 much
amid the exceences and Projections Of others that ne
scarcely retains cognizanee Of his own Identity Yet
i. he bv nature the equal and the superior OF many
vhon hi, protection has warmed into vitality lie Is
poe of no mean powers critic OF me taste and spss
nrec.tion although great deal too goodnstured and
ogicizn Of very respectable calibre Beside these,
he i. something Of an orator and good deal OF a
rbetorican and have heard Of people being prohts
blv exercised under the influence Of his stated
preaching"
II his books are neither perfect strictly impartial
We, they are incomparably the best Of the kind that
have been produced and Il ia entirely through them
that host of American writers known in Europe
who would otherwise have been unheard Of What |
ever may be though. Of the critical justice Of Dr. Cars
wcLD we deny that hs lsbors have been Of IN
c.lsuaos benefit 70 sas Literature aai Literary lea