The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-05-02


A notice of this work in the Louisville
Journal. in the form of general condrmna-
ton, reminds us Of few remarks we had
intended making on The Mistake of & Life
Time, or the Robher Of the Rhine Valley !"
by Waldo Howard, Esq. There has never
probably been an American Romance herald
ed forth TO the llterati and general novel
readers of the country, with such humhug-
gerry of newspaper puffs. advertisements, and
brought up anticlpaIions OF great coming
events in the way of miracles OF magma
ton. as this work. We have seen these no.
tees in many of our exchanges. and confess
TO having had our curiosity sufficiently work
ed upon by them, TO look for the forthcoming
novel with the greatest interest. II was even
asserted, that Eastern book publishers had
entered into competition for the splendid prize,
and that the lucky author had received the
sum oil three thousand dollars for the manu-
script, with an interest in the profits of The
sales of the work. With these announce
ment the public was of course deeply inte-
rested in "The Mistake of IL Life Time''-
and we can truly say, after perusing the first
rumber of the tale, that 1.-THE mistake of Il
life time" NTH the dHth0r, was in wiring
his work, or at least in publishing it. with
the numerous editorial vouchers Of its vari.
ed excclIencts which thus far have not been
realized in the commencement of the ic-
ton.
1t is true, that we cannot always Judge OF
the standard worth OF a book By its introduce
tory pages-we cannot determine the ulti-
mate glories of ii dav by the SUI shine or
clouds Of the mornIng-but in the first Case.
we can form our opinion of the merits or
abilities of an author from the commence
mrnt of one Of his master pieces. its in the
AFTER we can form our ideas of what Is to
come. from what has past and is present.
We received the first number of tins work
with the gladness of curiosity in n fair way
Of being graiiied-we read 1t with avidity-
we laid it down after perusal. with the rcf1cc-
ten that llulable curiosity had been wo-
fully disappointed, ana that the author had
not made d greater mistake of ii life time, u
than we had IN opening the book. Without
attempting TO enter into critique of Il work
which mar of the meanest abilities might
criticise with mpuIiiy, we pronounce it. uIl-
der the circumstances of its introduction. a
perfect humbug. Such Il production might
well be heralded forth by some country
newspaper. like our own, It's wonderful eff
fort OF genius delightful harbinge- of a
growing literary taste among the people,
which BY proper appreciation Should usher
in many new subscribers; but 10 be announced
weeks before Its appearance. in the best pit
perS OF the cOuairy-lo be kIu.ied up TO the
skies before it had ever touched earth in
types and pages and volumrs--to be placed
at the head of all American romlnces by ed
itoritl notices-by tie humhuggery of euIo
gies 10 lessen all American authors by so dis
gustiul Il comparison as the placing of this
work above theirs would be- is too ridicu-
lous for serious comment.
We have Western authors here-young
men who have never seen the ocean, nor wall
dered very far o'er the shore-yet who, we
are sure. could write much better works thar
this : story of the mysteries OF the shore, ant
the vicissltudes Of the sea.