The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-11

WOMAN IN AMERICA. Ry Maria j. Mcintosh New York ::
D. Appleton Il Co. For sale by r. Farnham, Pennsyl
vania avenue, Washington.
As "a novelist, this writer is favorite Of ours:
we admire her purity, grace, pathos, and phiioso-
ply. In this neat little volume she appears as
an Essayist, with WOMAN for her theme
Woman in America-hev work and her rem0rd"
We find in it many just and striking observa-
tions on the social life Of the various sections Of
this country, and on the character, position, and
duties of American Women; and they are all
pervaded by tone of unaffected piety.
The SCARLET LETTER. A Romance. BY Nathaniel Hsw
thorne Boston: Ticknor, Reed, Il Fields. For sale
by Taylor Maury, Pennsylvania avenue, Washington
The introductory chapter to this work, con-
tanning a description Of the Custom House, its
life and inmates, reminds one Of the happiest and
quaintest portraitures of Charles Lamb. The
Romance itself is complete in design and execu-
ton Simple in its action, with few incidents,
and few characters, it is yet rich in thought, in
feeling, and in philosophy. The story is one of
crime and its punishment dating back century
ago, the scene being laid in the colony Of Massa-
chusetts. The characters, in the exhibition Of
which the author displays extraordinary psyche
logical skill are Hester Prynne, woman, young,
beautiful, proud, daring, full of passion of mex
haustible energy Of character, branded with a
crime that banishes her from the sympathies OF
society, amidst which she lives and moves, all
alone, with the symbol of her shame blazoned
upon her "a minister, Of brilliant endowments
Cod b.,t. IT,.
the gnawng pangs Of deadly remorse for a sin,
he would not repeat, but dares not confess and
aseudent, advanced in years, once amable, devoted
to the pursuit of knowledge bat transformed into
hend by cherishing and feeding terrible appe.
tite for revenge, which in the end works the
death Of the minister through the influence Of
spiritual torture, utterly ruins himself and blasts
the earthly hopes Of the unfortunate woman In
the subtle thrilling analysis of these characters
and Of the workings of the passions and senti.
ments by which they were controlled, consists
the extraordinary power of this singular romance
iHs hisroRY or ESoLASD. By David Hume New
York; Harper Brothers. For sale by Pranck TAYLOR
pennsylvania avenue, Washington.
The Harpers have just issued an edition Of
humes History in very convenient form. and
III Sucn style as to put II within the reach of
al classes. We have received already three vol.
umes bringing down the history to 1888 Il vii,
be recolected that the work closes with the ahd;.
cation OF James the Second in 1888. This new
edition contains the authors last corrections and
improvements, and also a short account Of NJ.
ne written by himself.
with all his skepticism and his sympathy with
r0wers that be-" Hume is our fa,orite his
.or'an- We rscollect with what svidi,v We read
MS history when boy; nor did our republican.
ism nor religious sentiment suffer any damage
from his false philosophy
LAUGHTER. Danish Lyrical Drama BY
n'u,cn hertz Translated by Theodore N .r,u Boston
'' N'sA'i'' For sale BY Taylor Maary
wersad this through ct one sitting. and for
lack OF something more Of the same sort. felt
IKE reading It over again The character in
whom oil interest centres In the daughter Of KIM
Rene, stricken with sudden blinduss. IN ,ps.ncve
growing up In secluded Eden, surrounded nv
all ministrations adapted TO refine and erslt her