The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-28
LITERARY NOTICES.

.o. =, INV MEMORY. BY S. H. De Kroyft. New
York John +. Trow' 1901 .,.,ou
ARtINp MANS OFFERING, BY b. b. Bowen. "a ediu0n'
New York. 1850
The circumstances under which Mrs lie
Kroyft's beautiful little volume was written are
best told by herself in her preface "Three
summers ago, had perfect sight. was IN one
short month a bride, widow, and blind. Yet
Providence has made it needful for me to do some
thing to provide for myself food and raiment"
The volume is made up Of letters-genuine pas
sages from private correspondence Of much full
ness and beauty. II seems complete and undis-
puised picture Of the mind, during these three
long years of sghtless life So severely trying an
experience met with such an earnest effort for
resignation and cheerfulness entitle the author to
make this appeal to the sympathy of the public
Nothing is more instructive to thoee who are
interested in the study of the mind through all its
phases, or of more blessed use to those who must
gather up their strength of heart against their
own trials, than such passages of personal expe-
rience as are recorded here. The touching pa
thos Of many portions is very pleasantly relieved
II apiuaate9 scnonnis Of scenes and occupations
at the noble " New York Institution of the Blind,n
and some cheerful pieces Of description addressed
to various friends 1t is delightful to find
spirit so apt to find "the soul Of goodness in
things evil,n as is shown in the following "Now
that my task is ended and my little book is going
to the publishers, have not an unpleasant men,
ory connected with the whole affair. In the hur-
ry of business, in the intricacies of law, and
amidst of problems half solved, gentlemen have
laid down their pens, read my prospectus, written
their names and paid their money and often es-
corted me to the door, and saw me safely down
stairs, perchance directing my gentle guide where
to find others as kind as themselvesN captains,
railroad conductors, and all, instead of presenting
their bills, inquired how they could best serve
me, where would stop &c. Ought not even the
blind to be joyous and happy in land so kind
so free, as ours |"
In our hasty notice of Mr. Bowens book week
or two ago, we fear we hardly did him justice,
and are glad to say word more in this connec-
ton. Mr. B. has been blind from infancy and
with well-trained mind, and surprising range
of reading and information, has looked at things
u
ness is the habitual we might almost say the nor
NAL enc and we consider his book as very val
liable from the amount of clear knowledge it con-
veys, and from the thought gathered in it and
wrought into tangible, serviceable shape. INDIE
pendent of his appeal to our sympathy, the author
can afford to stand and be judged among the wri
tiers of the day One whose standpoint is 30
wholly outside of our usual experience has many
things to tell us which we should not know with
out such aid We think his book would be rated
higher for absolute merit, if a severer revision
excluded many of the slighter sketches; though
these are needful perhapst to certain completeness
Taken together, the two volumes exhibit two
most interesting phases of mind, the different fea-
lures of a like calamity endured with a common
spirit