New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-05-01

Puritonic character. She is brought upon the
stage when hardly dozen years old; but at that
most imprnctlcable OF all ages, is the wise compan-
ION of charming old grandfather, talking learn
edly with him "on the excellence or hopefuIness
of this that crop or piece of i,-cntering into
all his agricultural enthusiasm, and reasoning of
clover leys and cookie, and the proper harvesting
of Indian corn, and other like matters with no lack
ofmterest or intelligence" As the story advances,
the quaint Fleda, who always fills the foreground
of the picture, is presented n sort of universal
comforter. She never fails to be on hand when
everybody else has got into a scrape, from which
she alone can relieve them. The nfdel of the
story is, converted by her soft approximations the
sick are restored to health by her sunny presence
she even takes hold ofthe laborng oar when money
is tight" and when good for nothing kinsman,
falling into poverty, turns amateur farmer, with
the usual success ofsuch ventures she sets things
to rights on the homestead, finds bread for the
family, takes the management ofthe farm into her
own hands, and by her shrcwd marketing of straw
berries and asparagus continues to keep the wolf
from the door of the despairing household. Fleda
is really at home only in the country. The cpl
foot must be on her native heather" to
show her wld-nower beauty to advantage. Some
times too, we blush to acknowledge it, the good
little Fleda becomes rather tiresome. She is too
uniformly wise to suit our frivolous fancy, and we
long to detect the trace Of some human weakness.
Still, it must be said she is a genuine Original
She leaves Renaissance of love and admiration
in our minds, though we have quarreled with her
FOR being too much of an angel. Her character
will last among the choice treasures of fctitiou;
creation. With the exception of.Fleda and her
grandfather, who soon passes from the scene the
personages of the story display no remarkable
towers ofinycntion. Carlton, we must think, is
lore. In the subordinate characters, we find the
materials for kind ofdry humor, but on the whole
we cannot regard any of them as decided hits.
The volumes contain numerous gems of pic
turesque description. We wish there had been
more of them. We prefer Miss Wetheres own
talk to that of the long-winded interlocutors in
her dialogues. She has true and cultivated eye
for naturc-she knows how to group its details
with delightful eflect-many of her bits of scenery
are exquisite in their reality-she almost makes
you see the waving Of the pine, and inhale the
perfume of apple blossoms but she displays far
less degree of dramatic skill. Her conversations
perpetuay hang fire. We follow them through
many q" winding bout" with expectation on the
tptoe, but on coming to the end we find ourselves
nowhere. Thestory has not moved on at all, and
we have lost our time with string of the most
commonplace remarks that were ever pat to-
gether by poetcal mind. How the author can
tolerate such wire-drawn discourses, by the side
of the sparkling vvacty of her descriptions is past
comprehension. Her stores of long-sutierng
charity must be large, yea, boundess. We fear
her readers will not show the exemplary pa
tence with which she listens TO the pointless gar
ruity ofmen and women, whose vapid talk in actual
society would soon die out for want Of encour
agement.
The space we have given to this novel may indi-
cate appreciation of its claims, as well as our
respect for the popular opinion which has received
it with such jubilant welcome. 1t certainly ex-
hibits high order of talent; imagination, enthusl-
asm, and creative power are all here but it would
have brighter prospect of permanent place in
good literature if it were finished with more exc
cutive dextority, and free from what we cannot
through its composition.
THE HOWADI IN SYRIA. BY GEORGE WILLIAM
CURTIS. l2mo. PIP ao4 Harper Il Brothers.
Like the romantic, dream-like "Nile
Notes" of the Howadji, this volume is an exquisite
anthology of oriental prose poems, in which
fancy, cling and quaint humor are curiousy
blended, reproducing the gorgeous scenes Of east
II e
ure, which forms the natural coloring for the Incl
dents and "reminiscences of those "blessed AM
beautiful climes of the Sun. But the delicious
pOetical aroma which peryades the work does not
interfere with the 6rmness and lucidty OF It's de-
scrptions. Indeed no mere collection OF statis-
ties, no dry arrangement of facts could give such
vivid idea of the strange Oriental life, we obtain
from the glowing imaginative pictures of the How
ad This is in accordance with his own theory
of travel. lie believes that the most satisfactory
impressions of places we have never seen are deri-
we'd from poetry. In Rome you find yourself re-
peatng Byron and G0ethe's hexameters-in We
nice YOU meet with nothing so truly and exquis-
itely Venetian as the Gondola-Led Of Mendessohn
and as you advance through the Syrian summer,
the most felicitous expression of your experience
is the fragrant and voluptuOus imagery ofSolomon's
Song. With this aesthetic creed, the Howadji dis
claims all intention of writing geography or
guide book; but yet he presents series of personal
impre ssions, so brilliant and elke, as to transform
the library of the reader into all enchanted scene
of Oriental beauty.
Casting lingering glance on solemn Cairo, the
Howadji departs, in IA caravan of seven camels, for
his Journey through the Great Desert. His earliest
attempt at navigating the ship of the desert re-
suits in melancholy discontinue.
With the farewell words trembling upon
nv tongue and half looking back and muttcring last
words laid my lett hand carelessly upon the back OF
the recumbent camel throw myself lesurey into the
seat