The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-01-08
TICKNOR'S LATE PUBLICATIONS.

First among these for me to remark upon
because first at my heart is the wonder Bool
for Girls and Boys" by Hawthorne. This il
the sweetest. deepest, widest most peculiar AM
delicious book ever written for children. Il
was a beautiful thought in the author to g,
back into the morning of the world-the young
days of music and poetry, and all ideal lowell
ness, for those deep moral and poetic teachings
best fitted for the pure mind of child From
| the widest extravaganza of those classic myths
the author brings out the holy, primeval re-
| lgious spirit and yet more abundantly calls it
forth from those strange, exquisite fables whose
| highest meaning has hitherto seemed beauty,
and only beauty It is like flinging holy water
about with fragrant spray of summer roses.
There are in this pleasantest of pleasant vol
umes six stories out of which it would be almost
impossible to select an especial favorite all are
so admirable; but perhaps "The Chimera" is
the most happily conceived and exquisitely fin
ished
A very charming little juvenile is one entitled
"Iales from Catand" The style of these
pretty fables is deliciousy quaint and humor-
Gus.
"Florence the Parish Orphan" is story by
Eliza Buckminster Lee, powerfully and poeti-
cally written. The tragic termination is at
first too much for the heart to bear; but finally
the memory of poor Florence becomes "pleas-
ant, though mournful to the soul"
Among the republications of Ticknor is a
beautiful collection from the "Spectator,O Of
the DE Courley papers, most welcome offer
ing to the lovers of Addison and Steele.
Longfellow's Golden Legend" is on every
body's lips just now. 1t is curious book
Some pages seem lit with the gorgeous lights
melting through the stained windows of old
cathcdrals-on others fall the glare of reyels
and the flush of wine cups-on others sleep
the pure moonlight which fills maiden's
chamber, and now and then Lucifer flashes out
in lurid line. The character of Elsie, though
sketchy and almost aerially delicate like one
of the angel-outlines of Flaxman, seems better
than finished elaborated picture by another
hand. The sad, sweet episode Of Ireningard
impressed me wildly, also but the descriptive
portions of the poem, and its peculiar, mellow,
middle-aged tone, must be better appreciated
by the scholar and the traveller than by one
like me-
Poems by Richard Henry Stoddard" This
is fair volume in every respcct-a large prom
i've, and no inconsderable performance. Mr..
Stoddard has II true poetic spirit, an exube-
rant fancy, n passionate love of the beautiful
and q most rare and delicate sense of harmony
That he is poet more sensuous than spiritual
that his poems more breathe of dreamy, ORR
entail voluptuousncss than speak the power and
depth of genuine, earnest PASSIONS the i'm
preston left on my mind after reading the en-
tire volume But this comes from the youth Of
our poet. The larger experiences, the higher
joys and deeper sorrows Of ripper years will
doubtless give 10 his poetry all it now lacks OF
strength and expression The finest ut least
the most elaborate, poem in the volume is
"The Castle in the Air" IL is n complete
melodous, picturesque, and wondrously beau
tiful poem; but even better than it, | like
"Leonatus" This is full Of simple, touching
tenderness. II is less gorgeous than the other
but more real-charming less the senses but
satisfying the heart. The lines ITO a Celc-
bratcd Singer" are glorious tribute Of genius
to genus-a prodgal outpouring of rare and
delicious fancies "Thc Two Brides" in an.
other style, is sweet and solemn, because 20
tenderly human. ! can but wish that Mr.
Stoddard would give us more like this and
Leonatus" and leave the gods and goddcsses
to their old Greek heaven.
| have left myself little space for remarking
upon Bayard Taylor's new volume of poems.
But am happy in knowing that no word of
poetry in the book, and at least three noble,
complete poems" Serapon" "The Two Wis
ions and "The Waves Mr.. Taylor is true
poet though his'tine physical life sometimes
runs into his vcnne too matchmaking it too
muscular and fall-blooded, its movement Ls-
coming regular pedestrian stride. GG