The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-03-09

INTENDED tue work 10 DO good, notwlth-
standing it may fail of doing so.
But we arc asked by our friend, Why
we do not condemn the book after hav-
ing read it, if we find it does not prove to
be what we Supposed Can you ask
that question after saying to US that you
have read the book notwithstanding you
would have been ashamed to have been
seen doing so : 1t appears to us that
the fact of your reading book of which
you were ashamed would suggest to you
the existence of a very prominent trait
in the human character desire to
know what should not be known. We
have the memorable example of this in
the conduct of our mother Eve. And
we think you must possess large share
OF this-(said to be, though we do not
believe it)-peculiar characteristic of
the female portion Of mankind. Ad-
mitting, for the sake of the argument
that we did wrong in recommending q
book which we had not read entirely.
Could we have taken q more effectual
method Of recommending this book to
that class Of our rcaders-(we hope q
small one )-of which you cannot object
to be taken as fair specimen, than to
have stated that it was a book which no
modest person could read without a
blush We should like to know from
you how much less inclination you would
have had to read the book had we de-
nounced it in this manner. We think
if you give us an honest answer you
would say that it would be rather an in
ducement for you to read it than other
wise. We say this, judging from the
statement which you make. that you have
read the book, though you were so far
acquainted with its character that you
secreted it when you heard someone COM
ing. Now, we ask you, would you not,
had We stated that the book was unfit for
a lady to read, have been IN ore anxious
to have read it, We think you would,
or you would have ceased reading it the
moment you arrived at the conclusion
that it would compromise your character
to be seen doing so.
AS to our displaying "more honesty"
in our Book Notices." We fear we shall
here remain under the ban of our fair
friend for we have never, except in
two or three instances, noticed book
before receiving it and looking it over
so as to be able to form pretty good
idea of its character, and we have ex-
pressed the opinion thus formed, and
when we have written notice of the
work before receiving it, our judgment
has been made up from portions of the
work which we have seen and notices by
our exchanges. To relieve the mind of
our friend from the uneasiness which
she seems to feel on the score of our re-
ceiving a remuneration-(small though
it may be)-fo our labors, we would say
that did we not receive tho book We
probably should not notice it; but the
idea that a book the price Of which
is fifty cents or dollar being quid pro
quo for notice, the price of which would
be, at the regular rates, if that was the
sole object, from one to ten dollars. The
object of A" Book Notices. is for mutual
benefit to the publisher and the reader
The reader is frequently guided in tho
purchase of book by the notice which
he may sec of it in newspaper, as you
say you were in our recommendation in
this instance by our judgment, and we
know that this i.often the case. Well,
if man takes paper and pays for it
(not always the. case though, by the
way)-hc expects to gain some informa-
ton thereby, not only in the way of
news and other matters, but of the kind
of book proper to be purchased and
read; and publishers being well aware
of the value of advertising, even ifAit be
nothing more than the mere mention Of
their book, gladly furnish the editor the
means of forming his opinion. There