Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-09-28

Present volume" which is lis Successor. were too high,
and we were therefore, naturally disappointed. Our
!dcn il, that genius or abilities, or whatever YOU call
that wlcE makes good book, La- ~ fixed stand
point hut is e:crnal!y striving at and griiuc .o!nc
higher sphere. This The reason why we cu!yului-
ed ST. ln-g"ly upon "lhe HIDDEN PATH"
We think the main fault OF til, book /. It's want
"l vivid interest, eliminating 20 III" end, les the in.
rrcs Of every novel ou"D and tlat this ,i,fr,. is
'Hl,-rd by the multiplicity of heroes AM, hcroc.--
M painting can be good or natural in w!i..! MI the
njrc:s ARE prominent, md I" which there is no back.
Srona'l nor c"n our sympa'h,5 be- Lishly excited
in the general ~ III particular ins;nnce which culls
forth Their exercise. HAT philanthropy which is
termed UNIVERSAL decreases in force d. Il cA:r!- in
space, unfli i'll liz expansion il becomes ~ voice nn
besides, -,-nothinS' So in our mental A. il, our phys.
cal ai'd moral VISION, everything which divert, the
attention from m object of particular interest e.s.n,
he power aG; interest Of that object: anL ni coarse
dcrac;s from IFS influence. These observations are
;rc. VT kncw, and perfectly obvious, but il they
had bren considered bc nrchau,l the slliI.r Path
would have been much more entertaining work
than i; is,-woGli invt had fewer prominent charac
:crs than II ilas; and would have enlisted the feelings
aad mpathies Of the reader to greater cxcn, than
| il dues.
So numerous tho characters that it takes
At least half dozen marriages. TO cc; rid nf the
u"s; pr'mlincn;; which we MUST bo permitted Ia say,
~ aarc', comes under the head OF tou much vi Il
;r," thing"
This !narilS:ic feature OF IT," work we hnve cnnsi-
crcl more especially, because Sc ,hIk Il tile most
| objectionable.
! We think, a!so, that while the morality which The
book ncGcacs il al the purrsi and bc.i. :icrc j.
rather i"c cAuJcran display i" H. with an ar slight
iy =crinomIzinG: "nd ihnt in uosal which pulInrs
IL portray Scenrs and characters ns they ARE :ourl
On the common roa';, beaicn hn:,l hy the tread ui
The worlds workers. there might have been, in h.
mui.lph"ny o! tlosc characters, or two az re-
-"cabll'y, Il nothing more, with thoughts aud icc!-
inS~ rather more "i the earth, earthly" Bat ,h!s
naY be attributed To the rarlaii;;cg Of IN ui,sdcr.
and We will 10: insist upon il. We no. disposed,
however, 10 be Us hypcrrr.,ica as contemporary,
who blamrs the nut!or for iirdT. lady and gentle
man III carriage, c"nvc:s:ng together, without cx-
planning huw they got there. lIc 20 look up"i
the of piece w.ih tln ly in Ia, nm
Der, bat sgbmt that il i. Ee.:hHr unusual nor i'm
proper, aud tln, fill and complete solution Of the
problem wa, a. unurce-sary as il would have been
unentertaning.
In the respects We have rpohcn of, we consider thr
Hidden PAIL as inferior t. Alone" while, i'll
others, il very much snrpn-srs that w"k. Ia 'ivi!
coi"rn:, in 'ac expression OF individuality in the
characters, III he cay irnrtraiiurc Of conversational
interviews. IN the painting "i maGr" SCENERY III III,
iaciiiy OF ;Ecughi ni ti'''i"n, nrl. better iian MI
ths m l. wi rnu ali i,.. ;.;G rr.,Sl, ri ;,Irn,:
;, . ,, ,,t >; .;: -. .r ,. :.
from ;hr a'!>'"'n"i writer, 'ir snwri"!i!y'' ncli"