New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-07-13

"onPiace Pios INC incidents are 80 srrsnge1 q
to sustain the curiosity of the reader, VINO il
rewarded with occasional passages of CLOWNS
description into the bargain. The style ha,
considerable vigor, though often too gorgeou:
Tor good taste; and dow and then an expression
creeps out at which DR.. johnson would dash
the wig from bis venerable head in direful per-
plexity. What can be meant, for instance, BY
the grave statement that, during the epoch jus.
preceding the time Of the story, "when Wash
lDgton was an infant muing and puking in his
nurses arms, and Franklin with inky face
nuDched his apprentice meal at the foot Of his
case -" sard,d floors and leather breeches rsre the
hHstoHdmdn's Jarep Is it possible that our
pous ancestors were ever reduced 10 such ter
rlble eItremifies We have heard of old boots
being converted into soup in cases of great dis
tress, but when did the Z" fare" Of our stllwart
yeOmanry ever consist Of such unsav,ry tough
nesses as are here described In another place,
We are told Of "sn old-fashioned hmse, with
more years than the nation, AMI rih history
quite as xeH." Phrases like these, sYol will
grow to love" "you will grow to Ike" re
doubtless admissible if used dscreetly but their
monument application by the writer grows
to be- deformity. The word =" somehow" is
exhausted by an excess of service in the nme way.
In the middle efthe volume we are Informed that
Rsnehe ia golden booded," but h,fore we
hlyfoiydRer fSPSfgta from the shocA .sertu.- /
that her lover Rodman regards this pecularity
az pledge of "rosy, rcsy glO~ of the fu-
ture," confusion Of colors past all help of
Al. b.l loo ans ID M hi nt
us 10 the re- al merits tf Blanche Dearwood. les
best feature il the character of Wsldrcn, the
love SICK guardian. lie is represented as a man
Of b Oh and generous impulses, of great mental
powers, but with dreaming ideal temperament,
and with yearniugs for sympathy too roman
tic in their nature to permit the exercise of
mar " self control. HIS portrature lie finished
with remarkable freshness of delineation, and
leaves stronger imprt ssion on the mind than
either Of the remaining personages IN the plot
.The Watcbman" is story of humble life in
the whirl Of metropolitan competition. 1t fol-
lows beaten track, though it shows no obvious
marks of imitation. Familiar scenes, such as
constantly recur in the daily ou.goinps ola luge
CITY. are described with certain freshness of
coloring which almost gives them the charm of
novelty. The hero of the story is verlnble
Waterman of the old regime; he is painted as be
was, without the attempt to transmute his sur
DIV. homely virtues into a fantastic herOism
But although the "Watchman" gives the name
TO the story, he is not the only prominent per-
sonage who figures in the development of the
Mot. The scene alternates between New-York
and The East Indies; and in It's various changes
brings forward a variety of characters, most OF
whom sre clearly individualized and possess
marked interest. Several descriptions of incl
dents at sea are skillfully urough into the main
narrative, and give an agreeable variety to It's
details. The moral purpose of this story is w0r-
tby Of the highest commentator, as well as the
method of the author in carrying it into effect.
He makes no mawkish appeals 70 signing sen-
timeDtalism, nor strives to win admiration for
impracticable excell-ncies; bu, h9lds up the
sound, sterling qualities of character, on "hich
the exercise of the order and well-being Of So
cety depend in manner to awaken sympathy
and challenge imitation.
The su,horess Of Ernest Gray" writes with
a serious. philautbropic intent, rather than with
the with TO shine am ne the votaries OF literary
distinction. She 10 evidently alive to the pre-
yaling evils of society, aud especially to the de-
fects in the usual methods Of treating criminals.
The subject of prison discipline Is illustrated IN
the present story by descriptions OF incidents,
tbe naralels of when have been found ia actual
! experience In character drawing, the writer,
we think. is more successful than IN mere MARIA
tive or dialogue. Too didictc tone Is oittn
met with in the conversations, which are more
over too prollx for the best effect The scenes
in pIison.life are vigorously drawn, apd must
deepen the i'm preston, which is generally iei oy
nersops conversant with the subject Of, the en)r-
nous evils produced by the tyranny OF lrresPoi-
sib agents in the exercise of power. The vol
ume is illustrated by several spirited character
istic engravings.
The pungent story quantity entitled Which,
labors under the disadvantage OF seeking to en-
force ystem of religious convictions by mar
Iatiye of imaginary incidents, though claiming
TO be 40. without prototypes IN real life lt
aims to illustrate the distinction between the
Church of Christ al d the Church OF SIciety-
the one, in the opinion of the writer, cOnPris-
ing the ideal of humanity and the other oeing
the fecund parent of tie most monstious social
denominations. The story commences win the
picture of happy rural population, about 10
take leave OF youthful favoeite who had de-
cided to try his fortunes in the distant metroPo-
| lis Samuel, the hero in question, 10 the son oil
the village clerg man, whose family are pre-