Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-11-29
EVENING STAR.
New Books.


Reaching the Celestial City. q Things that
Iwrite concerning them th at seduce you. p
St Joln. By George Wood, author of
"Peter Schlemil In America In two vol
ums Boston: Phillips, Sampson a Co.
New York j. G. Derby. 1855. e
Our townsman. in this new work Of his, bids
fair to add considerably to the reputation as a
writer he earned by his FIRST literary bantlir z
| named above. This, his second effort, is. in a
measure, parody on John Bunyan's great
work-the scenes, circumstances, and charao-
ters being, however, those by which We are
surrounded in this era. His heroes are two
worthy young gentlemen of wealth, evangel-
ically reared, and their young wives, to whom
| they are in all respects suited The author
travels them in all directions-at home and in
Europe-in search Of knowledge, recreation,
and substantial improvement. He handles
the follies, vices and characters, in contact
with which and whom his proteges are thrown,
without gloves, and at times not without evinc-
ing the prejudices of his own early training,
evidently not much softened by experience
with that portion Of the world that differs
widely from him. He has become man pos
,essing much agreeable and useful informa-
ton, as is proved in his every chapter. His
book. which is desultory, is very unequal
many of its paragraphs being eloquent, others
pathetic, others replete with keen wit and
satire, and still others, again, stupid yet,
though few may be able to master it at a sit
ting, there is so much in it Of interest to the
cultivated mind that its cleverness will bs en-
dorsed by all who read to think, without doing
which, reading, after all, is next to a very prof
itless expenditure of time
A VIEW OF THE SCRIPTURE REVELATIONS RE-
sPEcriNG Coon AND EVIL ANGELS. By
Richard Whatley, ID. D., Archbishop of
Dublin, author Of "a View of the Scrip
ture Revelations respecting Future State. ~
Philadelphia lindsay Blackiston. 1855.
This work is an American republication of
a series of lectures, doctrinsl and practical,
which had for their author one Of the most
| eminent of living transatlantic diyines-of
the English Church establishment. 1t must
have an immense number of readers in this
| country, if but from the professional fame Of
| Archbishop Whatlcy.
CASTE Story of Republican Equality. By
Sydney a. Story, jr. Boston: Phillips,
Sampson Co. New York: j. C. Derby.
| 1856.
| This is another Of the brood Of abolition nov
els evolved by the purient excitement among
fashy book makers, growing ou. Of the sue
cessful literary adventures Of Mrs Harriet
| Beecher Stowe. In other words, IL is an anti.
4 sin in whSnh oil - IL
pers" are told i; the shIewd writer being i'm.
pressed with the fact that the more extrays.
giant his Stories tho more the nti-slayery
folks will " shell OUT money for his volume
It is we'll written, but his descriptions Of south
| ern life, character, habits, institutions and
principles, are so wholly drawn upon the mod.
els Of the authors prototypes, William Lloyd
Garrison, Wendell Phillips, and Henry Ward
Beecher, as TO make the work but little else
than collection of gross abolition Hbels
JAPAN, AS 1T WAS AND Is. By Richard Hill
dreth, auther of "History of the United
States" &c. Boston: Phillips, Sampson &
Co. New York: j. G. Derby.
| We are among those who place little faith
indeed in Richard Hildreth, as a historian
pocSAuiO CuduCc pIeluulCes
may be crossed by the facts of which he writes.
His history of the United States on all dis
puted points, is little more-than a rehash Of
| centemporaneOus attacks and ISLANDERS on the
public men Of the early days of the Republic,
whose policy Mr.. II. does not approve. 1t is
| therefore, not an historical work, but one Of
| partisan warfare disguised under an histori
cal cloak. Not so with the volume before US
which is really more valuable than augh,
else in the English language concerning ia
pan, comprised in four times as many pages.
Thus, it is the result of his reading on the sub
ject Of Japan in several Languages and over a
series Of years, wherein he sought every chan
mel Of information open to him, and has culled
and condensed with great skill and success
His book is the history of Japan as known in
Europe, with such accounts Of the pres snt con-
dition Of the kingdom, the manners and Gus
toms Of its people, the history of European in
tercourse with them, &C., as could be CLEANED
by an industrious and learned reader striving
faithfully to obtain all possible knowledge Of
his subject. Indeed, it is among the most
useful and entertaining works that have seen
the light in this country for years past, its
every page, from beginning TO end, (576 in
all,) being mass-a perfect mass--Of solid in
formation concerning the country and its in
habitants just now apparently of most interest
to the United States.
We are indebted to Frank Taylor for the
following work: ..--. ...... -
The DIscAnDKD DAUGHTER. By Mrs. Emma
D. E. N Southworth, author Of " The De-
serted Wife, "The Lost Heiress," &c.
Philadelphia; 4. b. Peterson, l02 Chestnut
street. = I- ~ t-srr-
Mrs SeuthwSrth's fame is rapidly reashing
a climax, We fancy, from the large sale her
many novels enjoy-We do not profess to be
an admirer Of her styieof books, because we
have no taste for works that do not convey
solid Information, OF improve or instruct the
mind in some way. Hers are light works, de-
signed only to amuse. They do amuse many
Al, H. al ;,,@