The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-11-10
AMERICAN u.arERArrRE

AMERICAN larERArCRE.
! Fran rn'"rn's H,er,in. par "y+-... =
/ \ CIor "r Nn,ErS.-The au,umn
brings us. along with the pears and grapes. a
large ingaherlny Of nor,i>. and these, like
the frut, are som. of them Underline. Sons.
Jist ripe enough and some so ovrr-rir. A. "a
he rotten. Among the names 10 he rec, r,l.l
are Twice Married. Clouds and Sunshine
Oakfel'i. Ethel. or II e Double Error. A.,ira-
lions. Light and Darkness, The Old llenc
stead. The did Farm House. The RAG Pick
er. Isora's Child, The Elder Sister. The
Match Girl, The Deserted Wife, e.. &,
Strange as 1t NAV appear. We confess to have
read the greater part of these wiihout hav-
ing been obliged to send for physician. or
exritIn. the >oi'fude of our friends As 10 ,h..
continued SANITY OF our intcllects. At th,
same time. it should be remembered that We
have had much experience in this line. am,
that our head is become very hard. We
shond no, advise anv inna. ure or unscason-
ed brain to expose Itself to the sane opera
ton.
These novels are of vario1s merits, some
W
ent; that is. As Pope nniu<,ly saws of women,
they have no character at all. They are
stories of passion and sentiment, wifiout
much local truth or probability Of incident.
and incapable of lasti,. effects. They are.
written mainly bv females. who. with acute
and lively feelings and ;olrrable command
OF English. have yet no derid,.d artistic i'm
pulse. and who now write novels as they for
merly wrote tales an,i verses for the news
papers. partly 10 :c, ril of a present un-a<i-
ness, but mainly in the hopes at rea,nnc a
pecuniarv reward. They are rather inspr-
ed hv the snc.r>s % others than .,v any gen
iu> OF their own: 'I,d the consequence is.
great lack Of originality in their plots and
characters. and kind of Sf"rro'v,,ci f'ux of
sentiment. Mr.. Charles Dickens and Mrs
Stowe are ar,swcra!ir for large nu,r.!a.r s
these offenders. The lite Nell and her
old Grandtath,.r Of the one. and the Cnre
Toms and the George Harrisrs of the other.
are the parents of an immense progeny E
novels. in particular it seam. TO be absolute
lv a>seutisl that they should contain. one
shahhv oil gentleman. who Is ais, a perfect
miracle Of goo lnrss, L,mp,ichter. Rag
picker. Newsmin. or what not. little sirl
or litrl- bov. deserted by their relatives.
whom the old gentleman provides for. ard
who are also miracles os rrcco 10 4. 900 in.ss,
an" hardened. desperate villain. Who, r,,. -.
>crutable reasons, in>i>.s upon prrSer eru,inc
the little one. one amiahle. and pouS. and
sweet, and all accomplished Young lady Of
the upper circles. vino goes about among the
poor. quoting Scripture and doing immense
deal of indrfnatlc good: and one selfish.
fashionable woman. very rich. who turns ont
to bc the mother of the little girl or the little
boy. and leaves her or him all her .al;h,
when he or she marrieS the pioas v"rrs Ia
'iv or her pions brother. and everybody. w
GLIDING the Rag prkrrs AMI Limpiis sh'ers.
get vastly happy. Or else our n,r-i;.ts take
up the. temperance An an'i-slaverv ,lpd.r,,'
and pet-ctlv inun!stc rs with brastlv drunk
ards, who after var Is rcfor n AID I've ONE m H.
el husbands. fathers. aud citizens. or with
villalnous lialeys. unprinciplcd AMI cruel,
out ScntleInanly Sonfherner>. and M irrclOus
might've negroes. One reads 81 murh. in
deed, OF these classes that l,. is tempted to
t"rSwear temperance ani anti-slav-rv al,
the days OF his lite. As TO the notions Of
happiness which some "i these writers cher
ish. We quote specimen from one Of the
novels before Us. Describing a New Year.
'lav, after all the characters had got fairly
through their troubles, AMI the rish: ones
were married. it SAYS
They evinced their iov and hilari in
hlin'i-mans iati.' scarrhin. for the key
hole. hunt the slipper and all sorts of 10
feiiings. during which Julie was kissed, a.
Carrie was kissed suspicious Charlie W
not PLAYING fair hv no mcan>) a hundr,
times. and Annie was kissed. and they a
kissed Toney, and Henry. and Charlie Wells
(who. when he was lrcsiion-.i. sad H.. liked
r.)and Davv. and even the i"v Bull. who
kissed right hack again. (as If he was no
nIcsrr at all } and they rolli k-d and raced
10 their hearts content. while ever, BODY
kissed good old Da,y. and Davv kissed eve
ryfWlv else, and there seemed to b no end
to the love, and jov. and ecstacy of this clo-
r'ons happy gathering"
We presume. therefore. thar they have
gone on kissing To this very dar. aud that
The pop of the >nlackings must. bv this time.
te as loud as the rattle Of mu>kc,ry al S-bas-
torol.
The writer. Of these novels mean 10 t~
very moral: the sentiments they depict or
lnculcaie are all. As Sir Peter Teazle would
say. excellent sentiments :" they would
srOrn to be thought ANYTHING else than
the suIerhne>t friends of virtue; and vet
the highest that most of them attain is TO a
milk and water. pulling. superficial and nau-
seous sentimental alisrn. They work urpn the
'rn>bilitrs. and not upon the conscience or
the will: and the good feelings they ex. irr.
bv their hichlv-,'oor~d pictures. are about
Is lasting as the fine friendships a fellow
orms over his cups. or the religion he puts
easiest thing in the world to invent a series
II characters. and place them in situations
shich shall draw tears from the ewes of eve
v reader: the French literature and the
french stage abound in tales and dramas,
of the domestic sort, which are
heart-rending; all the while.
90. they are radically false in principle and
Untrue to lite. But it is not easy to create a
haracter which shall enlarge our ideals of
he power and greatness of our nature. nor
Ombine circumstances into clear and
eautiful narrative, which the reader will
)rever carry in his memory as an inspira-
on and charm. Is it not. however, at
nese ends that fiction should ann, and not at
ne excitement of transient, and, for the most
art. fictitious emotion:
What the mob of ladies' who write with
ase " now-a-days chi. fv fail in. is character
the principal -ltm-n, Of success in fiction.
) it is the highest and best attainment Of con-
uct in actual life. They seldom GET beyond