The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-03-31
WHOLE NO. 922.


| is lul!ncss: their aur,onrcr ma-nifcen.e of
, mirrors. marble and millinery, of diamonds
and flowers and c!ap;.a;,: t!.cir claboratciy
mawkish desccnts into the regions Of baby
dom: their ever r-I'reScrt and eternal hanker-
ING after the r,oo!> and ..nScs of foreign funk
yi>rn their incidents without interest; their
characters without character. and their nom
posifv void Of ,li.nitv. mark them the forced
and stun:ci growth of hot-bed unnatural
sort Of influence, rather than the productions
of .enins. or the acccr:ab!e offering Of talent.
stupidity wanting in interest or power. or vi
talitv; destitute of elevation aud of truth.
one asks how they came TO he published. and
wonders how the, came 10 bc read
/ The question. however, brings us at once
10 the rationale Q! this apparently anomalous
circumstance. These productions are written
because their authors and au.horesses find
that novels equally STUPID. maulln ard trsshy
are dai.v floa;cd Into temporary regulations
professional Inarkrrv and of mercensry lau-
da,icn. They are Published because their
publishers iin that They can produce those
results quite Independently of literary merit
or artistic fitness. There is no necessity ia
describe the process by which this rcmarka.
b'e issue is obtained: it is patrnt 10 every
newspaper reader. At first certain gentry
Of Mrs iIAEEIs-lke irian-i!,ilitr of char
actcr-' the publishers literary readers
''onc of the first literary critics of the dav''-
''o,," OF The mos; intelligent bookseller. offbe.
rountlv. ~. see Ike book in manuscript or
in proof. and utter snndry oracnar lauda.orv
revelations on the subject, which. tminc duv
advertised. serve As .h. KEY -no.. 20 th. bar-
monious la;iJamns wlirh is certain 10 hail the.
publications.. From tie first ii Is the ol,scry.
ed of all critical olrs.rvrrs-the ber.rais,.i
of all crtira! irpr,i>-rs. The authors of
these enral'ucd c.iiiGucs show a varied in
gennitv and coirmcndaile holiness in ex..
c~'ihS thriT td>s. hc s;.le. after those
newspapers fongin"~-S. is "spl,ndi,l." the
conceptions ''nol.r. and the incidents ",br;i-
ling Walter Scott is rIaalr,l in the cxecp
ton, and poor William Shakespeare could no.
have developed such characters. Those crit
les would have our sincere comr,iscra,ion
only that they appe.r. 10y the fact that tliev
never show the si;ah'.->t acquaintance With
any part of the book hat the title page. TO be
TOO wide awake 20 attcmpt rcrusal of their
su'jert. l., in addition to this me,ha,ica,
process for acqnirn. artifi..ial f:.rnc ant! pen
ny-a-iinc ontoritv. is added the half ,ieveion-
ei promise of some ini:mons BETRAYAL of con-
i!rncc. some prulicnt details of personal pc
cI.!:riiic>. Or some rrvealment Of the sacred
secret OF the domestic hearth. the fortune of
the book is made. and the author and pub
Usher have their reward
No" ali Ifl> Ne say is not as ii should b.
1t cheats the public. i, d:>parages literature.
and Al Is unjust 20 real talent Il takes the
verdict ont the hands of the trnc Judges.
an'! balances the cost of brpuncd ,lullncss a.
Ca.nst the reward Of creative talent. the book.
sellers ledger being the only umpire.
We say that the public voice should be
raised. anl the publir'> pocket shut against
THIS :, stem of ot..hoakirg one of the yr.at chan
nrls oi national teaching with masses of sto-
iid 'ininc>S and >icklv sentimcntalitv We
think the public should stand on its own
-uard against this m"rcr,arv iobbinc il, for
tuitol:s notorctv. In the name of the talent
We undoubtedly po>seSs-in the name of hat
wc have accom- '>lcd in this and other walks
III the name OF our living genius and rising
tacnt-:n behalf Of an inno,ent recreation
;.Ii IA powerful teacher of the things Of life
we deman.i that this literary nuisance: lie a.
hatcd.
rs we have before sail. we teliere this 10
he s,,l ict Of ii cher Importance ais, of more
la>tln" conrrrrinent. than ii $ apparently tri-
Wal nature would seem 10 lnlicair The
tcachn. OF mar: voung cor..dins impress
>ionsblc heart. the hereafter of MANY an AM
Xi"u>, inIuirin.. ambitions head. are in the
balance. The quality of our natural author
ship. The character OF our popular literature
are a, stake. /: brlua'kcd and hepuilcd
dulncS> and con, 5I; are ~ usnIp the place
ot genius, encr.r and talent. If maulln carl
catures ana >'upidv romantic llatitudcs are
10 he orr national fiction, then o,.c oi the
/ first. enc oi The best, and one Of the most de-
ton will be wiiI.-r,rl