The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-03-20
NO. AL.
Gbs Ssbish.

,tosrlNER's COLLEGE LIFE BY E J. May, author Of
.Iouis's School Days." &c, with Illustrations New
York: d. Appleton Co. 1856.
Ne have never seen "Louis's School Days."
,be former production of this author; but from
a. sppreciative notice of that work year or
,so since, in the London Atheneuns, we were
nrepared to sit down to an examination of a
new volume, by the same author, with some
rrspossessions. We have not been disappoint-
ID. and after careful perussl of this work,
va can say that it is one we think of superior
merit. It's tone of morals is high, the stamp of
+, religious character is that of the Bible,
which is freely quoted. The conduct of the
s.oryis good. 1t belongs to that class of books
which will profit the young and old-the former,
% II introduces them to persons of their own
ace. and developes the temptations and trials to
,gb;cb the Youthful mind and heart are often
exoosed and the latter, as it commends the
kindly spirit with which the maturer in life
should seek to discipline those who are pass
ing through similar periods and scenes of
which they have had experience. College life
At the universities in England, though differing
n the exact form and arrangement of details
from those in our own, still, too, has such a
similarity, that the student here will recognise
the feelings he finds described; and, we should
lone. NAV borrow lessons of wisdom from the
honest and faithful bearing of Louis Mortimer,
"a depicted in these pages. There are some
scenes. too Of touching pathos. The death of
the Young heir on the day he attained his ma
;or;tv after having won all the high honors of
he university. is told with much effect and
tine end of ambition, in one of its least OBJ
;ectionable forms, teaches the vanity of all
,bose who "build too low" while their hopes
are not set above mere earthly things. The
reward. too, of perseverance in humble, self
DENYING duty. is beautifully exemplifed in
other examples. A severe rebuke is admins
tered to the Puseyite formalities which have
found place among many in the established
Church of England, while at the same time
the outward correctness, and in many instan-
ces earnest devotedness of some of these men,
as well as the want Of candor Of those who
condemn, are suitably noticed. On the whole,
,be volume is written in a fair and commend
able spirit towards the different classes of Chris
tisns: and while, no doubt, individuals in other
churches may think that perhaps the authoress
leans, as is natural, to her own church, very
probably had they been in her place, there
might have been greater sacrifice of candor
and Justice. We cannot say that we like all
The Illustrations for, with one or two excep-
tons, they might be much improved. s.
TIE HOMESTEAD on THE HILLSIDE, and other Tales BY
Mrs.. Mary J. Holmes, author of Tempest and Sun
.sine," and The English Orphans" New York and
Auburn: Miller, Orion, Mulligan. 1886
Some of these tales we believe we have seen
published elsewhere separately, and, in our
view, it would have been better for the au-
thor's literary reputation had they so remained.
Many things which may be passed over in the
more ephemeral form, must be subjected to a
seyerer review when embraced as parts of
fallszed volume. There is great inequality
in these products of the authors mind. Two
or three of them may rank perhaps somewhat
above mediocrity, but the greater portion of the
volume appears to us to fall considerably below
it. The attempts at wit too often degenerate
into vulgarity, and the namby-pamby character
of the first tale, which gives name to the work,
greatly mars all there is in it of a contrary
kind.
In her portraits, or personages, the author,
IN the evident effort to make them effective
sketches Of living men or women, loses sight
Of the NATURAL so that they border on carica-
ture, or become tame repetitions. The great
defect Of such writing is, that while in its out
lines it may be truthful, in its filling up in the
picture there is falling off, and the whole is
destitute of naturalness. The last part of the
book is the best, as the characteristics we have
mentioned are not frequent or glaring. The
author might evidently do better, were more
attention paid to her style in some particulars;
and if she should harmonic the discrepancies
of characters, the effect would be more impress
sive. This, however, could hardly be expected,
II, as We conjecture, these talks are but gather
ed up from hastily thrown off supplies of some
periodical 8.