The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-06


Prom the Loud n Atheneum, Jan. IL
We have HAD loo from tia tins TO record our
opinen 4 tne iissi fy OF American BOOKS which come
IN shoals toto or caesp lte AZURE: gentle dulues AMI
milo zeal 1T ssfD seligous character have been gene
rally the mi suiss to be laid to ther cha go. the
nghly improbable CAS- o. characters ami Incl ente
rsised certain wooder how rad nal neiogs could De
found u take delight in ,uch resopg wells from
the ss1e prolific source, which before us are
o. m'e pretentoos sss, ane have sns Of deeper Dye
IL lhey come 70 ,his cuotry average sp,cimsns of
iul gr an America novels or il thes farnish only
tell emblng picture OF Aaeic IN society We can
on y cay he 10 the nation hat ia gu 81 ase
The frst point mat skes strange is he evidences Of
the deeply scared Influence of Ffeach Tue de-
scnptions OF PAGES and charac T. III conver4auou
the of thought, all svincs ambitious, restless
desire IL wJi, speak, think describe ks Bszso Du.
and Eug- Sue The effect Is curious, aud
oes parcel ot distant coonists DIRE ssd ia second
of wholesome individuality; bat instead there are
French A-hiop and inita ion G Frsoch renemsnt. The
6u htyism Is however genuine cough and Il shown ia
tbh love ct rtes-in be worsaIp pmps and vso les,
fine etbss q, upholstery and French cookery Iftae
render re ib lined think evece we will pro-
cetd % how ceuse for our judgment.
HiiEN IEBsoN psofe. 10 be peep ut New York
ciety Helen IL this iiul d,ugher ~ An oxtravA-
gait Ate lean chant the verge of bankruptcy,
choss o. hope l. tnat Heleu will mske some brilliant
match Her dresses descTioed at full Length, aud
with s ,he miautsness Of petit courier dies d1ss.
Two Eiei hm' N Lord De Veie aud his nephew Sir Ar
Chi osa Gu ney goos ths round OF fashion Ds
Ita lee, and hen Lesson aptyates SIR Acehb.i. ras
An eicsIh are ~ ignorant the Frau b aoout Fog
lisb titles. they ala upon m-nng their
Nth ooet, eutrest the e.
baronst suot addressed as My Lord Lnr ia he
DaD Az Hr-n loo, ing surprisingly Lively IN dress Of
white tue .mbr aerea ~th gDa hec fair bro crowned
wi weata OF Colleen grapes, lssyes the bail ~ three
In he moInieg "a jyfai sersa iou disa her heart .,
But ala '' he best laid schemes aud gang
OIL ee,'-as ste l. crsing home, without
ara man syines into IL, calling cut TO tne dcives
"koeer-go on" She Il sd es.ed 90 In mild voice
wtch = eniisey unknown 70 he cntreasiag der MT t.
be errhed-upon which she fsiats away. and her
psnioD, who bad apparently prepared himself foe the
tmergerey, battles her 'empies with c,ogns water
she l. then taken 20 lonely c1unty honFo waere In
IS email psrlor cimly illuDinaea elderly
gent emtn VINO tells her hny ram sug st rry about
bis wrong ard bis ieverge, At IN, ead OF which tie
door q snott er opens and discotes clergy
standing In his robes. Helen, arter tearing off
" wratn of golden grapes" is married IN % form TO
In her csInsge, ara IN paroxysn OF despair. she
AXIS The friend 10 whom she cObidss her mis-
tsi prospect was before me--snn what viii sir A chi
bald think o. the change ia my msanerf" "Come,
cone, Eey" replies her Ii.ud, 'yoa do n. Tor
that yourg ipeignhcsn' shoot ~ ish nobn y" The
husband Who is represented victim 70 unfostu-
nate passion for his unxiicg BRIDE vsa ate NOT
" soften her heart takes his passage Ia the Gamer
Atsntc aud sbsnr ons bis home aud his sountry Tor
ever. helen, At or his departure keep, her counsel
and pluness in all the "esviies Of the sessoa' out
when Waiter Cray ~ her eri)os husband Is called
has fary ne beyond reca she proceeda to TALL in
with his emory. The author, having higsI blamed her
pew insepsbiy proceeds reward her yirtus In
Ieenting she is taken journey TO Europe and wui =.
travelling in Switzerland, Is overtaken by storm,
s1d driven n for ", shetsr . to cottage
velvet" in n style OF elegant upaos cry; aud in
small ianS,us,y, Ten fee; squsre aat entirely
gilt lamp hanging from the ceiling she sees q
PEDESTAL Of beautifully wrought white bic upon
which lay the wreath Of golden grapes" she mad torn
oh'' on the occasion OF her ma crlgs. Suddenly her
husband stands before her; Ani after fainting
away there is rapturous ,iation. Hs expai
her in despair Of ever winning her affections he pur-
cbased this cottage ~ then proceeded 10 furnish IL to
suit my mi-suthIopic sastes-to sarraand myself With
are married over sgan wi their full consent and
go back to America, where they live hsppy after
But there il yet moral to this tale which too cha
racelistic to be omitted Shortly afrec msrriage
is Invited to family festival for which she has
She receives "a box ontsinng wats MORE antique
dress with thesd lace fOunces and exqus to couture
Of white feathers" How have deser 7ed much lovs
exclaimed Eelen "By walking steadily in the path Of
further 60
LILY, by the author Of " Busy Moments Of m Isls
Woman" cannot boast the absur6iy OF Helen Leesou
but II has the original sins Of prize vanity and
vugaIiy: the dressing Of the heroines and the adonng
Of their boudcrs might advertisements for the
mantus.makers and upholsterers. There is worldly
carries desperate Irritation with the bad hero 10
an imitation French coquet:e-who sweeps about su-
and Who m es sS ss ans
with initials In dead gold wherein she praises Lily the
heroine. for being 80 crcumspec 10 disniasd and
free and easy manners" The hero sorry to say
has Creole MISTRESS who, stung vita Jealousy poi
Lily on the of her wedding day. and then goes and
browns herself; bnt this catastrophe crncs uuex
pecedy upon the epared reader that 1t drops like
stone, ard makes little impression. Those who
wish to know the choice conversation In fashionable
American society can fad specimens here Of Americans
~ painted by themselves.
CASTE STORY OF REPUBLICAN, EQUALITY, by s. Storey
Jr, novel of greater talent than the preceding ones
and belongs to . better class Of boob The Interest
turns upon the painful social difficulties enaled upon ali
who have colored blood In heir veins. 1. = story Of
social slave life far capable interest t. Europeans
than any negro wrongs, no xever eloquenty detailed
The heroine quadroon but ignorant Of her pxren
She on the point of marriage with the Of wealthy
planter when the secret Of her birth Is reveaed Her
mother had been beautiful half caste slave, ara she IA
herself born slave; the laws Of the State render
RIGGS between colored persons aud whites Illegal Tue
situation Is full of painful Interest The heroinss bro
ther, slave and quadroon like herself has married
aid is living happily with his young wife, In free Sta,
when the tidngs reach him, aud all the ties OF social life
melt like before the fatal factthst he IL white
man. The interest OF the book hinges entirely apon the
huth CT the situations and the evil ate that
takes two innocent who have Gone nothing
deserve, and can do nothing avert their desay The
story, rs story, might have beeu better written and
more broa6ly worked out. There il general fesbeness
OF effect ontasted with what might have be made
Of the subject but the social quesM II slavery ~ ea
spirit