New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-15
accurate and agreeable writer, .Dd his weEA Sees
equal credit to bic habits Of observs:on a1S ~
pswer Of expression.
MISS sEoGwIcK's NEW NOVEL.

Redwood" &c. vols. limo. hrpef Dio'h'''
Since the earlier writ pgs Of the author ofthis novel
won such cordial recognition among all lovers OF
humane and truthful literature, new epoch nas
been formed in the department Of fictitious comPo'
siton by productions Of widely different stamp
The public taste has been stimulated by vivid
exhibitions of passion, acute analytic dissectlons OF
character and their reconstruction and portral.ure
with III, mest intense coloriDg Of fancy. a high
degree of artistic skill hiss been demanded IN the
arrangement of the plot, and in many cases it has
been sought 70 dazzle the Imagination by brilliant
pictures, rather than TO satisfy the sense Of truth
by Just conceptions or accurate de,neations OF hu
man nature. The fame Of Miss Sedswick reposes
on different foundation. She has never appealed
for the interest of her works to the morbid love OF
excitement never attempted to array Der chsrac'
tiers in any other than natu al costume. bias not
gone out of her way in pursuit Of the strange,
the fantastic, or the horrible,--has shown
no tendency to extravaganza, either In
thought or expression but has quietly selected
her materials within the range Of every
day experience, gathering Illustrations from
the onsoipgs of domestic life, the buildings Of
youthful promise, and the rpened satisfacs;ons Of
a noble career of wisdom and virtue. No Amer
lean writer has been more felictOus in the de-
scripton of natural scenes in the retirement of the
village, or shown more sagacity in threading the
mazes of vanity and folly IN artificial Life. Her
perceptions are sipgulary truthful, Der oeservaat
faculties never sleep, her pictures are portraits,
and not caricatures her infrequent comments are
puneent though without bitterness. With a sound
and active intellect, her highest inspiration flows
from the sweet fountain Of her moral nature. She
always watches reverently for the monitons
of conscience, though she is neither
prude nor pedant Her instincts are
NOT only those Of genuine woman, but OF one
with an Unborn affinity with whstever Is noble
lovely, ard of hieb honor. She has remarkable
sen,e Of 6tness, harmony--the right thing IN the
right place. Dhcorjs jar upon her healthy, mu-
steal temperament. She feels keeniy the beauty OF
moral adaptation, even in the humolest routine II
life. Her favOrite characters IRE evidently those
who combine liberal stock Vf common sense with
quick and tender impulses, sud a native aversion
to wrong doing. She has no fancy for people
who are always on the verge Of perdltion, aud
who, if saved from turning out 70 be villains
and wretches, owe il more to some happS
accident of circumstance THAI to any germs Of
goodness in their own nature Her love OF moral
DIG pely determines the character Of her plot. aud
tinccures her style of expression. Inc worst per-
sons whom she attempts to deneste are usually
saved frcm deep d.mnafioD, or b vail Is charts'
II fasfuv In
this respect her aversion the recital of evil sonis
times, We think, blinds her 20 the intentions of
nature, who in compromising Inc elements of rep
rebate seldom fails 20 aifcrd the chance OF tier
deyecpment Untl We know more OF the mys!e
ries of hfe one is tempted 10 think that the f,rma
ton of dad subjects" enters an largely into her
plan as the unfolding of saints aud angels
from the rubbish Of humanity. Miss Sedg
wick does not maize sufficient allowance for thi
fact, and accordingly kindly restrains her des
perats cases in mid career, or suffers then ~
slide easily out If sight WITH 10 heart to make
their dement's conspicuous, or to give deepe'
effect 20 her story by representing tue bla;kest
shades of their character. Her dIction, ia like
maBner, takes its tone and coorng from her pure
billion, she would rather lose . point THAI gain
it by false embellisbuent, and though she never
sacrifices elegance and refinement, is clearly more
intent on giving faithful expression Of her own
mind than On exciting the admiration of her
readers.
The novel now newly lbished forms an apprs
pirate counterpart 70 her former predictions. IL
bears the mark OF the author SO plainly rhs. it
would be impossible 70 mistake its origin. No one
but Miss Sedgwick could have written 10; nor could
Miss Sedswici have written anything " dely lis
opposite. To the taste Of many readers, pam
pered and spiced up with all manner Of neasipg
condiments, it may seem to wait animation. Inc
narrative certainly moves at very deliberate
pact is als) encountered with al excessive
variety of dt taiIs-muct Of il 10 thrown iutO the
form VI letters, which in spite Of the example OF
Rousseau and Goethe, ~ do not think happy
mold in which 70 cast the materials OF tcton.
Tie ure Of IN opp0rtuOe lawsuit for the
unfolding OF a plot 10 almost too hackoeyed for
80 inventive wrIer as Miss SrdgNick, and Ia the
hands Of a wonan, Who ia necessarily stranger 20
ID strife and stratageus Of the forum can hardly
be tprosd 10 the most effective account Even
Mise Edge1o rih has been shrewdy criticised Tor the
defect of her celebrated tIai scene in Vivian. ard
cur author caa not expect 10 fare better than her
gifted prototype. The interest Ut the story 10 gen
eral, dspend, lees on lie mo'euent Of the pot,
which, thoush It presents Seine powerful and eI'
ci.i,g scenes, for me most part preserves
4 treDquil domestic toue, than on is Lappy
descriptions O.. character, and its accurate
illustrations Of the ey-rts Of common lilo.
Ll.anCr aid Grace, the leading female feures 10
tie gtup are admirably conira.trd IN the calm, IN