The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-03
T H e r EVE w

The Mini'ter's Woong. By Harries Beecher Stowe
New York Derby & Jackson, lig Nassau street
1889.
1t is great misfortune for writer to have
once made decided hit" "a misfortune, how
ever, which most writers would probably en-
counter with very great degree of Christian
resignation.) Mrs. Stowe, having once set the
world on fire with Uncle Toms Cabin, is ex-
pected to produce similar confagration every
time she lights her candle which, as the world
can be burned up only once, will readily be
seen to be somewhat difficult operation.
We have never been able TO recognise the
propriety Of this. Columbus made voyage,
and discovered new continent. He made
several voyages afterwards, but discovered no
more continents. Yet Columbus was probably
just as heroic, just as persevering, on his Sec
ond and third, as on his first voyage; and more
skillful, experienced, and wise.
A woman went down into the Valley of the
Shadow of Death, and the signing of the pris-
oner fell upon her ear-the wailing of them
that sit in darkness lamentation, and weep
ing, and great mourning-and her lips were
touched with a living coal from off the
altar. When she came back into the sweet
the heart of humanity, and the world knew, as
it never knew before, that fearful Crime,
great and bitter Sorrow was smoulderng in the
bosom of our beloved Land-last born, and
fairest among the nations.
But such experiences come only once in
lifetime; and though they must undoubtedly
make all subsequent experiences somewhat
tame and trite, they ought not to be allowed to
interfere with subsequent highest excellence
to make gold become dim-to change fine gold
into base alloy.
Only once was Paul caught up into the third
heaven to hear unutterable words; but after.
wards he was in labors abundant, in stripes
above measure, in prisons frequent, in deaths
oft.
Mrs. Stowe will never write another Uncle
TOMS Cabin. That point may as well be set
tied once for all but we do protest against
Uncle Toms being cast into the teeth of every
book she does write. 1t is simply impossible
that any work of hers should ever again so stir
the depths of our being. That was entirely
novel, unexpected, and startling. The non-
chalant public were taken aback. We were
quietly going, one to his farm, another to his
merchandise, when misunderstanding hap
pened Now, whenever it is announced that
Mrs. Stowe has a new work in hand, we inev-
itably stop the machines, unyoke the oxen, and
wait on tiptoe for something to happen again.
Of course, we are disappointed.
THE frs, was living fire, the a lhIill;u
but it is not necessarily the fault of the writer
nor is it in fact anybody's fault 1t is only
law of the human organization.
But it as fault, if we attempt to decry the
author-to lay at her door our own constitu-
tional inability to be by her second time
unexpectedly spirited away in a frenzy of pas
sion, laughter, and tears. What we mean to
say is this: The book should be judged by its
merits, and not by comparing the effects it pro-
duces on us, with the effects produced by her
former work because those effects were not
owing solely to the manner in which she treat
ed her theme, but in large measure to the
theme itself, which fired and filled her, DOS
sessed itself of her genius, and changed her,
for time, from large-hearted and clear
Drained woman, to an inspired Pythoness.
What we mean to say is, secondly, this. The
present book, and any which Mrs. Stowe shall
in the future write, may or may not be as good,
artistically and Intellectually viewed, as her
previous work. 1t may indicate a greater or
a less degree of power-of native endowment
and careful culture; bat we should be very
cautious in pronouncing sentence, because,
however conscientiously we may endeavor to
let our "eyes look right ON, and our eye-lids
straight before Us" to this sole object, it is
every way probable that vague and misty
" Cabin viii loom dimly behind it, endeavor-
ing to distract our attention, and pervert our
Judgment; and the more sure we are that we
are judging dispassionately, the more probable
is it that we are not Of all stubborn and re-
bellious, stif.necked, and perverse individuals,
your man without prejudice = is the most so;
for when man is aware that he is sometimes
in danger of letting his feelings override his.
reason, it is because he is prejudiced only in