The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-11-10
Vol. XIII.

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the weakness Of her sex, instead Of shown
that she has soul and mind Of her own iDfe
rior to none.'
This is good, sound, common sense, deliver.
ed in straightforward Saxon words, and we lie
it. 1t comes from the heart, and goes TO tbo
heart and we should not object to "morer
There is also clear, honest, democratic
northwest wind, which contrasts favorably with
the heavy hot house perfumes which disgust in
so many American novels. But Beulah is too
angular. She talks out in clear cut words tho
thoughts that should only float dreamily. Thu
characters, generally, have a way of soliloop;
zing in well-defined periods. Dr. Hartwell. stand
ing alone in his garden, stretches ont his arms
and exclaims, Truly thou art nv mother doc.
old earth feel that am nearly allied n tbv
divine beauty Starry night, and wbisner;r,
winds, and fragrant flowers yea, and even The
breath of the tempest all, all, are parts Of nv
being" Mrs. Chiffon, watching by the bedside
OF Beuah, frames in set speech her murderer,
thoughts. Beulah, in her own room. takes tho
flowers from her hair, and harangues bersaIr
as to her plans for the future; or, leaning On,
OF the window, mutters her musing in very wall.
turned sentences. Enthusiasms and rantures
agonles and indignations, whether experienced
alone or in company, are worded with rba,o.
tic and volubility that induce suspicion ortba;r
depth. We are continually an formed that the
blood surges in a lava-tide to the cheeks-tbot
a gray, ashen hue settles over the whole face
that the white lips grow fixed and ripid-tbst
Dlup cfo nd
brow-that the hands are clnched spasmodi.
cally, and the eyes burn like stars; but some.
how we manage to breathe very freely ourselves
through the whole of it. The effect is TO mako
the book melodramatic. The emotions are. if
we may borrow term from the metaphysiciaps
objective, and not subjective We stand Off and
look at them, but are not borne along with then.
Not for moment is there any illusion. Not
for moment are we oblivious of the fact that
we are reading description.
We consider also that Beulah's idea ofipda.
pendence is an altogether mistaken one. Her
rejection Of DR.. Hartwelps assistance IS upac.
countable on any other grounds than want Of
delicacy IN her own organization. She believes
him to be entirely noble and sincere. and she
loves him. Had she been able to detect the
slightest shade Of selfshness, Of disposition
to take advantage of her dependence, Of any
motive below the highest, she would have besn
justified in the course she chose to pursue Ru,
feeling as she did towards him. we cannot ron.
ceive why she should not have acceded to his
wishes, and secured the happiness of both.
Does she not know that where love is. depepd.
ence IS no degradation? that where love is 70
receive favors is to confer the very highest ia.
vor? and that the very fact that she was able 70
take care of herself would only have made the
gift more priceless and complete? But Beulab
seems to have been unable to root out of her
mind the dollars and cents her guardian would
expend on her account Nathalie thought not
thus-Nathalie, between which and Beulab
there are more points of resemblance in plot
and fewer in character, than is well-Natbalie
gays to her lover, in the garden 81 am a Door
girl now, but shall be rich one day. All this
will be mine," 1--WE quote from memory. in
which we are sorry to be obliged to say We
have not the facility of Beulah and her friends.
who spin off half page or a page from Emer,
son. Cousin, and the like, without the slightest
effort We found it quite enough to read those
people, let alone learning them by heart,) 81 am
so glad all this is coming to me through YOU.
l am happy to be mistress here, because you
will be master" And Nathalie was right.
Beulah shows also want Of delcacy in he
intercourse with Clara.
She does not hesitate to inform her. in no
doubtful language, that there is a great gulf be-
tween them, in point of intellect and taste.
though we must say that, for girl who is to
act simply as a foil to Beulah, and " play the
fool, we think Clara talks remarkably well. The
scene Ofthe examination, where Beulah delivers
her valedictory address, is hool-girlish in the
extreme. The various occasions during berchild.
hood and youth, when she is informed. directly
or indirectly, that she is ugly and beggarly or.
phan, seem to us harsh, unnatural and ugged in.
We do not believe the homeest head-piece"
in the world was ever subjected to treatment so
cold-blooded and cruel. Little Pauline seems
to us the mOst-we might almost say the only
pleasing and natural character in the book.
The wickedness of the wicked is too unmixed.
The devil is too cunning to let his followers
make such mistakes. Not in this world are
the sheep and goats so distinctly marked; If
they were, we should be saved deal Of trouble.
The style of the book, particularly in the
dramatic parts, is crude. The learning, of which,
in the trausnendental line, there is a great
display is illdigested. 1t is reproduced in frag-
ments, rather than held in solution. Great
names in various languages are tossed hither
and thither with careless familiarity. Beulah
reads Sir William Hamilton's Philosophy of the
Unconditional in a single evening, and finds
that it contains Every little that was new;
the same trains Of thought had passed through
her mind more than once before; but here they
were far more clearly and forcibly expressed"
which must console Sir William for the lack of
novelty
We shall be very much surprised if the au-
thor, twenty years hence, does not say far worse
things about her book than we have said. The
apples are hard and green, but Of good stock:
when time shall have mellowed and ripened
them, they will be fair to the eyes, sweet to the
taste, and strengthening to the soul.
THE HARPER's FERRY FoRAY.- ChdrlestoUH,
NoUeUber 3.-Ehe counsel in Browns case have
filed exceptions to the decision Of the court re-.
fusing the motion for an arrest of judgment,
and will carry the case to the Court Of Appeals
now in session at Richmond. Mr.. Chiffon will
argue the case before that court. It may be
taken up in that court Immediately, but if not
decided before the day fixed for the execution,