Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-06-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS..

The Bobbin Boy; or, How Nat got his Learning. An
example for youth BY William NJ. 1hayer Bos-
ton; J. J.. lilton Co. Brattleboro, for sale by
FELTON,.
"Thc design of this volume" says the author in
his preface, is to show the young how odd moments
and small opportunities may be used in the acquisition
of knowledge The hero of the tale-NAr-s Il iv-
ing character, whose actual boyhood and youth are
here delineated-an unusual example of energy, in
dustry, perseverance, application, and enthusiasm in
prosecuting life purpose" We have had the pa
thence to read the book through with considerable care
and prepared to endorse the following from the
Boston Daily Adrertiser:
ave should regard this book as beneath notice were
1t not for the unfortunate and unfair prominence which
has been given TO it pretended biography of Gov
ernor Banks, which 1t is not, in any proper sense
whatever. Ii is piece of that worst sort of erl-
ture-a fictitious narrative conforming very slightly to
few facts, nnordlng sIccious foundation for the
belief that 1t may be genuine In the accomplished
hands OF Washington Irving this sort of writing was
sometimes amusing, in his History of New York ="
and sometimes simply dull, in his astoria" But
in the hands of the author of this volume the thing
worse than dull; it is silly and ridiculous. The book
processes moreover to be childs book and is elab-
orely written down to what supposed to be the
comprehension Of simple minds, in conflict with
principle well understood by the best writers for chill
dren that they thoroughly despso this sort of com
position. Any child that can read such book Mt all
can understand good plain English, and nothing more
than purity and elegance of language need be attemp-
ted The book is bad in plan and execution, and we
only speak of it for the purpose of saying, that no
part OF the rcuc that justly belongs to this puerile
work can with any propriety attach to the statesman
upon whose reputation it hangs like parasite"
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