The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1860-01-28
Communications.
For The Cecil Wing.
Miss Butts Book.


The Leisure Moments ofAliss Martha Haines
Butt. A. NJ. New York L. b. Long & Co.,
Muslin IL, mo. $l25.
This is an intensely stupid volume of 442
pages. 1t consists of one long story, entitled
Paragi," and sixty Or seventy short compo-
silions, in both verse and prose, with such fam
ciful captions as "Whisperings, patches, +"
STRAY Thoughts, Fragments Leaves, :"
etc, and is written by young lady of Nor
folk, Va. who had the honorary degree of
A. M. conferred upon her last summer by a
Female College, a: Harrisburg, Pa. In 1858
Miss Butt appeared before the reading public
with "Anti Fanaticism tale of the South"
and has been since that time we believe,
tolerably regular contributor to the Waverly
Magazine. Some two years ago she favored
Elkton with visit, when we felt in duty
bound to read her book. We attempted it:
but found it such a tumble of nonsense that
We flung it aside in disgust.
Several of our acquaintances. also, were
courageous enough to undertake the pcrusal
of this volume; but we have never vet seen
any person, that succeeded in finishing it.
Before Miss Butts appearance in our town we
had never even heard of her. But shortly
thereafter, The Neac York Herald, came out
with glowing euogum of 1.-THE beautiful
and accomplished Southern Authoress so well
and widely known as the writer OF "14uti-
Fdsc,naiion,' etc, and the numerous papers
that copied the article, all fell into the Same
error in regard to the title of the book-so
.amcntahly ignorant were their editors con-
corning 1.-THE celebrated authoress, and her
well-known Volume" Since that puff render
ed her so famous all at once. she has been
figuring in company with Madame lie Vert,
and Mrs. Richie, $50 the newspapers say,)
and the most persistent efforts have been made
to manufacture her literary reputation. -
The book now before us, Leisure Moments"
was announced several weeks in advance of
publication, and anumber of prominent liter
AIRY journals spoke of it in the highest terms
OF praise And since its publication an engra.
wing of the authoress has appeared in, at least
two of the N. Y. Pictorials. The Home Jour-
nal has favored its readers with Two columns
OF spice extracted from its pages, prefaced
with highly commendatory notice. Harper's
Weekly has pronounced it charming book,
and legion Of smaller journals have contrib
ucd their quota ofprase.
Fer these and divers other reasons, we were
induced 10 hire Leisure Moments" for one
day, and pay therefor one dime-we weren't
quite so jolly green as to invest dollar and
quarter in purchasing it-and the conclu-
sons we have arrived at, after examining the
book, these Gotham critics have been putting
at such rate, are that Miss Martha uaines
Butt, y. NJ, is an immitigated humhug = that
her Leisure Moments" is wshey -washey
trash of the weakest kind imaginab BILE that
the college that conferred the degree OLA. NJ,
upon her was either bought or sold, and that
certain New York editors are sadly deficient
in brains, or fancy their readers are egregous
noodles. But let US examine the book in
question. In "a word,' which supplies the
place of preface, the authoress Informs US
that her book contains not the sayings of
wei. experienced person, but of Young girl,
who has divided her time between ga cty and
study" Judging from the contents of this
volume, we incline to the belief that the
young glrl who, by the way, VIC learn from
Allbone was born in 1884, and isn't therefore
SO young as many one that uses better gram
mar and writes better English has q rGry
small portion of her time given to study.
whatever she may have done with the balance
oft. The dedication is to Miss Saunders,
and in rhyme, and opens in this wise:
"Fair one. thine eyes of brightest hue
DON I'LL my soul with rapture great,
They speak silent language too,
The music doth my soul clate."
This is pretty grammar for Mistress of
Art to use: and it isn't any wonder her soul
was elated with the music of silent language
The last stanza Of the dedication iuns thus:
"W no would not court the heavenly bliss,
The bliss thy gentle charms impart?
Oh! were | only sure of this,
Would cease the TIN obbinss ofmy heart -
Sure Of What? Fer the life of US, we can t
imagine. Let us however thank the gods its
no worse, and pass on. Here is one stanza
from another piece of rhyme entitled, "Where
does beauty dwell 2"
"Ask me where doth beauty dwell7
Look to Nature, she will tell
Thee, that true beauty's there:
For beauty lieth everywhere.
We presume there refers to all out doors
But as we are something like the thirsty topper
with the milk, so Ear as true beauty is con-
cerned, we would like very much to know
whether it is "tied up in anything, or just
lying about loose ~
There are several similar pieces of doegercl
in the book, but we have had ian elegant suf-
ficiency" in that line; and will turn our atten-
ton for few moments to the prose. On the
first page we read, Il have brought Ut my
feet;'' and little further on, "I1e has made
contract in which there is 10 backing out"
Who ever read such nonsense1 But these are
nothing to some Of the specimens we select in
running our eye carelessly over the leaves
For instance: "Why should woman not talk?
Was it not to defend herself! She carries no
weapon of defense but that, and when properly
nen Il ,,,c II