, 1863-12-30
LITERARY.


LITEEAIsE.
HARD TIMES, 1T C1iAR1rs Drc1;r3.. New
& C: eA1~-0': ~ - os'Ess,s'
Hard Times is another Of the series of the
Household edition of Dickens printed on
the beet and whitest of paper, and bound in
eupcsb style. Tho Illustrations arc from the
pencils Of barley and John Gilbert, and are
perfect gems Of the eng1nver's nrt. The Sec
ond volume contains The conclusion of Hard
TimcR, lis Christmas story Of last year, and
q series Of inimitable sketches in tho repor-
toran style, which have appeared in House
hold Words.'' The two volumes In mechani-
cal appearance ere fully equal to their prede-:
ccssorB, and should be in every library that
boasts Dickens.
aAr. New To,k: Harper s Bros; GAicago:
: These delightful papers are reprints from
the Cornliu Magazine, and are off hand
sketches on current topics, mainly Of the
eatirical turn, as arc all of Thackeray's pro-
-ductions We may. be guilty Of heresy in
prefcrripg Thackeray's shorter papers to his
labored works, although We remember de-
ightful old Pendcnnis and petulant Becky
Sharp. The Roundabout papers are fully
worthy place beside the authors contribu-
tions to Punch in lis earlier days, and will
prove just the book for these long wlnter
evenings The last article-Ni1 nisi bonuu-
for its kind, brave words should commend
itself and its writer to every reader. While
there are many bittor things in this book
there are so nanny aunny ones, such q wei
coming of all good men and brothcrly
acknowledgment OF authors, that you will
rise from its perusal, thankful for such o
writer.
BREAKFAST N BED, nx- Gson1E AUGUSTUS
SALA. New York: John Bradbu1n; Chicago:
sc. GtiggB & Co.
Sala is a new name in literature, Bone
-mfan name; o man who camo penniless to
London, wrote m article in chop house to
get his dinner, cent it to Dickens, and in hoe
sfgro commenced his upward career in the
literary world. Twice Round the Clock"
"Hogarth," /" " Tie Seven Sons of Mammon,"
&c, flowed rapidly from his facile pen, aud
now comes his philosophy betTeen the sheets
and most pleasant philosophy it is, too; COM
meuc1ng with Lord Dundrcary, and ending
with Juliet, "The Lady in the Balcony"
somewhat local In character, but sufficiently
cosmopolitan to interest everybody. We
can speak most PLEASANTLY Of this little book
now, for We fear VIC may have to say some
very unpleasant things ere long Of George
Augustus, whose pen{has now been purchased
to write his sketehy sentences in the interest
Of the bogus confederacy. But, laying that
aside, Philosophy in Bed is piquant gossipy
book, and very attractive.
S0uNDINGS FROM TIE ATLANTIC, 1T OH
TER WEEDRLL HoLMEs. Boston: Ticknos s.
Fields; chicago: s. c. Griggs s Co.
The collection Of papers originally appear
ing In the Atlantic -3tonthly comprises
"Hread and the Newspapers - that splendid
little prose lyric, "My hunt after the Cap
tein," which comes home to every heart; the
''ste1eoscopc and the stcreograph' and 'ssnn
Painting and Sun. Sculpture" "'Doings Of
the Sunbeam" all clothing in the warm tints
Of bis word painting, the wonderful pro-
cesscs OF the Photographic art. "Tle Great
Organ'' nlso furnishes the Autocrat theme
for his descriptive powers and .'Palmer's
Artificial Legs" tempt one to selfamputatlon
for tho pleasure Of Etumping round, with an
artificial leg. Oliver Wendell Holmes is to-
day one Of the brightest ornaments Of Amer
lean litcsature. Oyerrnnning with quiet hu-
NOR and broad satire, philosorhlcally grave,
scholarly in style, his works are destined to
form portion Of the American Essayists, in
the years to come. We can conceive Of no
moro pleasant books for the coming Jannary
evenings thanthc delightful papers Of Dickens,
Thackery, sala and Holmes, the best sketch
writer's Of the day. Read this one sentence
from "The Inevitable Tria1'' in the Eoudinys,
and sec If you can refrain from purchasing
the book:
On Friday, tho twelfth day Of tho month OF
ApTl, ~ the year Of our Lord eighteen hundred
afternoon, cannon was aimed and fred hy tho
t.ess belonging TO- to The United States ba
years, shaped and cooled IN tho mo6id Of maliE-
nant deliberation. Its wad was tho charter 81
@ he wah bole the bo Ct Raotsd
sovereignty. AS the echo OF Its thunder died
away, the telegraph clicked one word through
every Office Of the land. That word was WAnI
TIE ATLANTIC MONTHLY for January COM
meuccs The new year with feast Of good
things, Harriet Prescott contributes cray"
one Of her graceful and ssnsuous sketches,
connected with the rebellion: Agassiz con-
tfnucs his charming articles on the formation
OF glaciers; Lowell contributes touching
memorial, somewhat Of the Emerson cast, on
the death OF 3 friend; Holmes has a capttal
article on Beechcr as the "plenipotentiary,"
and Harriet Beecher Stow disconrses on the
.'rayagcs OF carpet" In manner which
will at once commend itself to the gentle
men Of the old school; Longfellow furnishes
an installment Of three cantos from Dante,
very literally and smoothly translated.
THE NORTH BEI11su REVIEW, {Lconard
Scott, New York; las come to hand. The
Sx.lo SrT@ lr%t,
Of the water are papers on the sAncicnt
glacierB and iccbergs of Scotlnnd;" s'The
Leaforth papers" giving autograph letters Of
George ": TING, and bringing out some new
points in the lives Of Scott, Byron, Charles
Lamb, DeStsel, rs well as some piqnaut gos-
sip Of the court ladies' and courtiers; *'Rc-
cent Geogrnpl lical Discovery and Research; )"
IA voyage to Alexandria, and q glimpse Of
Egypt" full Of entertaining information;
and a fascinating paper on tho old Morse
monarchs sHarold Hardrada md Nagnus, the
Good.n