, 1864-01-16


LITERARY.
THE NORTH AMERICAN REv1Ew.-This
standard periodical commences the new year
most auspicious1y under the editorial
arrangements by which Prof Lowell and Mr.
Charles Elliot Norton take charge. The new
editors possess admirable qualifications for
their important duties. Mr.: Lowell is IN
original thinker, an elegant scholar and fine
loct, While Mr.. Norton, perhaps less widely
known in the world Of letters, has attained
growing aud sure reputation rs a cultivated
scholar, and a man Of genuine nterary taste
and discrimination. The contents Of the present
number are: Ticknor's Life ofPrescott; The
Bible and Slavery; Tbs Ambulance System !;
The Bib1iotheca Sacra; immortality in Poll
tics; Tic Early Lifc Of Governor Winthrop; b;
Tho Sanitary Commission; Renan's Life Of
Jesus; The Presidents Policy and Critical
Notices. Here is table at Which Ill men may
sit and find food for thought. The critical
notices are discriminatiye but courteous aud
are valuable indiees 10 literary merit. The
North <inf7ied, under its present editorial
management will reach position unsur-
passed oren by the English reviews and
quartcrlics. .
Huss4S NATURE IN THE WINTHROP FAM
1LT.-An esteemed correspondent scnds us
the following readable and happy sketch of
the new volume, &c The Life and Letters Of
John W1nthrop:''
HThis book is exceedingly curious and yalu-
valuable, not only for its confirmation Of
what every Etndent Of history knows-that
John Winthrop had a certain deep religious
consecration, which went far to Lift him into
the great place he occupies in our history,
but for Its revelation Of what hitherto had
not been made 50 clear, that underlying MI
this, hehad strong, genuine, fcrvent, human
nature, and was just the sort Of man to help
found the New England colonies. The Win
throps indeed were stout md sturdy race
Adam Winthrop, the true founder OF the fam-
lily, married in 1927; between November
1928 and June 1885, he has five children born
to him. There is no record Of when his wife
dies, hut In 1884 he marries again, he being
thirty-six and the lady eighteen. BY his sec
ond marriage eight children are born to him
thirteen In a1l. So this John again marries
when just turned seventeen. In ten years
and three months his wife dies, leaving him
still under twenty-eight, the father Of six
children. He evidently cherishes tender
memories of this first wife, but In
twenty days less than half year,
be mar1ies agaiu. Again in year
and a day he Is widoucr--and
the picture he has left Of the death Of this
second wife is one Of iEimitable beauty and
pathos: Blu. in six months from this time he
brings what seems to have been formidable
courtship to close, 1natries the third time,
still under th1rty-two, and so lyes happily
for ever after to the close of his prc-Amctican
history.
And 1t is curious to observe again the inter
play in this double life of the man-thc
stout human nature, with the stern Puritan
spirit. We wonder what that most perfect
fruit Of the Winthrop tree in this age, though
Of another branch-plucked, alas! all too
soon, ut Big Bcthel-wou1d have said to his
kinsman's conclusions about " ehootinge
with grnne.n SIT is against the law-it
ofIends-it wastes time-it tolls the body-it
is eengcrous-it brings no protlt-and, lastly,
for my own part, hayc taken great pains
End commonly got nothing for MY labor.
Therefore have resolved, If the Lord help
me, to give over srteoting" At one time he
tells uE low his heart WAS SO full that he for
got TO look after his supper. Again how,
eating heavy Shippers, he had become unit
for great Thoughts, 60 gave up the supper
and took to bread aud beer. Presently Ic is
back again to his eating mad drinking, and
has lost his peace. In London now he COM
neads his Sife's good cider and wants Some
mere, and row he eaYitee d fried i,ow- :. =. :.
about to send come to him, and directs him how
to tap it Now he writes to his son: "hr.
Rogers has set forth little book of faith.
Euy 1t, and buy me so1nc Leaf tobacco and
pipes" Again: "Buy me IN English Bible
and remember the stock1she" Again: ss We
Tant some more tobacco. had some very
gaod for scren shiIlings pound, at q shop BY
Holbo.n bridge. If yon tell the man il is for
the person that bought pound and q half
last term, he will use you we'll; want n
pound Of Virginia." But nearly two years
after, be enters In his diary what VIC fear few
will do that read this, and chucklc over this
habit in the great Puritan, for which they
have often felt condemned themselves ssTnc
Loard pardoned me, helping me to subduc
the flesh, so gave tobacco clean over" Here
is curious flash across $50 years, not unlike
what may have happened to-day in Chicago:
81 had a great ut Of impatience for matter
betwixt my wife and my mother" And here
an entry, that has in 1t more piety than ac-
quaintance with natural history: tt1 see
special Providence, that my wife taking up a
ynesa of dfTah ha{rro ann 1od not an ~
1t, she espied therein great spider" And
written In this year as in 1914, considering
the prize Of dry goods; 1t is letter to his son
in csllege: "You write for sheets. Ve have
none that We eau spare for you. Pray desire
your aunt to buy some cloth, and get them
made; the less will serve you, us you lie
alone" :.
The book is studded all through with these
little bits Of human nature playing freely or
blended with the austere Puritan spirit. And
to the reader who viii look directly into
these old letters and journals for himself, dis
regarding in great degree Robert c. Win
throp's conclusions, Indifferent whether
Holbein OF Higgs painted tho stout old
Adan-whcther the elegant Boston gentle
man visited the school at Bury st.. Edmund's
In July, 1850, with the, Right Honorable aud
Reverend Lord Arthur. Hcryey,, or with the
man who lights the fires, earnest only to see
The man john Winthrop, he will |see- also
how within his breast beat the heart Of
strong, fervent, sterling human nature: c..
TEE IAwrEn's sEcasr b. Miss ". E. ,Braddon.
RhtlsdePsa1, sn Ps1.n >: B. Peterson Bros Chicago
Rf;ee Rraf1dnn lis heronnjrer iut;ma+c1v