The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-05-26
LITERATURE.
7s TRUST or DIR. BEn1RANp's HOUSEHOLD; by Ani"H'
IA NJ, Douglass Boston Lee & Shepard.

to lie on a sofa all day long and reao no'ei~' Als
there are perhaps, few persons VINO Cal, ple"A
not guilty to the ''soft impeachment ol i,"'lHS' ,
as some time of their lives, devoured notes WV
moro eacerness than any other "oEAs - 80
+nre We are afraid to guess now HAL! ''n"'.
,,,ot;c;ans have been beguiled from the propiei,s
NJ EUCLID by the romances OF SCOTT %i'oi, w.
In l;lo attempting TO count the SANDS OH 'he s'"
ohoro TO enumerate the school hilssc' "Ao -
-ro,,t themselves blind over the norfo"e VI W.
tbern Presses have groaned, puipi'S haNo iu.Ni
-. tod AGAINST this passion for novel readin9, put
otI T., no purpose; for novelists have found' ana
vii, continue to find, twenty times asmany read
org 40 historians or 9essayists This loveof tca-
tious tales is not local or temporary passions 1or
centuries ago the bearded Oriental listened MIN
grave grave delight to the romance OF the ltieeran'
story-teller, as he does this day IN the coHee-
houses Of Stamboul. -. - &. Z. ,......i b.
=; But it is only of Late years that novels nave
exerted potential in1uencc-that sound morai-.
lists instead of uselessy arguing against popular
taste. have wisely turned it to account. Gredt
,,ovests are great teachers of their race: Truths
which presented uuclad and unadorned would fali
TO command attention, when personifed or speak
ing from the lips of imaginary personages are re-
ceiyed directly in tie popular heart. We can be
furnished with no better evidence of the popularl-
tv which novels have obtained than the fact that
some of our abest writer's adopt1the novel as the
best means OF securing the popular ear; and IN
the present day we read novels of the historical,
philosophical, polemical, ddGctic. military aud
nautical order-iu word, every theme that hui
man intellect pursues has been treated of in novel
form.
The work before us is from the pen OF one
whom, We believe, has just made her debut in the
literary arena-and, without belonging to the
sssensational" order, we predict for it decided
success. 1t is quietly intense representation OF
deep, yet simple, feeling and sentiment; possesses
q lofty moral tone, and IN elc thread OF romance
which is ekilfully woven with the story, we are won
by noble character of Richard Bertrand and the
tonchincc pictures Of woman's love, in the life OF
Daisy. Much originality cannot be claimed for
+be nlot: but the charm Of the book lies in the
,;se.Ike manner in which her characters are
drawn. It is difficult to bring ones self to beeye
that they have no real existence; they do not ap-
pear like dim images in the picture gallery OF
memory, but host Of friends whom we have met
and known. IF any fault can be detected IN this
novel, it must be in the introduction OF minor
characters that do not assist in the working OF
the plot. But we are not disposed to critlcise as
rigidly the efforts Of females as those OF the
sterner sex the authoressneeds at first the smiles
OF an encouraging put to urge her to renewed
efforts-and, in addition, they have 80 many bar
riers Of prejudice to overcome. tits LoNeFELLow
was says:
"what we admire in woman.
Is her affection, not her intellect"
This sentiment is unworthy poet; the mind as
well as the heart claims sympathy, and there is
no sympathy hut in equality. We need in woman
the completion Of our own natures, to win us by
the beautiful to whatever in the present life or the
immortal is deserving great ambition; we need
her purer vision to pierce for US the mysteries
that are hidden from our senses, strengthened
but drilled in the rude shocks Of the outdoor
world, from which she is screened by her pursuits
We care little for any of the mathema clans, meta
physicians or politicians, who, as shamelessly as
HELEN, quit their sphere. Intellect IN woman, so
directed, we do not admire, and OF affection such
women are Incapable. She whose true vocation 1t Is
to write, has some sort Of inspiration which re-
lieyes her from the processes and accidents OF
knowledge, to display only wisdom in all the range
of gentleness and all the forms OF grace. The
equality of the sexes is one Of the absurd ques-
tions which has arisen from denial OF the DIS
tinco7,s of their faculties and duties-of the mas
culine energy from the feminine refinement. The
rude sort of women cannot comprehend that there
is distinction not of dignity but Of kind, and 30
casting aside their own eminence, for which they
are too base, and seeking after ours, for which
they are too weak, they are hermaphroditish dis
turbers Of the peace of both.
In the main, American women are free from this
reproach; they seem to know their mission, and
haye carried on the threads of civilty through;the
years 30 strained that they have been melodious-
ly vocal with every breath Of passion from the
common heart. We turn from the jar Of sem
ates, from politics. philosophers, and all forms OF
intellectual trial and conflict, to that portion of
our literature which they have given Us; coming
like dews and flowers after glaciers and rocks, the
hush of music after the tragedy, silence and rest
after turmoil of action. We predict that Miss
DOUGLASS will be cassed before the lapse of many
years with the BRoNTE sisters and GEORGE Ell
IIoT," and we heartily commend her novel to our
readers.
1t can be procured at Messrs. E. ]. DAWSON &
Co., Hayne street, to whom we are indebted for a
handsomely bound copy.
BORDER BAsr1LE; By the author of Guy Living
stone
The CORE spondent of tho London Morning Post
has written very readable book, with the above
title. The aim of the author was to cross the
Potomac and offer his services as volunteer aid
to the Confederate cause, either with his pen or
his sword. He has drawn graphic picture Of
his movements to attain this object, and sketched