The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-26
litter A T u r e.


the taste and depraving to the morals of the
reader. There are some few, however, which
are 80 ridiculously original in their characters,
plot society," and denouement, that whatever IN
dgnation we might feel is swallowed up in the
keen sense of the comical.r To this class, harm
less because OF its gross absurdities, belongs
"Only q Woman's Hearth The plot of the novel
we can briefly sum up. There are two girls,
young ladies, we should say, in love with one
man. The heroines names are Laura and julia.
The hero answers to the euphonious title of
Victor Doria AS is the custom of the heroes of
fiction when placed IN similar positions, he en-
cages himself to the one he does care jot or
little for. The major part OF the work is con-
seuently devoted to his approaches to Laura,
while he remains afiianced TO Julia. This
honorable diversion is finally terminated by
Laura setting out on a sea voyage, whittier
Victor follows her. They are engaged, and when,
after three hundred pages of agony, their bliss
seems secured, storm arises which sinks the
ship and all its passengers, including the luck
less par. Such is the tale, neither particularly
moral In its thread or pleasant in its conclusion.
There are certain little eccentricties displayed
IN the narrative which we will quote, as scenes
taken from wnat we are assured Is real life.
The opening chapter is unique. A number OF
pupils of female seminary are indulging in
the feminine pleasure OF rowing. A discus
sion ensues, which terminates in second
Austerlitz. We let Miss Glare describe the
scene:-
"here such skirmish of words ensued between
the two girls, hat, had not the boat arrived at
convenient spot Tor embarkation naval battle
would certainly have cOnvulsed the peaceful water
OF tnat snailow stream But no sooner dId 1t toucn
Ian nh lg-
cuOusll at each other. The other ghls, taking
bOisterous interest IN the atiray, formed ring and
prepared 10 enjoy the sport The plan OF battle was
pecunar one; there were very few blows given,
but the chief object seem to be to ascertain
which cOu squeeze the hardest, and drag the
other about most Increasingly. In the course OF
events, Laura conirived TO get holo of handful OF
Julia's har ana, by means OF this to pu her round
and round with no otner view, apparently, than to
make her describe involuntary circles. 1t was, how
ever considered mastery piece of strategy bV the
spectators and their expressions to that effect SO
maddened Julia that she took her revenge by
scratching Lauras throat from to ear, and then
they tripDed each otner up, ana rolled Tor at least
minutes in the sand In an entirely misceliane-
cue manner, after winch both 1ery splrlts seemed
3uenohed, and they quietly rose aud equally claimed
"In the meanwhile, the unconscious object of this
sOnlest was hidden witness OF 1t all. Just above
and beyond them he sat with another young man,
excessively by its uOicrous side, though IT
most rudey diSpel ed tnelr former Illusions about
the young angels from the seminary, and shook
their whole lair theory OF gentle grlhood to Its
foundations The being whose name has been mvs-
tenOusy announced as beginning with V, was
asYoung man OF partly foreign blood, pursuing the
art OF sculpture through ambition, that OF the
drama as o profession, and owning the enphoolous
name OF Victor Dora, which, as to surname, the
reader Will perceive, was possessed OF most ancient
and aristocratic flavor. Whether any of the blood
OF the house OF the Dorias ran in his veins ne had
not been heard TO suggest but from The pecuiarlties
Of his face and manner, popular opinion had
already decided the question in the Affirmative"
After this little exhibition of pugiism before
two gentlemen, they proceeded to an amuse-
ment which, considering the probable presence
Of their audience, causes us no small astonish-
ment-
"Though it was far too late In the fall to make
bathing an actual pleasure, for 1t was Verging
towards the middle of November, these girls, all
active and ambitious swimmers in spite Of the chill
in the air. were soon bathing about IN the water,
'ducking' each other with unparalleled rudeness,
screaming snTillY, and indulging in Dosterous exh-
bitlOns of animal spirits which would have utterly
shocked the propriedes OF girls brought up IN city
schools"
The gen tleman "whose name begins with V"
and his companion were doubtless edited by
the exhibition.
There is another popularity we notice. The
hero Doria is an actor, apparently what we
would term in daily parlance ''stock actor"
Yet we are assured he moves in the best society
no circle OF the rich no interpenetrGita of
aristocracy from which ne is debarred. Mothers
welcome him as guest and he quits the stage
to enter the most refined drawingroomf, We do
not say that such ought not to be the case yet the
fact is nevertheless true. They are excluded, and
all the Victor Dorias in creation could not have
been treated in the Way which Only a
WCman's Heart" asserts. Laura gives piece
of masculine, yet sensible advice, 10 her actor.
adorer, which we quote as applicable to per-
formers under similar clrcumstances:-
Laura looked up at his approach, and welcomed
HIM with her usual quiet smlIe. What Is the mat
ter VictOrI" she asked, when she had fully mea-
sured his face with her kind eyes. II see you are
''Yes, am; wanl you to look at this haven't
spOk of 1t to any one else, for you are the only
one here on whose sympatnIes can really depend.
know you sYmpathize with me-"
N ''Im 80 glad you think 80"
"Well, Just listen to this II is from leading jour
nal, which hitherto has been most favorably dis
"TheY nave taken a new critic on to the staff,
suppose -, u,,. :. .ou.. u,, ouo,
rated II Is dong injustice to native actors. to
eulogize o foreigner so beyond his deserts. lack
dignity; am not large enough; my voice Is slcken-
Ingy sweet anu efeminate, pIesumptuous, over.
borne with conceit 1 LOOK superelliously on the
public; have grown careless ana finally, worst OF
all suspl cion tnat buy over other critics to my
interest. Now, what do you think of that2 Ought
TO pull the critics nose answer itP''
"Nelther, you foolish felOE. Don't you know
you cannot ngnt pressman unless you are press
man yOurselff mean you cannot fignt him with
answering him. because 1t would be taking him on
his own gIound, where ne knows eli the shifts and
turnings, and you know nothing. You would come
with your earnestness, and indignation, and sensi
tyeness, and he would Just trip you up, with one
other art-strenglh and right 70 for nothing WheI
an opponent Is thoroughly master or the knack' o
the thing. AS for personal assault which you tech
nicaly term pulling OF The nose, think it would b.
very lndignifed under the sight provocatiOn."
We think that it would have been ue7y undip