The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-28

original firm of Chapman & Hail. who first pub
lished the Pickwck Papers, requesting him to
inform me in writing whether the foregoing
statement was correct. In Mr.. Chapman's con
6rmatory answer Immediately written, he re-
minded me that had given Mr.. Seymour more
credit than was bis due AS this letter is 10 be
HISTORICAL he wrote Il may as well claim what
little belongs TO me in the matter, and that is
the figure OF Plckwick. SeJmour's first sketch,
"made, /" says Mr.. Dickens, "from the proof OF my
first chapter, was of long, thin man. The
present immortal one he made from my descrip.
ton Of friend Of mine at Richmond"
Victor Hugo's last novel, "The Toilers of
the Sea-" has been sent TO us by both G. w.
Pitcher, No. sos Chestnut street, and j. B. Lin
p,ncott CO., Nos. 7I5 and III Market street.
Mr.. G. W. Carleton will shortly publish
Recommended TO Mercy" an English novel of
a rather peculiar character, which attracted
considerable attention when it originally ap.
peared; Josh Billings-His Book, another col.
lection Of American humor, so absurdly in
vogue Just at present, and in our way of think.
ing, the poorest OF all; and "Adrlft in Dixie,p
volume Of Southern travel by Edmund Kirke.
II is doubtful, however, whether the last work
will be published as announced; for at the
latest accounts the edition which was manu-.
iactured in Boston was destroyed by fire.
The wife OF J. S. Clarke has written the life
OF her father, Junius Brutus Booth.
The Nation thus speaks of George Alfred
Townsend's late work, "Campaien OF a Non.
= Combatant:r-
lin tins book It is possible TO study exclusively
the natural history Of the New York reporter ne
is TO be seen here nascent, developing, ana fully
own, IN action and in Iepose. Some may look
upon the Campaigns as being not 50 GOOD a
manual for tins purpose as the same authors &C.
count OF the capture of Wilkes Booth anu ms ae.
scrpon OF the trlai and execution oi the other con
spnators: But here we have him under our eye for
a much longer time than we can have him there
ana We get sight of more Hdes of his nature For
the use OF careful students, the Campaigns Is
certainly TO be preferred. Reading it, we see now
the reporter is eiaue. We become ecuuan cd with
hls mental and mora cnaracersucs; we iearn
what are his ASPIRATIONS; we take the measure OF
his atalnmcnts; we perceive the force OF ms ina
glnatlon, his wit, his taste, his sense and judgment
u knowledGe OF life, h conceptions o. mora ity
his IF what is decent ana OF what rs not be-.
coming The reporter Is the offspring OF the daIly
pres, ana shares the nature anu the Lie OF his
rent HIS existence TO use the words OF our author
rs only the fierce, last, hippant existence of news
The day l graduated he goes on, saw me an
atache OF the Phladelphia ChInsekiOn was to re-
cee three dollars week aid be the heir to Iordly
prosptcIs.' But though, TO phrase of his own
this slave of the press sometimes have repeu ed
with the salt rhCum III his eyes, generally he
huPged his cham and was proud OF It, The war
| bIOke out, and he was at once sent to the Army
| OF the Potomac as special correspondent of
Philadelphia newspaper. But the reporter IS not a
stone that never TOls. He an ndIscreet para.
graz b to the Washington ChrOntcte,' he saws tor
] which was pursued by the War Department, and
the management OF my paper lacking heart, went
home In a pet Soon he used this opportunity 10
make his escape from what lie calls the proylnc, al
JOmna s. New York was the goal OF his desires
1t IS the emu OF every young Americans aspirations
ana the New Bohemia for the restless the DrilLa ant
ano the INDUSTRIOUS The dream of many months
came to be reallzed;' some New YORK paper de.
spatched hlm TO the front. But what shall we saw
oil the assertion OF the preface: mo man ought to
let the first tour ears of hls majority slip away un
lecordedP We never heard this maxim before Ii
Mr. Townsend really believes to be true of course
ne is justified in publishing this book"