The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-15
LITER ATUR RE.


Arlyn" will hot detract from his fame. 1t is a
novel of strikingly forcible parts, yet some what
disjointedly put together. 1t resembles the
poplar tree very beautiful in its shape when
well trimmed, yet wouly uglywhen left to native
luxuriance. ''Lucy Arlyn" wants pruning.
There are too many inferior creations, who ap-
pear upon the stage as utility men, and serve
only to distract the readers attention from the
main points of the story. But the whole work
is written IN a spirited, pleasant style, and
abounds in lively dialogue. 1t is a well-known
fact, and one which we think will be recog
nized not only by those who have attempted to
write, but also by all critical readers, that
sprightly dialogue, natural conversation is
rarely found in novel. There is a stiff conven-
tionality about it which should be easy and
howing-which is more suggestive of the style
of dress in the days of Queen Elizabeth than Of
any modern production. Thesentences abound
in words which are found only in the dictionary,
or else are full Of vulgarisms fit only for the
lips of boor. Both of these Mr.. Trowbridge
has avoided. His style Of dialogue is both easy
and natural.
While, therefore, we praise the style, we must
find the greatest fault with the morality displayed
in the production. We are glad, for the sake OF
its reputation, that the author has omitted to
loCalize his sketch. If it has a habItation it
must be a miserably immoral one so far as the
female portion of the population is concerned.
OF the four leading heroines Lucy, Christina,
Sophia, and Mrs. Hedge, the less we say about
their chastity the better. Whether some Mormon
usage prevailed in their village or not we cannot
tell; but to our eyes the proceedings of these
four danes seem anything but consistent with
the doctrines OF the seventh command of the
Decalogue.
Of the character of the hero, Guy Darlington,
we cannot speak highly. ANY man who would
marry in secret the woman he loved, and then
let her live for years under the odum which
must follow keeping the ceremony a secret,
for the purpose of inheriting some paternal pro
perty, must in opinion, have bat little heart,
and be of an extremely narrow mind. Again. for
a married man to treat another woman than his
wife in the manner which he did Christina, has
tendency to encourage crime under the name
of religious enthusiasm. The whole tenor of
the work has an immoral aroma. II speaks of
wickedness it narrates crime and yet makes the
criminals come out unpunished at the end. In
fact, though an interesting work. and 10 a well.
instructed and religious mind harmless one,
yet on weak and wavering reader its influence
would be dangerous.
To this objection is superadded another which
makes the author appear as though the glimpses
OF the moon had had an unfortunate effect upon
his brain. The tendency Of the whole produc-
ton appears to be to prove the correcness of
those wild hallucinations known as psychco-
many, or sprltualism. Coming as it does from
that nest of all the isms of the world, from that
Matching place of all madness, and birthplace
OF toll
deduce, we would naturally expect that it would
be tinctured with some of the manias which
have made Boston the laughing-stock and the
pestilence of America. There has never been
an insane delusion which has not either ORR
gnated or been propagated by some citizen of
the "Hub of the Universe" We recognize all
the good she has done, but unless these wild
schemes be abandoned, all the good will be can
celled by the evil she inActs. When,. therefore,
Mr.. Trowbridge comes out in a novel in order to
prove certain spiritual doctrines, we are not
surprised, although we are disgusted. He fills
his work with curious incidents. Children mur-
dered have their graves discovered. Gold and
silver mines are fereted out and bear
hunts depicted. In fact, various curious
phenomena are narrated, to which the writer
gives a sort of semi-personal assent. The folly
and mischief which the reception as truths of
such doctrines could cause is incalculabe.
And the danger is not lessened because the form
in which It seeks to promulgate is that Of fc
ton. The most prodiglous influence ever ex-
erted against an institution and in favor of
doctrine had novel as its vehcle-Mrs. H.
b. Stoves "Uncle Toms Cabin" We therefore
regret that Mr.. Trowbrdge has given us a novel
inoculated with French morals and German
skeptlcism. We regret this the more because he
has given us very good novel. With all its
defects it is of,deep interest and will well repay
perusal so far as the pleasure of its contents is
concerned. 1t is literary success, and we hope
will prove pecuniary one, as all encourage
ment should be given to the productions of ma.
tive authors, and the tendency to lethargy
evinced by most of them is much to be lamented.
The work is beautifully executed, typographi-
cally, by Messrs. Tcknor q Field. We are in
debted to G. w. Pitcher No. sOs Chestnut street,
for the copy before us.
The FoRTUNE SEEKER. BY Mr.. Z. D. N South
worth. 4. b. Peterson d Brothers, No. BOG
Chestnut street.
Itwould seem as though Mrs. Henry Wood, Mrs.
Southworth and Miss Braddon have been turned
loose into the literary racecourse, and are striV-
ing for the palm of prolixity at a rate which ap-
pears to ordinary mortals astonishing. With all
three of the ladies the production of a work is
only delayed so long as the mechanical eXecu-
tion demands. We are therefore gratifed but not
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