The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1866-12-03
LITERARY.

! suNHVshNK. by Marion Harland suthor OF aAIone >
hidden PATH" &C. New York: Sheldon & Co. 1865
On taking up this work naturally anticipated
much pleasure in it's perusal, as the writer is fa
Vorlte OF ours-but We laid tho book down with a
| strange mixture of pain and sorrow-hat one
whom VIC esteemed go highly-a Virginian, q ma
| live OF Richmond, in which rlace she had live
| until her marriage, where che had been educ ,ted
round which all her hest and purest associations
must cing,-Wh' re she has 30 many warm friends
and near relatives, should write in the spiri.
which dictated many passages OF the work before
ue.
ABy one who writes OF the scenes and incidents
of the last few years treads on dangerous ground:
time has not yet mellowed tho past these events
are too fresh yet 10 be meddled with by the da,
pen OF the novelist, and particularly by one who
afo hot i've amid the scenes she describes. No
one oy hearsay or by reading can realize what
those scenes actually were. You had 10 sea and
Jeel, AMI no fiction can equal the truth.
We no'ioe many ipaccura cies which surprise IA
| as we know MABIoN HARLAND had ample means
OF gaining infarmsioh For iusa ncc she speaks
OF one gentleman brietIins all over to he kaos of
me L7ettendncs epauiets he had Lately moun1e -
our Opnt, derate otfiosrs did not Wear epaulets.
Again, she speaks OF lard oil, aud bad fluid
being used in Richmond in place Of gag. Wr.ny
again, for there wa. guod supply of gas there
all through tbs entire war. These are tribes, bu.
the manner III winch they are introduced is not
kind Que.
In speaking Of the action OF tn State regarding
secessior, she says: "Ihe once proud Old Do.
'ninion male stapeniou. biuuder when she
elected to leave The snelle Of the cages win,
ahd cons"rt with the birds OF all feathers who are
n unAt Qi,.,n
-of G 'urSe,-and as she imagined, wisely, in
steering clear OF ScYLLA, bus ane is being abomi-
nahy matrenttd by GuAhYBpIs."
''Wo have come to iight for yonl Bow down to
us asy"ur s'v oars aud master" Say the nrro,an,
hr-Sontheruers. "You kept out of our piorlous
C"nfed,ra,'o 81 long AN You c,hl.d hang back in
honor, decencl, or safety. W. admitted yon
upon saH'rance Treat us we'll, we will with.
draw from your difenucs and on will be swallow
ed Mt gulp, by thr ravenuns Yak"
What is pnor, cheated, tami-hed Virginia to
do but how her hoary, discrnwred head Ill base
subj"ction and cling to tho gray ekirts Of her new
masters"
Now this is not the spirit In which true vir-
ginian spoke Or fs :, al IT, is a gross njnstce t.,
that noble and much sutfs lug peopla to put such
sentiments into their months. HARRIET MAR
TINEAu said, 10 one O. mld live Ia the Southern
States without becoming coLtaminated-(refe
ring to onr late "peculi sttu.io o,.") The con
verso Is 8 i'll moro true: not even "a pure blooded
Virginian can live in the North and retain her in
icgrit..
Mr.. Lacy the nobiest character in tho book a
fine personifeation OF flushed christian gentle.
man, full OF all that is great and good, In every
way worthy our respect aid admir- ,tion. is n
nninist, persecuted in the basest nanner by the
@ mi d"rate G"vernm.nt.
In contra-distinction TO him stands Major K,so.
SION, Confederate officer, who il painted eyery
thing that Ia vile ard bad, who made fortune bv
tho war. "What with speculations in gold, TO
bacco, ETC., etc, he is ten times richer than when
he went into the war" Ia flnc, the leaning is all
to the Yankee side, though the author says in her
preface that she has written every line "wi,b
charity to all; with malice toward nonsl"
Elinor Lacy, the priuoh al heroine, IL n verv
beautiful. natural creature. drawn in MARION
HARLAND's happiest style. Agatha Lamar. tbs
next most important parsonage, is no. natura, |
and Is too much OF tho Hiss Bradd,n tyre to |
please, too Intriguing an ! wicked to huve lived !
oven during that evil period-sthe war;
VI Mrs. Lacy ne3 Ida r 80 we need only ssy |
: he 1H 'he rioh matured fruit which The bud and !
blossom promised, In the authoreHs' best bouk-- |
"Alone." !
On the whole, "Snnnybank" IL full OF interest. |
and infeii'r 10 uone Of MARION HABLAnp's former
aive, perh ,p-, Miriam" which we
consider her BEST g. FAR as regards plot, develop
fnent OF char acter, Aud the portraiiure or daily
ilir. The book ID s-gool, very gooi; we only finn |
fault With its tone, and blame the au,lorepn f,r
attempting to write about ~hnt she can neither
fully understand, nor fully sympstbizs with: bu, |
ws recnn,rheud al! u read t ana iudYo tor Them
selves, and we are sure nouo 1ll regret following
our advice.
Tho toos may be had OF al cur book.ellers. ]