New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
ALGER.s GENIUs OF SOLITUDE.

tam charm for imaginative and poetic minds and in
The ease of the author of this volume has furnished
lthcme o the illustration of which he has devoted
not only the fruits of learned study, but of a deep
experience Of life. lie is not the first vino has been
tempted by the enticcmcns Of the subject and If
Bpoloey be needed for his choice, NE may plead the
Example of Judge Story, whose poem on the Power
,f Solitude" gave no prophecy of his eminence as
hrist, and of zimmerman, the celebrated Swiss
shysiciIn, whose sentimental illusions ON the same
dca were once widely read, and are not set perhaps
suite obsolete. Mr. Ayers work is more ambitious
m its character and more elaborate in its execution
han tho performances of any of his predecessors.
Ge has thrown his whole heart into its composition;
N his hands, the subject has assumed variety and
richness which no one would have thought il
possessed indeed it serves as a nucleus for the
widest range Of reading, and a store of history, b.
pgraphy poetry philosophy, and criticism, which
produce pleasant surprise as roses and straw
berries in mid-wnter. lie is 50 full of his theme, that
1t must be admitted, he often "wreakS his thought
Oh too Gifuse expression; he can hardly find words
enough TO give vent 20 his feelings and presents
what he has TO say with such prodigal imagery that
The illustration becomes more prominent than the
text.
Inarangng his matter lir Alecr treats first Of the
sOtudes of nature, as the desert, the prairie. tie
ocean the pole the forest. the mountain, the min;
The sOitudcs of man. including individuality, grief
love- occupation, selishncSS, genius. death and the
dangers and uses Of solitude. The remainder of his
volume and the portion which he has laid ont the
greatest strength, is devoted TO personal illustra
6ons of the good and evil of solitude in series of
sketches Of several celebrated lonely characters. In
the chapter on individuality" we have n passing
hIuson to the greatest American master of English
prose, showing just insight into the character of
that unique genius
HAWTHORNE
Nothing can he more lonely than thechief charsctes
harary fiction with exceptional end0vinens AIMS ana
s0ai Hawthorne has expressed kindred thought with
his usual vigorous felicity Ihe percepuost o1 e. @
enough to human beings to be warmed oy 49, ana 20
a. most fororn results Of any accident, misfortune
eTse popularity Of character NAT puts an indiy
Saan afflicted with morbid shyness lie had prefer
urs insight 5 n5o 5n %s secre maj 6s idea Of h4se
Intensely emotional, which, with hrs genius ne c0Nu hot
Impress il properly and see il reflected others In
such example, extreme shynes with al lis miserable
simply proves the sharp with which unconscious
occupation WIN ms IeSGIOm ~ not 81 TaorIj
nary sehshness But it is unfortunately viscld ana
sne fatal barriers TO surrender fusion, and
Joy liz company.
With regard to the apparent isolation produced by
aating remarks Whatever fills the capacity of the
ssul, of course, for the time excludes everything
slse but still it furnishes Of the happes forms
If life in spite of its unsOcial and melancholy aspect
There is much force in the following passage OH
THE DELIGHTS OF EMPLOYMENT.
In fact for solid happiness and peace, there arc noc
more favored than those blessed with nastel,psioa
and mOnopolizng work. In the congenia employment
thus secured, the ea1DeSness Of their faculties Is called
an
tent together with exemption from most oi me NeNauous
Ienitaons by which those boset whose enjoyment
rcsts on precariouS contingencies beyond Their own
pOwer. An enthusiastic Uu1thOogist, like Audubon OF
Wilson, roaming through rackless forests ana pytes
beyond the OUtermOst hauntS OF civilization, huSy now
with rife and knife now with brush and faGlle lover 3l
MATURE, lover of beauty, lover OF Sohthe lover OF 7
chosen pursmts-what matcless health ana cheer ana
delight and peace are his! Palsy The potter. clad ia
rags starving burning his last chair as uel Tor ms eNt
mentS-his haggIrd wife and children almost fdneylhS
him insane,-was 10y no means the unhAlpest OF neh
inspired nv splendid hope already clutcing the prize
he wist not Of hunger of Sneers; thrills Z" rare DIES
visited his breast and bankers and cardinals might wei
have envcd him. When we think Of the ASTRONOMER III
bis secluded tower, IN the GLOOM noun ny hon t9lnhs
BebulOus oceans or following the solemn wanderers :
when We the lamp Of poor student burning
IN his window, his shadow falling on the taered curtain
where he sits with book and pen, night AFTER night, nut
watching the Bear and Thrice great Hcrmes we may
fancy that he leads tedious and depressing life Al,
40. The august fellowship of eternal laws the thought
Of God the spirits of the great dead, kndng ideas ana
hopes, the lneaments of supersensua beauty glorious
plans OF human improvement ms weailheSs'
cheer every dropping faculty lunne the bcak ch'iine,
and make pOpuou with presencc Of grandeur and joy
alone, but not lonely.
The want of sympathy which is sometimes com
planned of in the chaTacterof great men is often ne
cessity of their nature and involves neither GOODNESS
nor pride but grows of the consciousness of the
superiority of their aims and pursuits Mr.. Alger
pats this very well in paragraph on
THE LONELINESS or GENIUS
1isa necessity for genius feel, in certain SENSE
compacen alOOfness and superiority to the herd of the
world order sustain itself at its proper hight
Among the two hundred Thousand men VINO rose up Waeh
Virgil entered the Roman IheateT tnefe was puI one
Varius competent TO correct the tned Knowing the
fhoughtessness and fckeness OF the folyswayed mass
of the people, the great man ana not cherish Keen
conviction OF his greater elevation insight auu noble
ness, he would soon cease to be q great man Ihus
Goethe wrote i'm his old age first uncomfortable To
by my error, then by my earneshess So 90 what
mankind are admirers and wOrshppers OF wealth and sta
tiOn.v Bishop Butler SAID Whole communities may
his tent Ararat in the desert OF dsdan from the
Incompatible oftineSs and scope of his intellectual h0
Hon looked down the nndsclilnnatiDR aud incOmpe
tent multitudes OF men with quiet ana ptylng contempt
This was fun and strength for him without 10
he would have died Of heartbreak and despair. His dis
fance from the grOyeng victims or Ignorance, delsOh
and hate measured his nearness God and he
ported There was no unkudDess in his mood it is
moved by whole moral world from everything like vim
elective spleen Madame swetcine was very free from
pride and the spirit OF contempt yet she writes from
Paris 10 iflend; MY GOu t9e pndnle thlhg lhe cCI
NersaOn OF these asselnDages - ~ was the isi OF the
year nonsense, Stiffness gossip, rvOly, were IN all their
freshness IL ismdeed well tOrepOse through The summer
away from what called the grand world taste for which
fs the greatest misfortune that happen 10 mind aud
heart" eOmpacen reaction from the vices and petit
ness the crowd upon the superior nobenesS OF their own
loyalty, powers and pursuits is the ufang internal
support OF the truly great.
He has also few wise suggestions
MIN IN ADVANCE or THEIR AGE
majority OF the noblest geniuses who have conferred
The greatest benefits mankind have been spit uon or
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Prophets discoveries inventors mar
tyrs, lustrOus company gathered 0m many times and
Seaiaa heroic devotion, and tragic fatehstory has
nothing left OF equal athos 10 reveal when u mas snow"