The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-06-18
LITERATURE.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.

Nv James M. Hoppin, of Yale College,;, Autu Aat
A. Houghton Philadelphia Dufheld Ash-
mead
n a dozen intelligent tourists proceed once
over a route, and describe everything they
see. there would certainly be but little chance
for the thirteenth man being able to tell us
ANYTHING new or interesting Yet Mr.. Hop
Minis account Of his trip through England,
although told by hundreds before him, is both
novel and interesting. His style is sngularly
pure, and the incidents given are such as
would strike am intelligent traveller, eager to
note the peculiarities of a people and the GUS
toms of country. From the first page OF his
work we see that we are to go along with
man who has eyes and can see, and ears and
can hear. and that all he sees and hears will
he told us. His descriptive powers are of no
inferior order. He is aplain, practical man, deal
ing largely in facts but the facts given are
lust the kind we all want to know, and told
in such a style as to secure from us an earnest
attention. He has a happy power of noting
the peculiarities of the people, and drawing
COMPARISONS between them and our own citi-
zens. Thus he gives us sketch of his estima-
ton of Britisher:-
'That genial though thorough Englishman,
Arthur Helps has made the remark that tenn
perament is but the atmosphere of character,
while its groundwork in nature may be fixed
and Interchangeable. This remark might explain
the difference between the Englishman and the
American, looking at both in their broad ma
tional traits. 1t has been pleasant to me to
think that deep down under all the changes OF
history and circumstance, there was common
root to the two nations and that this still is TO
be found. The temperament Of the American,
since his ancestors landed in New England and
Virginia, has been affected by thousand new
influences. More oxygen has flowed into his
Intensified. His svmpathies have found another
range of objects. But after ALL 1t is hard to wash
away the original basis of nature. Its force and
integrity remain What can be more different
than genuine Yankee and a true John Bull?
Yes, we can say they are no longer the same;
but still they do not differ as an Englishman
differs from Frenchman, or German or an
Iaiah' Many 9Tseies a a Osl0ng
rlcan friend In view, a travelling acquaintance,
who has the distinctive American traits in
broad relief; and should be perfectly willing
to show him the following photograph. He
would recognize it, laugh at it, and glory In It,
BE worshtpped his own country. He meant
that every body else should know how great it
is. There was nothing that America did not
have; there was nothing in fact out of America.
He hated an Englishman because the English
man would not acknowledge the same thing.
He was ready to fight England, just to make
her wake up, and open her eyes, and see the
1iving truth about America. But If he hated
an Engllshman, he had an Infinite contempt
for a Swiss, because he considered him to Be
mercenary, and not to be depended upon. In
going over some Of the, wilder passes of the
Alps, although ne had horse so that he might
not appear to be mean, he would not mount the
horse until his guide happened to ask him if he
were afraid: then he jumped on, and rode un-
concernedly along the edge of the most terrific
abysses, where every one else dismounted He
fear in his life, and believe him, for he would
climb places where few would dare to follow
him, and then go "a touch beyond and dangle
his legs over the precipice. He took guide
rather as a matter OF course, for he always found
his pockets with small change every morning,
to be distributed to ali the little children he met
when he thought himself cheated to the value
of a ten-centime piece He was rich man, and
business he discovered by reweig6ing an article
that he had charged a customer dollar too
mistake His customer, an old Quaker gentle
man, said to him. Young man, thee shall never
he said, had brought him thousands Every
thing new, useful, and practical he swooped
upon instantly. He spoke little about the Alps,
but a new style of bolt running upon rollers,
which he found In Switzerland, he was much
interested in, though he said he had the same
idea himself when boy. Stone stairs, in case
of fire, was the only thing ever heard him ac-
good. He did not like anything because 1t was
old, and despised battered old torso but If a
work OF art looked nice and beautiful at the
present instant, whether new or old, he in
dulged in vehement praises of it, The past was
past with him. A thing must be entirely up to
part. He affected to scorn sentiment and the
emotional, but he was ever doing little delicate
and kind things. / discovered accidentally this
iron-nerved man. who prided himself on his
sdng.trOtd, gazing with bedewed eyes on the
miniature of his dead wife, that he mad caused
to be painted in the most exquisite manner by
Lamuniere of Geneva, and set about with
enamels of forget-me-nots in casing of mas
"Whatever he bought, or wore or ate. or had
must be of the best quality, and he put himself
on lower seat to no living being.
Nov In many things although absolutely
Transformed, do we not see here the original
English nature-its self confidence, uprighJ-
ness, courage, practicalness acquisitiveness,
Womanish tenderness, and insufferable pride?
He disliked an Englishman for the same reason
that an Englishman disliked him. But is there
not here, in better things, ground of future
union OF the Two nations TO clViltLe the world?
They both have the same English pluck
There is in both nations the same love of home
the same capacity Of religion. They are nations
better, and worse, and greater, than other ma
lions. A far more strongly marked comparison
mlgnI pe drawn between the Englishnan and
tne GERMAN They too are not mentally or
moral allyantagonistic y as are the English and
trehchi Dut only, as the Englishman and the
iNs Americah can IempeIsmentally dissimilar. The
practical dtrectness of the English mind as
compared With the thoughtful circuitousness OF
the German. rms comes out amusinglY In com
versation. The German dWeIls on bartionIars
while tenaciously pursuing the main track: is
minute and episodical; must examine every
perceive, or does not wish to do so the few
things Of true Importance. The EnRlIshman
goes to the other extreme in brevity; marches
Immediately to the conclusion; disdains the
intermediate; relates a fact and gives reason
without obscuring either in unessentiRl detail
But German who wishes to say i went home
frOm the Post ONCE would feel obliged to tell
every corner he turned around, every person he
met everything that every person told him,
and everything that he told every person; 1t Is
sometimes, therefore, a small torture for an
Englishman or an American to talk with a
German, because the definite fact or idea which
son rs sBekng B9 m iST Is SO Long IA nhoing exPTe
Ihls systematic method and absolute thorough