The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-10-24
BLACKwOoD's MAGAZINE.

The September number has boon received from
MIR. JOHN Russell, the agent in this city. 1t
opens with very readable article on Novels,
Miss BRADDoN and the epicene author Of "Strath-
1nore" etc. -OUIDA-receive the lions share Of the
attention Of the critic. That so able man, With
SO wel-stored and analytical mind, as here con-
descends to instruct and amuse US, should have
read such vast number OF sensation novels, IS q
problem that passes our comprehension; we can
not even consider the case analogous to that OF
the man Of science, who, fred with zeal and en-
thusiasm in pursuit of TRUTH and the investigation
Of tho mysteries of nature, spends days, months
and years in the noisone atmosphere OF tho dis
secting room. We cannot understand it, we say,
but we feel grateful to have the essence Of
whole library of novels in such presentable form.
The difforon:o between French and English
literature, l. c., as English literature was known
and understood until the advent of Miss BRAD
DON, is thus admirably set forth by tho writer:
"Enghsh novels have for long time-from the
DAYS of Sir Walter Scott at least-Eeld very high
reputation in thu world, not so much perhaps for
what critics would call the hghes6 development OF
art, as for a certain sanity, wholcsomeness, an
cleanliness unknown to other literature OF tho same
class; This popularity has had its etiect, no
mind which produced it. 1t has increased that
perfect liberty of reading which is the rule IN most
cultivated English houses; it has aoohshed tne
domestic Index Expurgatorius as well as all p1plic
censorship; it has made US secure and unsuspi-
cious in our reception of everything, or almost
everything, that comes to us in the form OF pint
Ibis noble confidence has been good for everybody
concerned. 1t has put writer's on their honor, ana
Of restraint or of danger which destroys all deli
cate appreciation. There arc other Kinds OF liter
atre in which tho darker problems OF the time can
be fitly discussed, and with tole ably unanimous
consent English writer's have agreed 10 leave tnose
subjects in their fit place. The novel, when is
the favorite reading Of the young-which is one OF
the chief amusements of all secluded and most
suffering people-which is precious to women and
unoccupied persons-has beon kept by this un-
derstanding, or by natural impulse better than
any unders anding, TO great degree pure from all
noxious topics. That corruption which has 30
fatally injured the French school OF fiction has, 1t
has been our boast, scrupuously kept away from
ours. II was something to boast or. We migit
not produce the same startling effects we might
not reach the same perfection in art, which o
craftsman utterly freed of all restraints, and treat
ing vice and v1rtuo with equal impartiality, may
aspire to; but VIC had this supreme advantage,
that we we're free to all classes and feared Dy none
Men did not snatch the guilty volume out of sight
when any innocent creature drew nigh, or mature
women lock up the book with which they c0nde-
seconded to amuso themselves, as they DO In
France. Our novels were IaIIllly retunS anu thc
result has been sense of freedom an absence of
all suggestion Of evil in the superficial studies tn OF
estimate. "NOus SOrnnaes tols dun age nnnr," sald
an irreproachablo French matron to tho English
acquaintance whose eyes expressed certain
amazement at the franlness Of some drawmg-room
narrative "jespere, que uouS ne pensez pas qaeJe
panerais CONNIE ca deuqM des jeanes gems" This
idea, which is the very heart OF French ideas on
the subject, is quite foreign to insular habits
We both to read IL and to spess
of ;eunes gens. The habit has so grown upon us
that to change it would involve rev 3lulon in all
our domestic arrangements. 1t would involve us
in an amount of trouble which very few could face.
We should require three or four packets from the
library instead of one. We should have tho
nuisance OF separating our children and depen-
dants from our own amusements. We should no
longer be able to discuss, as VIC do now continual
ly the books that We are reading and the thoughts
We are thinking. This Is necessity from which
we have been altogether free in the tranquil past
but it is an indulgence VIII .ch olly habit and the
long use and won't of public security preserve to
us now.