The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-02-02
eooK NOTICES.
The IRISH IN AMERICA. By John Francis
Mcguire. N. p. London: Longmans, Green

Here ID . traveller from the Old world VINO realty
found something 20 admire in the New writer who,
whine quite able TO md fault yet much TO please
that has style, rensCtng evidently his impressions,
radiant with appreciaiive adjectivcs. Mr. Magaires
book Of the Thousand and one stories OF
the miracles that energy and courage have enabled
Irisnmcn 70 accomplish in lettering their condition
under the fsverlng conditions offered by the now nome
He chants the goriad Of The Irish EXODUS ana sne
burden Of tho song always how this man from ripper
AIRY or that from Kerry landed and with h'ue
money and light neart boldly pushed out TO the
virgin lands OF illimtabe public domain reared nus
hut and cleared his acres, became landowner anu
citizen. proud spirited. independent man. 'ne sreaes'
possible contrast to his former self The best Of TINS
part OF the story Ia that all know II TO DO Fue
Mr. Mcguire had rested on this theme be would nave
made n healthy and above all . useful books FOR Inc
tendency would certainly stimulate new exodus,
10 strengthen again the still consant.tide Of emgraton
But purpose apparently is not this he seems not
to approve of emigration and no cites MS nnnmeraoie
OF the ofIrshmen here not with view
OF urging his counrymen the Atlantic but rather
10 point out to English lawmakers that the Isshman
is not The impractcabc they suppose,
and that just and liberal aws he makes the best
possible citizen This is the moral OF the story Mr.
Magure would have the world it, but need hardly
say that this view ignores entirely that great point IN
the areument the elbow room ina. s1e ams
liorate the condition of the Irish in Ireland they would
certainly never bring lrshmen up to the point OF pros
perity they present IN this country until laws can oe
framed land cheap and plenty in the Green
Isle as it is west Of the Mississippi un tina. time
shall emigration TO the United States must remain
the real cure for Irish evils.
We perhaps need not be surprised TO find MIR Mcguire
carried out Of all depth in his enthusiastic
pursuit his theme and lind at last that there is
nothing OF much account IN our country Tor wnich we
are not IN greater or Tess asg g Pa, - ,e
to be essential 70 the progress, the greatness,
the very life OF the American republic we may
anA roiuon hrnu In rnpsp
more or less supercilious; but remembering that 1t is
very mellow and exuberant irlshman who writes we
patient with this though II were only part
Of ono more ST. Patrck's day dinner report
Catholicism and the greatness and glory OF Church
GOOD third or The volume is given up to relation Of the
aud Of the Church here, as that topic
were necessarily nseparaole from tne rsn the aathor
fact that in the degree in which Irshmen become Amer
capzed they become less subject to prlestly hadon
Indeed IL Is scarcely than ridiculous to note how
astonshngly IN these pages, with what meo-drana:c
propriety every on who may accidentally have COM
nitted himself against the priesthood ends at the
fessona This will lie understood when reflect that
Mr. Magure his Parliament 10 Church in
eres With him all this is fairly open to the suspicion
OF The shop.
PLAYING FOR HiGH STAKES. A Novel. By Annie
Thomas With Illustrations. Harper Brothers.
Miss Thomas writes vigorously and WE'LL In this novel
OF character the persons whom she introduces TO the
reader distinctly indvidualzed. and act and are
acted upon like, enough, people In similar circn-
stances When Miss Thomas sets tho children of her
brain talking together the dialogue is often natural,
sprghlly and dramatic But her forte to be the
careful analysis character rather than the constru;
ton OF plot. The principal persons on whom the
author tries her dissecting knife are two beautiful
young women-Beatsx Talbot and Blanche Lyon-who
are somewhat cumsily brought into contact, into
rivalry and almost into collision for the purposes OF
the story, but become ssters-inaw and excellent
friends at last Mrs. Lyon, the silly mother Of ono OF
these young women, and Mrs. Mark Sutton the married
sister OF the other; Elton Bowden, country girl who
is niece Of Mr.. Mark Sutton; the latters brother-n-
law, Edgar Talbot, who "plays for high stakes" and
loses, both .change and in love- two artists Lionel
Talbot and his friend. Frank Bathurst; John Wimo
tine specimen OF q country lad, whom Ellen Bowden
js in the vain expectation Of marrying Arthur Eldaie,
a .heavy swell" Blanche Lyon is brave, noble girl
who boldly spays for high stakes, her own happiness
and that OF her friend Trixy Talbot and wins Mrs Mark
Sutton also s.psys for high stakes as she estimated
them and loses woully she eopes with Arthur Eldae
the heavy SWELL her husband dies OF what is called
s'heari complaint before she procure divorce
and when she has procured Arthur OF COURSE breaks
marry her after ALL Directly she became attainabe she
ceased to be Interesting TO Mr. Eldale Accordingly he
elt the path or evil, at the bidding OF pretty girl oil
eighteen had called him so CHARMING before be
met with Mrs. sutton, and who mentioned that he was
$50 wicked now as y were aa additional , charm;
which made her utterly regardless or his well known de-
reflections from responsibility and as he was happy 10
that belief she did not undeceve him until after they
married. All this, however, is but the same old
story often repeated; only II strikes us that Mss
Thomas made a serious mistake in representing the
pretty widow having been throughout her whole life
extraordinary example Of thc old Cavanstic doctrine
%baa woman is aee a' AND wicked she liable
to become more decetfui and more desperately
But such a totally depraved character that OF
Mrs. Mark Sutton, must be, II not impossible,
at east rare as TO be unsuitable for artistic purposes
md In
Mrs. Sutton spained ike the devil, all IN black,
SO far AS her moral nature is concerned, and Miss
Thomas has given her fair faoe and elegant manners
exquisite taste dress only OF more gar.
ngly her moral ugness. Without some rcdeenIng
scamp. Mr. Edae. and still less could she always
retained the love OF her too mculgent husband. Miss
made naughty Marian so utterly bad to be In fact
irresponsible The illustrations or this novel trans
feneo from the English originals and are bon cut and
printed wretchedy.
WHO WAS JEsrss n. Tibbas & Co., New York.
The chronological element which has played sucn
wild work with so many commentators on the pro-
phecies Of the Bible Is prominent in this bulky add
ton 10 'sThe literature concerning Jesus literature
which has boon rapidly accommodating OF late In WOW OF
a widespread expectation OF the second coming OF
Christ The prcsen, volume is orthodox In its ten.
derces, and may prove useful 10 some readers whose
minds have disturbed and unsettled by the works
OF Strauss and Renan. Ii is open however TO the
objection which we have heretofore urged against
several recent books Of the knd-~t Is anonymous
Modssy may, indeed be the motive in some cases for
the withholding OF his BY author; bat thcre is
something suspicious in the Anonymous putting forth
important subject as thai here treated
OF. II the presented merely as the conclu
which personal studies have leo these authors
why should they the risk OF inducing the public
lend updHe importance TO mysterious anonymous
publication rhe most perocious errors may in this
way Obtain a circulation which the announcement Of
the OF the author night have rendered compare
lively harmless.
poEas. BY John Edward Howell, in two
volumes.
II the talents OF this author were equal TO his anbi.
the amount Of labor he has bestowed IN writing
nearly nine hundred pages Of verse he would become
famous but unfortunately for him they not. He is
one Of large class Of ambitious versihers who imagine