The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-03
LITERATURE.
REVIEW or NEW BOOKS.

Shepard, Boston. PHILADELPHIA Agents. }.
b. Lippincott q Co.
In this story Miss Douglas has given no
new ideas to the world. Judging from the
style OF the narrative and from the majority
Of the quotations which head the chapters,
we should imagine that she was student and
admirer OF what is known as the "spasmodic"
school of litersture-a school which still ap-
pears to have a strange fascination for GER
tain GLASS of writer's, although it never had
healthy life; and many of the works quoted
by Miss Douglas have almost been forgotten by
the general reader, and are only remembered
as ouriosities by the lhGrdteu. The leading
characters in "Sydnie Adriance" do not i'm
press us as studies from life by keen OBJ
server of men and manners, but rather as the
reproduction Of conventional types that we
have met with frequently in a somewhat ex-
tended course of fiction reading, and which
may be traced back to Charlotte e's
really great novel of "Jane Eyre" 1t would
be a matter Of curious speculation to estimate
how many writerS-lady writers especially
have consciously or unconsciously, initiated
this work.
those mysterious, unfathomable men who
make the heroine uncomfortable by studying
her with steely grey eyes, which look into her
very soul; who have no sympathies with any
OF the little social nothingnesses which make
life pleasant; whose cold -blooded sarcasm and
irony, which we should take to be evidences
of biliousness rather than high -mindedness, are
cd on oil al inOn-
portunely; and who, to crown his
offsnses, makes the young lady do all the
counting, and almost forces her to pop the
question. thoroughly disagreeable fellow
is this st. John, to our fancy and one with
whom we would not desire to be intimately
acquainted, although he appears to be pet
of the author who makes her heroine finally
yield to his influences and throw herself into
his arms. Sydnie Adriance, too, has an
air of mystery about her which
her friends and acqusintances cannot
fathom, and she is attracted to st. John by an
elective affinity which renders resistance on
her part in vain; but, taking her all in all, she
is rather attractive young lady than other
wise.
''Sydnie Adriance' is cleverly written
story, and in many respects it indicates de-
cided advance over the previous works of the
author. Miss Douglas, however, would pro-
duce something better entitled to commenda-
tion if she would forget her books for while,
and endeavor to study the scenes and char
acters of the busy everyday life around her.
These will afford abundant subjects for the
exercise of her talents; and whatever defci-
encies may be exhibited in comparison with
the works of the best writers, such studies
will possess more real value than any imita-
tions that she will ever be able to produce.
From John E. Potter & Co., Nos. 6l5 and
6l7 SAMSON street, we have received "Mrs.
Partington's Knitting Work." new edition
of book that achieved no inconsiderable
amount of popularity when it was first
published several years ago. Mrs. Parting
ton was hit not of a season but of many
seasons, and that she still lives, as garrulous
and as genial an old lady as ever, we judge
from the oracular utterances ascribed to her
which we continually meet with in the
corners of the newspapers. In the volume
before us we have the best of the
Partingtonian sayings and doings, in oonve-
nient shape for reference; and open it where
we will, there can be found something to raise
pleasant smile and to amuse an odd half
hour or 80, such as comes to the busiest men
in the midst of the busiest seasons, sometimes.
The book is illustrated by Hoppin's designs,
which admirably hit off the different char
acters.
The same house sends us "Five Hundred
Employments Adapted to Women" by Vir-
ginia Penny. The question of women's work
and wages is increasing in Importance every
day, and anything that is likely to open new
fields of remunerative employment to the
weaker sex is worthy of encouragement. Miss
Penny has given a list of industrial pursuits
in which women have been, are, or might
be engaged, with estimates of the
rates of wages. Many of the employ
ments indicated are not likely 10
be adopted by women except in rare in
stances, but it was just as we'll to make the
list as full as possible, if for no other reason
than to encourage the despairing by showing
what women have done already in occupations
many of which are generally supposed to be
mOnopolized by men. The estimates of wages
are based on ants-bellum rates, and are
not, therefore, altogether reliable at the
present time; but the book will,
we think, afford some useful hints
to those women who are anxious to find some
honorable and remunerative means of earning
their own living. The necessity for the thorough
education of women in the branches of indus
trV which thew NAV ba disnoSad adnnt