The New York herald., 1868-01-05
BOOK NOTICES.

BOOK NOTICES.
"KATHTTNA; HER LIFE AND MINE" in poem.
BY J. g. Holland, author of " Bitter Sweet"
ThirH-fourth edition. New York: Charles
Scrikner Co. 1867.
Really, We ought to pity the daughter. Of Fsul and
Kathr.na. Poor thing, she is not much Of figure in
the story, for Kathrina and Paul are too deeply con-
sclcus Of their precious scives fer to much Of
their darling though this may be part Of the poets art
not torture souls beyond the endurance OF natural
sympathy il indeed sufficiently bad TO know that
there such being this child, and to reflect upon
the inheritance Of disease She bears in her system.
what anumber Of morbid nss make their focus in her
little life Her grandfather Paul's father, victim
to insanity He had cerebral disease to such degree,
that his telusions wore reality and his realities de-
lnson- He rich man, but cut his throat for fear
Of want His skeleaon in the closet Of Paus life.
Then Psul's mother, the grandmother Of that poor
chd also committed suicide. She had the tendency
in hcr blood corpnsoes For years 1t preyed on her
and she prayed against but inevitable destiny had
her way. How notable that things which always have
their way pictured as women. Paul then fell in the
dumps and like Jobs poor relations 'cursed Cod but
unfortunately for lerature, did not die He followed
In the way Of his father and had notable delusions
For instance day he pursued sheep little hill
in Massachusetts, and having reached the summit over
moment he believed that ho became poet believed,
perhaps that he thoD discovered that he had been
poet from the first Here we SEQ reproduced with
cideity, in its variation the manifestation of his
fathers disease His father, rich man, believed him
self poor and by hs thought pushed desperate
extreme; the son, morbid, mumbling introspect-
i've twadder, believed himself q poet, and was
pushed TO q desperate extreme aso-that OF print
ing-his poetic character cutting its throat in that
act. Here, now. is fine cerebro-spnal system TO
send down 10 posterity. Fancy Paul's parentage on
both sides having the same tendency-that tendency
terribly strengthened In Paul-and then Paul's child
Not irritation that happens In life but will have
awful danger for her. If she demands burnt almonds
and they send her will be safe to trust
tho with the opodeldoc bottle. What's
trouble she will be to her friends and herself and how
often her heart win be broken whe at school But this
is not the worst Pauls wife, Kathrina, died OF con-
sumption. Here Is another hereditary horror for that
innocent If she escapes tho opodedoc and the broken
heart whst chance thcro that she will past chronic
hydroccphaus2 And II she should there is tubercuar
peritonts little fur her route phthisis
the end Is IL wonder that sympathics for this
child have made her to US the central figure OF the
s.oryr
nothing In the world so much water boarding
house; there is not healthy person in IT, Il reflects
ments Of New England thought and life and is type
Of the class Of literature most favored by The young
women and the feminine boys who derive their culture
from that region. sometimes organs OF whose very
existence In bodies not naturally force
tell rs that this an evidence that they arc not Seshy
Tho mEn who "knows he has Q stomach" has abused
that valuable auxiliary and the heart Of wicked
the Psalmist says it is, troubles not Its owner
long as 1t Is In good order. II is the distinguish
ing Characteristic Of Yankee intellectual life that
1t has this sign Of disease in dreadful promi-
1t Is conscious OF its every heartbeat, con-
scous OF its digestive operations conscious especially
fastens Its attention that II unable to go aboa.
business and utterly untitled to do any honest
is blnC for all but what 1t seems there Kathrina is
growth OF that intellectual atmosphere Its charac-
tes go up and down its pages as the scky pale people
90 up and down the water balls talking all the
same subjective rigmarole Some Of them make
little effort TO be brilliant stolen scraps OF epigrem
and one was not too rich to pifcr even so small coin
Tom Hoods reference the human car as can ex-
tenpore rack for an idlo penn Kathrina, the poets
divinity and wife, Is one OF those New England girls
who talk-good gracious how she docs talk
Asaliterary performance and aside from phoscphi.
cal Significance, "kathrina is merely
shadoa hairbreadlh only above tho ocean Il rnedoc
rty Jts story, told In plain prose- would have found
proper place In the corner of annual. Telling 1t
feeble and diluted Ia which 1t appearsverse
never has orce-only exas its nothingness. Tho me
dum s blank verse; but between the parts OF his story
the author has taken refuge rhyme and the result
exactly like those columns of drive that flourish in tho
cheap magazines We have instance OF the authors
@the work OF hand the wife Of hiG heart
We would not nd fault with the agreeable expressions
u Spouse
time we have seen poetry put on level with horse
shoeing Horseshoeng may, indeed, be the work Of
mans ,5s ssnd . qo an Industry absolutely S material
had different idea OF the source literary labors
Even the little boy who made his own ndde-a wooden
bead had better idea OF the dignity Of inventive
than the author who calls his poem the work OF his
authors Style He SACRIFICES only TRUTH but matter
OF fac he consents to be absurd for the OF
n E0 atch an
author all Ia gold that glitters God fact nothing
but glitter na. no Other value than az It may shine
hardly expect anything In reality worthy tho Of
pos.ry-and KATRINA would not disappoint as.
Snort STUDIES ON GREAT SUBJECTS, by James
Anthony Froude, NJ. A. Scribner Co., New
York.
The name Of James anthony Frouds is nsu wei, and
honorably known among tho literary or all nations
Bis menta history. taken connection with his fine
schelarshr and his great natural abilities, havo made
him to certain extent representative Of his Tina
Mr. Frouds q student at Oxford at the
time that John Henry Newman and Or. Pussy were
turning the heads Of the thinking young men
at the rniversy, and he became victim to the con-
tagion Of the hour In the publication OF the elves
OF the English saints" Mr. Frsude took an active part,
and some Of the finest sketches arc from his pen In
lS4s be took deacon's orders From the higher form
OF the religions life which Mr. Froude developed In the
Olives OF the English Saints" ho rushed to the other
extreme-an extreme 10 which he was led by a too
natural process-and published two books the one
called "Ths Shadows OF tho Cloudsn and tho
other "Tho Nemesis OF Faith" both OF which
were condemned by the University authorities.
Whom Mr. Nswmsn joined the Church OF Rome Froude
ieapsd at once into open inndcy gave up the fellow.
ship which he had honorably won and left the Unver.
sity. AT one time he purposed to leave England
forever Wiser thoughts, however, In caimer moments
began TO prevail and Froude gave up all thoughts OF
leaving his native country and reentered tho church in
which, however, he considers himself only Iayman.
ABOUT this time he formed connection with the
Wcstmns Revieo and between years 1850 and 1886
several very able articles appeared that journal
IRON bis pen. We have heard IL said that during this
Icriod Mr. Froude was brought into contact with Thom
as Carlyle, the greatest scotchman and perhaps the
greatest thinker OF his day. and that Caryes advice
him ras that he should givo himself to history and
particularly to the history OF England However thus
be. 10 1865 Froude.gave TO tue world the nrst two
volnmeg Of bis history under the title OF The Hls