Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-22
A choice HOLIDAY BOOK

Ii Iuer6 DC literary 6lenenI among
/ us, We shall assuredly receive its thanks
for pointing out to its fastidious taste q
| splendid holiday book, from the press Of
Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfnger, Phila-
delphia. This firm proposes to give to the
public nothing but ''frst-class literature,
and if the two beautiful volumes before us
be taken as evidence of their determine.
ton, we cannot deny that they are proving
their professionally their works Bound
in crimson and gold, the letter-press pecu-
harly clear upon tinted paper, with an illu-
minated title page, and all the other et
cGterGS which go TO make up an attractive
tout ensemble, how can it fail to find many
an appreciative purchaser during the season
of festivity and iberality just approaching
This elegant work is from the diamond
pointed pen of ida Raymond" known
| in literature as an acknowledged genius,
| and in "'society" as one of the First
| ladies" of Mobile.
Despite very many drawbacks and diff
iculties, known only to the initiated, the
young and accomplished Alabamian has
given us a brilliant, sparkling, and exceed
ingly entertaining book - and the pub
fishers seem to have spared no expense in
giving the jewel an appropriate setting.
1t is no small matter when we consider
that this beautiful work, Southland
Writer'S" is emphatically an emana-
ton of the Southern female mind;
even to the exquisite vignette
title page-the idea of which was given by
a fair Virginian, and wrought into floral
beauty by the ready pencil of a Louisianian.
Southland Writers, Gn which TenneS-
see is fairly Represented, contains sketches,
biographical and critical, of no less than
1l5 Southern ladies, who have distin-
gIIished themselves in the '1iterary line. "
Many of them while also, during the war,
rendering themselves eminent in the
various roles of planter, nurse, physician,
manufacturer, and-cook. From the book
one gains wonderfully clear idea of the
''many-sidedness' of true, womanly char
acter, as also of the high culture and native
purity of Southern women, and their
brave devotion, unfinching fortitude
and steady usefulness during the late revo-
luton. Read how such women acted, in
days when they could say bitterly, with
Cleopatra
eve have no friend but-rcaolvtioa."
What became of such spirits when war
left the South
'Steeped in poverty to the very lips"
you must also read, to know.
Laying down the book We seem to be
well acquainted with all its GrdRGtts per-
s0EG, 50 diverse in their gifts and graces-
so similar in their sufieTings. With a sad
uniformity nearly every sketch contains
the substance of that mournful paragraph.
''ruinedby the revolution Losses, heavy
and grief-burdened, of property, of home,
of those loved above and beyond life itself
Losses borne patiently and calmly-simply
because there is no appeal. ''The heavens
are deaf on that side there is nothing
to do but bear Appropriately the pro
Ceeds of this admirable work are devoted to
the education of Alabama's Confederate
orphans; and it is dedicated most touch
ingly to the memory of the authors only
brother, who was - ''RjN6d, AD7lJ
"a, 1862" How much lies hidden under
that calm, simple statement, How much
of heart-wrung tears and mortal anguish is
covered quietly with a veil of woven flow
ers-and yet the pain lives on-ever
present, and never to be forgotten
But we pass on. Our honest Judgment
is that this is decidedly tie book of
its specialize. MARY Forests" ele-
gantly appointed volume, women of
the South distinguished in Literature, was
marred by haste in composition, though
portions of it were pleasant reading, and
its illustrations (so-styled) were really the
defacing feature of the book, but one of
them, (that of Miss McIntosh,) being in
any way creditable to ''gift-book."
Prof Davidsons ''Living Writers of the
South, very recently issued, is marred not
only 10y haste, but by glazing inaccuracies,
insomuch that critical writer pointedly
remarks: ''This book is made to sell, and
any one who buys it, thinking to gain re-
liable data, ETC., will assuredly be
sold with it. !" But we regard the re
liability of Southland Writers" as one
of its greatest charms.
In few pointed sentences, usually, we
learn who a writer is and what she has
done The over-laudatory style does not
obtain to an undue extent. Curt and
caustic criticisms find their place side by
side with courtesy and commentator.
Ladies are distinctly said to possess faults,
and in some instances their faults are
named with a refreshing clearness and can
dor. This is what we like Moreover, we
like women with foibles. If we weary of
one unreasonable thing sooner than aneth-
er, it is a woman who is
"Faultily faultless-splendidly null
for we like weaknesses" to match our
own! II, therefore, our lady authors pos
sess weaknesses" in some respects
as well as wisdom in others, let them
be told of it. Master Shallow says:
Good phrases are surely, and ever were
commendable; but in cotemporaneousb i-
ography we may have ''too much of good
thing" Therefore, while we thank ''Ida
Raymond that she has given us so fine a
work, we cordially commend the delicacy
and candor with which she has added truth
to beauty in her book.