The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-08-27

Work rs not one eAacJiy buhpJeu lOr iaihuJ
reading or Sunday School libraries. Thought
full and intelligent men, however, who can
appreciate real earnestness of purpose
and real genius, in spite Of
its vagaries and extravagances,
NAV read this tragedy with pleasure and
proft: for underneath all the absurdities of
the book, the idea of man with grin on his
face, an underlined misery at his heart, trodden
under foot by great, false system, only half
understanding his own wrongs, and troubled
to know why those evils which nature GER
tanly had not ordered should exist at all, is
sufficiently distinct. All the characters in the
book are embodiments of abstract ideas,
rather than real personages, and they are all
more or less sketchy and indefinite. AT the
same time they are mastery sketches, and
the portrait of the Duchess Josaine' is a fine
and subtle creation of genius beside which
the others appear commonplace.
This is a work that is not to be read for its
plot or its historical facts, and the reader who
is capable of appreciating it at all will readily
forgive the Irregularities of the author for the
sake of the real grandeur with which he has
invested the essential features Of his subject
In every chapter there are eloquent and
powerful passages, which are equal to any
thing that Victor Hugo has written In his
best days; and even his errors, growing, as
they do. out of his intense hatred of Oppres-
sion and wrong, are entitled to the respectful
consideration of those who, like him, look
forward to the day when all men shall be free
and equal, and when legalized wrong and OPP
preston will be done away with on the earth
forever. NJ. Hugo delivers genuine sword
thrust when he says with bitter irony, 'Ihe
English address God as HIy l0rd' This will be
appreciated by any one who is at all ac-
quainted with English history, or who
understand English society. 1t is easy
to laugh at his cant talk about the
''nfnite," and at what appears like
an affectation of sentiment, but the sincerity
of his convictions and the honesty of his in
tentions cannot be disputed, and they entitle
him to a respectful hearing. In spite of
errors of fact and faults of style, ''Ihe Man
Who Laughs" is great work, and it will be
appreciated as such by discriminating readers
who care more for substance than they do for
form.
From Claxton. Remsen & Hafrelfnger
we have received protestant Gems of the
Prayer Book by Rev. J. Pleasonton Du
Hamel. This is a series of short commenta-
ries on passages from the Book of Common
Prayer, designed to set forth it's Protestant
teachings in a clear and explicit manner. 1t
is printed and bound in neat and attractive
style, and it may be perused with interest
and profit by others than the members Of the
Episcopal Church, for whose ediiication it is
particularly designed.
From Turner Brothers & Co. we have
received AppIeton's JOuIt0} for September 1,
which contains the last installment of Victor
Hugos romance. The illustrations in this
number are much better than usual; the
frontispiece, in particular, enttled"WaiHng, -
from picture by Auguste Toulmouche, is a
gem in its way. The same house sends us
IOv1 BQys' 0Hd GiIJs' Magagjne for Septem-
ber L. and photographic portrait of Samuel
Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy.