The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-12-31
New Books.

BY TIE SEA. BY Mrs. Sophronia Currier, an
thor of 'sAlice Tracy" New York: E. =.
Dutton & Co. Charleston: Fogartie's Book
Depository.
Sketchy and spasmodic, with string OF
sensational incidents out OF all proportion to
the demands either OF the plot or the char
acters, it is only charitable not to crticise
this book in detail. Its purpose seems to be
good, as far as we can judge from the cir
cumstance of every one of its thousand
crises being pointed by al appropriate text
OF Scripture, and we shall take the will for
the deed, and be silent.
OF far higher order is
SHILOH OR, WITHOUT AND WITHIN. By W.
II. J.. Jay.
Which comes to US from the same publishers,
and can also be found at Fogartie's. This
is quiet and unprctending story, with,
nevertheless, very high claims to consldera-
tion. It's the tale of young city girl who
goes to spend her vacation in New Eng
land village, and who tells, in series OF let
tiers to friend, the simple story of her daily
life The pictures OF New England farm and
parish liie several Of the sketches Of char
acter, and here and there bits Of the dia-
logue, are worthy Of high praise. The plot
is also well managed, and some of the clos
ing chapters evince considerable pathetic
and descriptive power. 1t is true that the
book has grave faults. One or two OF the
characters are limitations and clumsy ones.
Miss Rust, for instance, out-Malaprops Mrs.
Malaprop in perfectly absurd way, and the
herone's father is made up from MIR. CaXton
pere, and the father Of "Aurora Leigh" Be
sides this, the arguments with the professed
inldel OF the book are too palpably con-
structed upon the familiar model, with
carefully prepared "weak places in the
paper-giant's armor. Truth compels us also
to say that Miss Winnie is frequently very
prisgsh and pragmatical, and deserved
much harsher treatment from her diulectical
foe. And, finally, the book would have been
much better without the repu!sive allusion
on page II. But, for all this, "Shiloh" is
very good story, and gives promise of much
future excellence. It only remains to say
that both the volumes are very tastefully
bound and printed.
THE SHADOW OF MoLocH MOUNTAIN. By Jane
A. Austin, author Of Cipher. New York: {:
Sheldon g. Co.
This novel lacks the air Of gloomy mys-
terry which gave certain charm to "Cipher, }"
and what itloses in sombre coloring, it does
not gain in consistent development of char
acter, piquancS of dialogue, or ingenious in
tricacy of plot. The cynic OF the volume is
a dreary scoder without wit or fancy, and
the muscular hero is o queer mixture OF
sall!sh obslinacy and the "tender and true. I"
Beatrice Wanstcad, the Genet OF The eventful
history, disappoints all our expectations.
The promise.is 81 agony, remorse and crime;
but ars we'll that ends we'll, and the threat
ened tragedy Of the opening chapter soon
becomes semi-domestic drama, in which
all hands, except the big villain and his
mate, are made superlatively happy. "The
Shadow of Moloch Mountain" is by no means
an artistic work, Yetit has good points, and
its sketches ofNew England life will doubtless
be read with interest if not with admiration.
For sale at Greer's, King street.