New-York tribune., 1871-07-25
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The incopveniences growing out OF the want
9, ,vmnathv in married life are here set forth in series
- ,rkips illustrations which exhibit less Of the refine
n q, art than the extravagant coors Of the stage
ve,v,hng Is pitched on the highest key, representing
an ptensity of experience which is seldom met with In
seal e and without the sotening touches WITH WHICH
Nature is wont TO relieve the most exceptional specimens
sf her handiwork. Mrs Stowe is feotous in her
Aeineations moral worth than in her pictures OF
social heartlessness and frivoty. In the one case
abe has only to present accurate transcript OF
her sympathies and experience; in the other' she
draws largely upon her imagination, which oIten
heads her astray The heroine Of this story represents
tyne OF character which the traces are DC
found in modern society; but such fuFbloWn examples
are as unnatural a whole fruit orchard smten with
hgbt She ia depicted as thoroughly heartlesS woman
devoured by an insane love Of admiration with scarcely
q gleam Of intellect though with a certain cunning
shrewdness and quite destitute OF moral sense
devoted To fashionable inrigues, with every iemlhue
weakness, and not single feminine virtue. John sey
our on the other hand is genuine scion Of the Purl
tan stock sincere earnest noble in aim, vigorous In &C
ton loving in disposition Of rigid habits, OF inhex0e
stegrty with lofty idea of honor and religious sense
Of the purposes Of e but stranger In the world oiiash
Son. unversed In the wies of woman unsuspeious OF e
deeeitful ways Of beauty, great innocent country
steer fed on clover and dew" though with little pri
yate bit Of romance in his heart His character ana sur
roundings in one the pleasant villages ofNew-Engand
are described with mastery PEN presentingon attract
Ave picture Of personal and social dignity III the
portrayal Of which Mrs. Stowe is always at nome,
advancing with the firm step OF one whose loot is on ms
native heather. Tie contrast between the f.rdy,
minded John and the gay little belle with whom he
fancies that he is in love, and whom he marres In
slasm Of enthusiasm without rhyme or reason Is man.
aged with good deal Of skill, and forms the principal
effective feature in the story. John exercises the
patience Of donkey with all the nervous whims and
eaprices Of his spoiled child Of wife, eats thistles
IA wifi a
complaint and devoes himself with much loyalty TO
please the idle fancie Of his pretty pink and white trant
as II she had been CoTnclia q POrti9. She thwars
a the plans and purposes of his life illustrates ms
benevOent designs for the Improvement OF his WORK
people temps him to use wine in violation Of his pledge
converts the stately elegance OF the old family mansion
into the tnsel splendors French curiosity shop, and
brings around him throng OF vulgar shoddy aristo-
and social impostors into whose disgusting society
he forced in spite of the refinement of his tastes and
the cleanliness Of his social habits. He thus draGs the
ghtterng gided chain through several weary years,
until the gracious Heavens IterpOsc, and the radiant
aOwer Of fashion fades @ infn S....oss mgnE IN.
upehot OF tie story Is to enforce the NOR"
pf the ndissolubty of the marriage tie The ciSinor
for free divorce as means Of rightng the wrongs oI
woman, is absurd; for If woman who nhds u''' sue
has made mistake IN marriage may leave DER huSpu'
and seek her fortune with another so also lnd! man
and If over husband was justified in taking TINS course
n WAS John Seymour This is the argument Oi @ drS'
stowe and she certainly presents it with not ttle
force Had Seymour upon discovering that BIS "he
was clog on his higher spiritual Development tneu
her helpless upon the world ii is easy 10 predc "hat
would have been the wrcchedness OF her career Inc
opv proper timo for reflection is before the choice
made "But when once marriage is made and CONSUME
mated II should be as fixed fact as the laws OF nature
And they who suffer under its trngency should suner
as those who endure the public good" In connection
with the main thread of the story Mrs stowe mas some
admirable pieces Of misunderstanding, III when me
sense Of humor is apty blended with shrewdlusight
into the workings Of passion, and which happily reheNe
te oyercbarged picture the heroine Grace Sey incur
is an unmistskable specimen of Ncw-Englaho sne'o
lady with whose noble womanly qualities mgr culli'a
ton and sweet wisdom few readers have not en-
ioyed the privilege of practical familiarity The fongs
Van Astrachan families also represented with
great truth OF dolineaOn with scarcely shade OF carl
rature In their case the mirror is faithfully held up to
nature and reflects various aspects OF social life OF
which it is not difficult to discover the prototypes
THB ISLAND YEIGHBORS By AxrosErTE BRovN BtAckVILL
pp. 40. Harper BIoacEs
The homelike simplicity of this unpretcndlng
story is in excellent keeping with the sterling characters
aud primitive of the secluded !peQpe In whose
suie island the scenes took place which have furnished
Che writer with materials for her narrative IL makes
no pretensons the entcements OF literary art ana
has scarcely sufficient plot to connect the incidents o
the story IN coherent whole; but as picture OF ruia
fain rattraction for readers who are weary OF the
high&piced ictiOns of the day. The author appears
90 have trusted less 70 invention than to observa
zion in the construction Of her unvarnished recital
and has evidently seen with her own eyes the pc
euliar antique personages whose ways she describes
vttso much nat uralness OF detail Old "Capting Giles"
and mis- kndheared spouse who had logged on together
for nearly sixty years no doubt characters drawn
from life and few hours sail from Boston toward the
south Shore Of Massachusetts, Bay would inevitably
Of fbp oripi
agreeable picture is that Of the "ancent mariner"
whsng as he hoes the potatoes in his little patch of
sarden with tall snewy figure and as erect as any
wOrkingman Of fortyye. The good dame forms an ad-
rnirabe counterpart to the gray "John Anderson my
Joyith her calico dress checked apron and white Rer
chief her hair as white the muslin Quaker cap that
Law over it. and her wrnkled cheek still soft and kissa
BILE 10 any one who loved her." did host Of children
aud grandchildren. The Boston family which had
come down 10 the island for Summer holiday, with the
nervous invalid husband and the handsome Hbernian
nansel who plays conspicuous part in the miniature
nrama afford effective contrast to the primeval ways
of the natives and relieve the natural mOnOtOny OF the
scene There attempt however on the part OF the
author up the materials into striking situations
The realism Of the narrative approaches the verge OF
hardness with but few sofening touches of the fancy
Ihewrter IS tempted to erratic path by any
Excess OF agnaton but her planness OF speech and
photographic sincerity OF description will please the
taste Of many readers who prefer OF pure spring
water to fiery cordials.
A uniform edition of the complete Works
Of e. p wmPPLE in six volumes is issued by ]. r. os-
GOOD GO forming in itself valuable library Of liter
ary criticism ethical discussion and piquant sketches Of
character and social life.
Art, for July is an excellent number OF the
pictorial magazine which has won so high reputation
among cultivated readers both sides Of the Atlantic
Among the Illustrations is the celebrated engraving OF
The knight aud DEATH" by Albert Ddrer, reproduced
with great vgor by the beotype process There also