The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-11


FAR resisting the swift current OF daily Ire in this
country as 70 seek recreation In "the still air OF de-
hghtiai stuJies." Especially are we charmed by tho
picture whicn Mr. Albone gratefully gives Of tho
encouragement ana indispensable aid Afforded him
IN The pursuit sof literature by hs excellent vito. II
this worthy couple choose print the n ties wnicn
accumulated IA they read together pen In hand, we
slall not be so chursh as to object tG
IL, although, II consulted we might not.
perhaps, have advised IT, But wnlle wa
admit that the "Dlctoaary Of Authors is very
convenient for the purposes OF the genera! reader
who cannot have access to the works from which it
Is compiled we are constrained to protest,
In the name OF truth, common sense and sound
erudition, against any extraordinary claim or
so respectable man as Mr.. Abone 10 muca more
Than the credit OF patient industry IN the compla
ton OF his big book. As biographical dictionary
II Is no better tnan many another. As contrDu-
ton 70 photography IL really mas, to say the least,
no special value. II may, indeed, stimulate some
mind to the successful search after knowledge az
original sources-and this Is decided merit. BuU
the very merits winch 1t Possesses MAKE IL a more
conspicuous example OF the mad gluttonism for
books, II not OF "tne far more selfish passion tor
notorlety and ostentatlous display" denounced In
BoIterwCk anu Schlegel by the righteously indig-
nant De Quincy. That great essaylst merclessiy
exposed "the monstrous and insane pretenson5' Ok
Bouterweks History, in twelve Volumes OF modern
literature from the end Of the thirteenth century.
What would Dc Quincy have said OF Ailibone'
The strong and skilfu machinery which Mr. ALI.
bone and his enterprlsng first publisher, Mr..
George w. Childs, constructed ana set In motion
highly credlable to tier business tact, and
guaranteed in advance the financial success OF the
"1ictionaryn as a speculation. We are glad that
Mir. Alibonc viii thu, IN all probability recover the
wealth which he lost subsequently to entering upon
his great TASK; but neither his nslortuncs, which
enlist sympathy nor his elegant tastes and tire
less Industry, nor The charming corporation OF his
wife in his studies can bind us to the defects OF his
Dictionary We cannot conscienousy echo the
extravagant praises ignorantiy or unwarly lavshed
upon work which too positively lends color TO tho
charge often brought against American scholars.
thar, with honorable exceptions, false erudion Is
their besetting SIN.
Black author OF "hllmeny,u ''In SILK .Attire,D
&c, &c. Harper Brothers. New York.
This is tho poorest addition to the Library Of
Select Novels" that we have seen for a long time.
Tine plot Is TO use homely expression, exceedingly
aretchcI,n and the characters, for tho most part
rather inconsistent. Besides these defects, the
heavness OF Nh. Blacks style has never been more
apparent than IN the present volume Lillian Sea-
iord the heroine, who Is engaged to DC married to
"
ramble aud forced to swear to become thu
wife OF another. The CHIEF complications Of the
tale arise from This Incident. For this absurd and
compulsory oath she til ows aside her own and her
lovers happiness, and becomes lin name Of least)
tile wife OF the wretch who has thus fo;ced her con-
sent more foolishly manufactured misery it
would be difficult to imagine, and the reader finds
IL impossible to accord his full sympathy to heroine
OF such weak character and over-strained ideas.
Violet Kingscote is the most agreeable person In the
book-a sweet honest English girl. pretty and plea
SAINT, though trine too matter OF act and the frank
friendship existing between her and Lilians lover,
Philip Drem affords the story us best scenes. The
book Is well illustrated.
COOP FOR NOTHING. by whyte Melville author OF
.Digby Grand,n ''rhe Interpreter" &c, &C. Ap.
plelon Co., Broadway, New YORK.
This is a romance OF English life, possessing con-
siderable merit. The plot however, Is rather too
| slowly developed, and the readers attention and
| interest are not early arrested in most Of the
| authors works. The characters are ably drawn aud
natural, ana the book Is unquestOnably well writ
ten. Indeed, 1t Is rather wonder that Whyte Mel
vilIes writings are not better known and more gen.
orally read. His style is essentially good, correct
ana clear and most Of his novels are clever. "Good
for NothIng,v although possessing some powerful
situations, can scarcely be termed very exciting
throughout. 1t may rather be described as very
pleasant reading, requiring for its proper apDreca-
ton to be perused with the same elaboration with
which 1t has apparently been written. 1t contains
great deal Of reading which, however long they
may be, Is frequently not the with the novels
or the present day.
BREAD WINNERS. BY lady OF Boston. Nichols b
Hail. Boston.
The moral Of this story appears to be that Heaven
helps those who help themselves" "hands having
han la fnr w far ban ha LrouIs
from the perusal Of the numerous saws OF the
spinster aunt, Miss Grlmshaw. VINO figures extern
sIvely III the book 1t Is little wonder hat we give
our opinion OF II In proverbs. The tale Is very
simple one, somew ha. In the Sunday school style
partaking OF the character Of those witty carl.
catured by Mark Twain through his story OF Jim,
the Bad Boy" who had no sick mother ana didn't
break his leg when he stole apples, or
get drowned when he went boating or
q SUNDAY. There may be sad 10 be three heroines,
all farmers daughters One or these marrles
wealthy gentleman, anu therefore scorns the &C
quaintancc OF her former friends. who employed
in tina same place snop girs-"bread winners.r
The second, Ruth Bentley, through patient wen.
dong at her post becomes an important person,
"wIns bread' FOR her widowed mother, and finally
weds a well.to-do merchant. The scales have
turned, and her former companion who SO lately
swept sconfuy pas. her in her costly silks, comes
to her to mplore aid Tor her husband, whose affairs
have become involved The third heroine, Miriam
Weston, refuses the hand OF an eligible partt and
becomes strong advocate OF wonan's rights
and woman's suffrage. The book Is quite nicely
written ana suitable TO girls in their teens.
THE HoLcoMBrs. BY Mary Tucker Magil. j. n.
Lippincott Il Co., Philadelphia.
The above Is the title OF quiet story Of home-fe
in the South previous TO the war. The scene Is laid
nj n 4
menced In the form OF extracts from the diaries OF
several Of the dyamdtts persona, Is filed with
domestic scenes. The writer dedicates her work to
her native State-yrgna-and tells Us In her pre-
face that her desire has been to give the public
faithful record OF home-e as 1t existed there prior
to the great change through which 1t has passed.
With rare good taste she has refraned entirely from