The New York herald., 1871-11-09
LITER AT U r E.
CRITICISMS OF NEW BOOKS.

i R. H. n
/ "Grif.n Harper Bros.
This novel fully bears out the promise OF matured
success which veteran novel readers saw in "Grir.
1t is skilluly told dy OF the dark side OF Londor
life. Amid the squalor and NTH and smoke OF al
East End quarter two boys or exceptional good
ness ana ability, Joshua Marvel and Dan Taylor
porn OF humble parents, strike hands for life
| long Irienship Joshua at first appears upon the
scene as youthful good-for- nothing HIS father
good-naturedY allows him to choose q
calling for himself, and the boy takes a
very long time indeed to make up his mind.
during this period OF idleness his affection
ior Dan and his love for Dams sister Ellen grow into
wonderful strength. At last Joshua determines to
take TO the sea and Is encouraged In his purpose by
an eccentric old tar, who is known as the "Uld
Sailor" Just before he leaves London on his first
cruise the villains OF the story Solomon Fcwster
VINO ID also In love with Elem and cOngenia tool
IN tne shape OF bloody minded Lascar, put IN an
appearance. Joshua returns from long voyage to
be stabbed. but not mortally, at the door OF his
fathers house. by the Lascar. Before again going
to sea ne privately marres Ellen. Another young
lady Minnie the daughter OF strolliny actor (the
story OF whose life is one OF the dramatic ana
finished passages In the book) has, however fallen
love with MIN, and, ignorant OF his marriage, re-
solves TO accompany him on his voyage and obtains
parture In this strange fashion having been re-
vealed BY letter from the Lascar, who has also
shipped on the same vessel with the purpose OF
numbering Joshua, the gossips OF the quarter cook
up o scandal to the effect that Joshua has wronged
his wife ana run away with Minnie. Joshua how.
ever, does not recognize Minnie until certain
eventful night when the ship is wrecked. In the
description or the storm and the prvations OF the
escaped castaways Mr. Farjeon rises to really dra-
tn md
OF the wreck sadly depleted by deaths, drift upon
the Northern coast OF Australia, and fall into
the hands Of the natives. The natives take Minnie
for good spirit, and, when she dies, respect
her last wish to convoy Joshua to the white SETTLE
ments, where, by good hap he discovers his father,
mother, wife and friend Dan, oil living together IN
fair degree Of prosperity, having emlgrated from
the East End to escape the malicious attacks Of their
neighbors upon Joshua.
Into this slight plot Mr. Farjeon has breathed a
deep and stirring interest His success is due to the
dstinctness with which most OF his CHARACTERISED
the good people, in fact-stand out upon his can
vas-a merit undoubtedly sprnglng from their
truth to nature. Dan and Joshua and Ellen
and Minnie and tie old sailor anu the
elder Marvel are not mere puppets
introduced into the story to be stabbed. insuted,
or wronged as occasion may require; they are
living men and women. whose like we meet Ill the
real world, ana in whom we take that vivid interest
we naturally feel in the life story or a neighbor or
friend, or even foe. Mr.. Fareon however, is
probably one of those fortunate men who have lived
almost exclusively among good people. When he
attempts draw villains, IL s but too plain that he Is
sketching from ina ginston. and he miseraDy fails.
There never were living creatures who resembled
Solomon Fewster or the Lascar In language or
habits Of thought, even in forms Of wickedness.
In future we srust therefore, that Mr.. Farjeon Will
connne himself to painting people whom he has
really met. He will then be entirely successful, and
there Is ground for hope that he Will c0ntrl-
butte to the world Of fiction beings a. dear to the
popular heart as Little Nell or Paul DomDey or Bella
Wu1er. a.e
Az to Mr.. FArleons style, while 1t Is lively and
spirited so long 1t u Mr.. Farjeofs own. there
are many chapters wich are painfully weak imita-
ton OF Mr. Dickens, and which strkingly recall to
our mind the staAza OF o certain satrlcal Rigo-
lettO=
There old author called Dickens,
Who reared quite . brood Of young chickens;
OF ,sx b, !, p'ps Pc n,ss meek e, 9s ;Ssnd
The story OF the shipwreck and the narrative of
Basil Kndred's melancholy life, however, show that
he can be something better than feeble copyist Of
an offensive mannerism when he Is carried away BY
the enthusiasm OF an exciting scene. Let him but
be content to be himself and his ideas Will have an
than II he foolishly sends them forth to the world
clothed In borrowed drapery.
And once more We must caution Mr.. Farieon
against attempting to depict scenes and people with
which and with whom he Is unfamiliar. He has no
doubt been In Australia, but his stay there, we
should imagine must have been very Short or, while
there, he exercised but little his undoubted power
q aud close observation In his description OF
sydney, for example, ''orange groves' and 'sbread
fruit trees' are freely introduced as among the
most common objects OF the landscape Two years
ago there not bread fruit tree there except in
the Botanical Gardens. and almost the only orange
groves were one at Cooks River and another six
miles up the wilderness OF Middle Harboc lust
beyond Sugarioaf Mountain. Then, agGfn. what
kind Of house can be built Of "tea, tlee,, bark
And the savages although they beloar to Arnheim,s
Land and very little Is therefore l1nown about them
are certainly creatures OF purc fancy. The Austria
liam aboriginal Is only aydegrce above the Digger
Indian, and yet In. this book he is repre-.
sented as using stiction closely akin to Cooper's
Indians and Ossian's Gaelic chiefs. He Is also
credited with poisoning his arrows which Is
singuarly improbable, while we have searched in
vain to discover any reference TO his national
weapon, the boomerang. These an0chronisms,
however have but little effect upon the interest Of
the story to the general reader, though they are
clear offences against fundamental canon OF novel
writing We can heartily commend the book as
pervaded with the purest morality. There is not q
line In It which could not Do read aloud In the
family circle. Indeed. Its tone Is so high aud manly
that 1t will prove far better reading for the young
than many an avowcdly obstructive" volume pub-
lished under the auspices OF religious society.
A ROLLING STONE. BY George Sand. Translated
from the French by Carroll owen. Boston: J. II,
Osgood Co., 1871. Svo., PIP. ll3.
This little book, though Id parts interesting and
even fascinating, is by means good so ''Cesa.
rIne Dietrich" and other OF Madame Dudevant's
recent Notions. The hero or "A Rolling Stone'' Is
Handsome Lawrence,na French Adonis, OF some
twenty summers, who joins company OF players
and rails Ia love with an Incompatible little paragon
OF sense and virtue whom he finds among them.
Then a WEALTHY and highly sDiy-ifuelie yOun1 widow