The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-30

REVIEW OF VIEW BOOKS.

by Porter * Coates.
"a Lost Life, by Emily G. Moore, who
has obtained some reputation as a story
writer under the nom de plume of ''Migno-
nette, is an ably-written but particularly un-
pleasant narrative of an aggravated case of
domestic misery, such as the womens rights
advocates love to harp upon for the purpose
of showing how the feminine portion of hu-
manity is obliged to suffer at the hands of
tyrant men. The heroine of ga Lost Life"
allows her brute of husband to kill one of
her children and to beat another one nearly
to death without taking any vigorous steps to
protect herself, but finally the blow of a
switch across her own face induces her to fly
from home, and to seek to earn her own liv-
ing in distant city. very proper course
of action for her to take, in our opinion, and
we freely hand the chief offender in the
case over to the tender mercies of Woodruff,
Claflin q Co., feeling assured that their expe-
rience in the matter of husbands will enable
them to do it full justice. A very interesting
young clergyman figures prominently in the
story, who even goes so far as to make love
to the ill-used wife. To Miss Moore's credit,
however, her heroine does not encourage his
advances, and even refuses to marry him
after her husband has procured an Indiana
divorce. 1t is not quite certain, however,
whether this refusal is based upon an opinion
that such proceeding would be improper, or
upon the fact that the dominic had already
transferred a portion of his affections to
another woman. There are many trivial
details which obstruct the current of the
story, but, on the whole, it is we'll written,
and some of the characters are described
with much skill.
''The Empty Heart; or, Husks, and ''For
Better or Worse" are couple of entertain
ing stories by Marian Harland, bound in one
volume. This writer, without taking the
highest rank among the female noveIists of
the day, has well-deserved claims upon the
regards of her readers. Her plots are con-
structed with skill, and her stories, although
bordering at times upon what for convenience
we may call the sensational" are interesting
and will repay perusal.
'Millbank, " by Mary ]. Holmes, is, like. the
other novels of the same writer, story of
domestic life, in which there are some excel
lent contrasts of character, much quiet
humor, and skilful weaving of comp ara
lively unimportant incidents into plot of
considerable interest Miss Holmes stories
always point an excellent moral and ''Mill-
bank" her latest production, may be read
with pleasure and profit.
''The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman,"
with illustrations and notes by George Cruik-
shank, which Carleton & Co. has reprinted,
is a piece of comedy which derives its chief
value, as many more important works before
it have done, from the illustrations and notes
aforesaid, which are in the immortal Cruik-
shank's best manner.
Papers for Home Reading" by Rev.
John Hall, d. D., the Scotch-Irish pastor of
the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New
York, is the title of q collection of short sto-
ries and essays, each of which points Chris
tian moral. These papers have been selected
from magazine edited some years age in
Ireland by DR.. Hall, and, with one exception,
they have not been published before in this
country. DR.. Hall is an eloquent and
earnest writer, and the volume before us will
receive a cordial welcome from many Chris
tians who know the author by reputation,
and who admire his character and talents.
The volume is adorned by fine portrait of
DR.. Hall. For sale by Claxton, Remsen &
Haffelfnger.
--"Studies in Literature" by G. W. Griffin,
second edition, published by Claxton, REM
sen & Haffelfnger, is the title of a series of
essays by one of the editors of the Louis
vile Journal on ''George D. Prentice" +"
''Vathek, "Victor Hugo" edwin Booth as
Hamlet and as Macbeth, >" ''Percy Bysshe
Shelley" ''David Garrick, 4" 'Dante," ''Ths
Scarlet Letter." "Janauschek," several of
Shakespeare's plays and other similar topics
These essays are fair average newspaper crit
icisms, reviews, and dissertations, but they
are scarcely profound enough, elaborate
enough, or, to speak plainly, good enough for
the use that has been made of them in the
present instance. Newspaper writers do them-
selves and their profession great injustice
when they attempt to transfer their hastily
penned comments from the place where they
belong, and where they are appreciated at
their true value, to the pages of book, where
elegance of diction and fine analysis are look
ed for by the only class of readers such vol
ume as the one before us is likely to interest.
Mr.. Grifins essays are neither better nor
worse than thousands of others that appear
every day in the journals of the country, and
they say very little that has not been better
said on many previous occasions.
1.-Two Books" by Mrs. G. E. K Davis,
published by Henry Hoyt, gives the diaries
of two good little girls, who are very good
indeed, and whose comments upon them