The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-05-09
From the Nashville Tenn, Enterpri .
Wilfrid Cumbermede.

~ = va ShabN - $50 ~ MI
perpetdates memories by embolyIn,
them in tangible forms. These form.
often partakc as largely of the creati,s
genius Of the artist ~ Of the attribute
of the original objects; without, hon,
ever, losing those features by wlbst q
they who knew them recognize Vrm,
The child of the Roman mother
would quickly recognize the familiar
features in the Sistine Madonna. No
less quickly will the dullost mind
recognize q fine thought, once mo.
mentarily its own, should 1t aftnrWaTd
see it glorifed by some mind more
sensitive and active.
1t is a greater pleasure to find a lost
treasure thus bcautiiied than to dis
cover a new one. For these reasons
Wilfrid Cumbermede is u of the
most enjoyable books lately published.
In it the authorj has traverseI the
country between childhood and man
hood, and gathered into n volull
the troop of shadowy visitants.N
call thoughts, dreams, aspiration
giving them form, after his own i'm
yes, but still out of the stuff commO
to all Of us. These forms arc no
pressed in the stiff mould OF q mora
but grow into people under the sun
shine and rain-the joy and tears of
good purpose.
Dickens, too, delighted in develop.
ing characters from the first wall OF
existence, but his images come always
eating and drinking--or wanting to,
and the world will say that they hay
u devil, after his epitaphs are all wa
ten. Mcdonald IS the antitypG
Dlckors, and it is a fitting compcnsdA
ton that the nation which furnishcdN
Il should furnish the other. Dick
ems popularized The novel by portray
ing the commoliest and lowest pas.
sions of humanity, with a tender and
delicate %eloquencc which tempts men
down to them. Mcdonald, particular
ly in Wiltrid Cumbermede, exalts the
novel into y vehicle of wholesome
spirituality. In describing dreams
and f%ancics, there is sublility and
influences of detail, cunningly wo-
ven but sharply expressed thoughts,
which seem at times unnatural, even
for older heads than Cnarley's and
Wilirid's; but the same style, used in
describing objects whose outlines are
distinct i'll our minds, such us Il field
or a sunset, is as clear and bright Us
tho reflection of n mirror. 10 the
author, botl. descriptions are, doubt I
less equally clear. There are no !
prodigies in the book, but Wila'id isl
peculiarly dreamy, and Charley ~ dis5
tinctively doubling, for the apthof
chose them to represent all such SoyA
and the very fact that they devtloph
these pcculiarities in MANHOOD, re-
gardless of dramatic effect, makes
them like human beings and not the
shadows of q fancy.
That independent, highstrung Char
ley should commit suicide is a natural
probability, arising from the constant
and relentless incubation, by his
father, of the gospel of damnation.
In the obedience and humble faith of
Mary, the bigotry which murdered
charley seems almost righteousness.
I; he does not, however, practically be- !
" me ..Wilfrid's Athanasia until after
a is made zone Rcsh" with the en-
a lily gross nature OF Godfrey, and
on parated theretrom by the spirit.
I'd preug hand of death, which kindly
wing bier to the world unshacklea by
ano'ly education. Her marriage
}, now nn,oy onJ Nc ,louIh nunal-A
o~urnihg Int her purity Mad htthertH
moved secret, inc real depth andN,
J" ,bink human nature. she 'alhe
10 .hnn n1 IN the tomb with rs pure
i crofo "no Tbith sympalhies broadened
or ra1mIt NV with WiltriA's idesE
jef. lie onhIi the noblcst conccpFiel
story to bablyd for which there MI
the sug- days oHons. CARA W." KIN
)n Prof. Iio dooly liked, as III ViPH
terview, will Cnoty ~ common PiI'oT
expert avaa, ,r,k many, Mucl lct
question eEac1 'rua u regard 10Y ~
II ne VI ~ ~ there is one hcaEt
,hed the shnduer, IN of Wilfrid's, ~
aud forget hcr p,unlrGd who vi
. for his JoyOusiiesS !" in her hcalth&
learned whole oook a,rilliancy. iii
Vi either and high sus, iinr ,iiusioyb
erything number of real There is
to have verse, aud u stL,, nrosc anN
ore than throughout. i, plcisant
have hit 49,