The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-17

CRITICISMS OF NEW BOOKS.

S1O1 4S4Oux0 OE NE w oOOxA0s
YESTERDAYS WITH AUTHORS. BY james T. FIELDS.
852 = : -
THIS 10 an appetizing. ana In many Of its features
asuccessful book. Its whole make up, In mecnanF
cal sense, bespeaks the artist In book publishing
From the delicate fabricated title to the creamy
tinted paper, and from the g1lded top TO the taste.
fully beveed cloth OF the binding. all elegant and
rich, though perfectly simple and In good taste. or
the contents we can speak favOraby. having en-
Joyed already large portion OF them as they ap-
peared In the Atlantic Monthly under the title Of
"Our whispering Gallery" Mr.. Fields has drawn
largely upon his portfolios Of private letters well
as upon his personal memories OF Ave out OF the
six notable authors who make up the staple Of his
book. These are W. M. Thackeray, Nathaniel Haw-
th0rne. Charles Dickens, William Wordsworth ana
Miss Mary Russell Milford. .s,
In the sketch OF Thackeray there are many life
like touches which bring us nearer to the person n
atty OF the great novelist than anything else we
have seen In print Mr.. Fields was In London with
Thackeray JUST at the height Of the OF the
newy-launched COrnhM Magazine. OF which he was
the nrst editor. The combined literary excellence
and the cheapness OF the new monthly (sold at q
shilling, when all the Old magazines were published
at Two and sixpencel took tDe pubic by storm, and
the sales soon ran up to the unprecedented figure OF
10000 copies. Thackeray was wild with JOY, and
on to Paris be rid OF the excitement for few
days. Here Mr. Fields found him running about
the shops Of the Palais Royal gazing In at the gilt
terng windows OF the Jewellers and eager to rush
IN and order pocketful Of diamonds and "Other
trines" as ne called them; "for how" said he "can
spend the princely income winch Smith allows me
for editing the Oor,shM unless begin instantly
sOmewherefi tg l4-rr 4 A rf
on his American tour Of 1852 Tnackeray was
4 fed nvrhI
and his lectures from the Clarendon Hotel In
New York, ne wrote to MI. Fields-'l make no
doubt you have seen that admirable paper, the NEW
YORK HERALD, and are aware OF the excellent re.
ception my lectures having In this CITY, 1t was
q lucky Friday when first set foot In this cOun-
try" ri1 - 81 $40 st at ti f
OF Thackeray's style of composition always an
interesting trait in famous wrlters) Mr. Fields tells
us the following:--
had the opportunity, both in England ana Amer
ica OF observing the literary habits OF rhacheray,
and 1t always seemed 70 me tnat he did his work
with comparative ease. but was somewhat nnu-
enced Dy custom OF pr0crastlnatlon Nearly all
ms stories were written in monthly instalments
me that when he began novel he rarely knew now
many people were TO figure IN II and, TO 1se his
own words, Nc was always very shaky about their
moral conduct. He said that sometimes, especially
If he had been dining late and did not feel In re-
markaOly good humOr next morning, ne was In
clined to make his characters villanOusy wicked;
but If he rose serene with an unclOuded brain,
| "
ing 70 make MS men and women perform. When
he had written passage that pleased him very
much he couid not resist sappIng on MS nat and
rushing forth to find an acquaintance to whom he
might instantly read mis- successful composition.
OF Charles Dickens Mr.. Fields has more things to
tell than OF any others Of his heroes except Haw-
thorne. Some nave objected TO the publication Of
so many ana such details OF private correspondence
and certainly nothing IN Mr.. Dickens own example
would justify 1t. But we remember how eager a
curious public Is to find ont all particulars, even
the minulest, regarding It's famous men, anu how
precious to would llfeiKe glimpses into the
minds Of Shakespeare or Milton as these private
letters convey, and we abandon criticism.
Here are two characteristic extracts:-
o, heaven such green woods as was rambling
among down In Yorkshire, when was geJting that
done last July. For days and weeks We never saw
the sky put through green Dougns; and afday long
horse's feet scarcely made sound upon 1t. We
have some friends in that part OF the country close
dwens In state, IN MS PARK, indeedh who are the
ioiest OF the jolly. keeping big old country house,
BILE church, and everything, ike Goldsmlth's bear
dances. an concentration accordingly" Just the
there In the way OF foreits plcnics, rustic games.
inspections OF ancient monasterles at midnight,
to your heart, and, as Mr. Weller say come out
on the other SIDE"
send Tree AMI independent citizen down TO the
Cunard wharf at Boston, you Will find that Captain
a small parcel for Prole ssor Feton, OF Cambridge
ana IN that parcel you VIII 1nd Christmas Carol
Unarles boSens over Which S Carol Charles
Dickens wept and laughed and wept again ana eX-
cited himself In most extraordinary manner IN the
compositions; and thinking whereof he walked
about The bleak streets Of London fifteen and
twenty miles many night when ", all the sober folks
diglous. And by every post ali manner Of stran-
gers write all manner OF letters TO MIN about their
homes and hearths, and how this same Carol Is read
aloud there, and kept little shelf by itself.
Indeed 1t Is the greatest success as am told that
this ruffian and rascal has ever achieved.
Such drivings, such dancngs, such conjurings,
such olindnan's buildings, sucn tneatre-gongs such
klssings out OF old years and kissings in Of new
ones. never took place these parts before TO
keep the Chuzzewlt going, and do this little book,
'The CAROL" In the odd times between two parts OF
It, was, you may suppose, pretty tight WORK.
But when 1t was done broke out like mailman.
narty AZ %acreadys tne other night going down
country dance with Mrs. NJ, you would have
thought was country gentleman Of independent
property, residing on a tlp-t0p arm Win the WIND
blowing straight IN my face every day."
THE COIN BOOK, Comprising History OF Coinage;
Statistics of the Coinage from 1872 1870; LAST OF
Current Gold and Silver Coins, and their Custom
House Values; Dictionary OF al CONS known IN
Gold and Silver Product OF each State to 1870; the
Daily Price OF Gold from 1892 to 1871, &c. With
engravings Of the principal coins. Philadelphia:
J. b. Lippmcott Co., 1872. ovo PIP. $780, 8. 10 pl.
For the preparation OF this highly useful and
venient manual on one OF the most important
branches of finance, we are indebted to Mr.. smith
Romans, Jr., the well-known publisher OF me BANK
e,'s Magazine. The opening history Of coinage IN
all nations Is reprinted from Mr.. Musners careful
article IN the Encyclopedia Britannica, and forms,
with the "Numismatic Dictionary" the most
valuable portion OF the work. 1t is
10 be regretted, however, that the values
of foreign coins as given In the alphabet
OF this dictionary, were not reduced from sterling
TO United states currency. 1t is, OF course, some
satisfaction to the reader to learn that the tae OF
China Is worth Sc. 3d., that the Russian rOube
spelled rube IN the "Con Book'') Ii valued ut 49,,