National Republican., 1873-10-08
NEW PUBLICATIONS.,
Au.,,,v Of carer. Literature.

Aueview Of Current Literature.
AGAINST THE STREAM" by author Of
Publishers, New York. For sale by WILLIAM
BAIIASTYSE.
We all remember the keen delight, nush, and
elevation left on our minds by the perusal Of the
aschonberg Gotta Family Its freshness, pith,
originality healthful tone, and pure religious
direction-wrought lovely impression on every
reader. Truth, though potent, often fails to sup
port Itself through accompanying hindrances.
Instruction Is often retarded In its aims by a
harsh, driving manner, while It becomes irrestst-
ably attractive from the lips OF tenderness and
love. In thcse books. under the pleasing gu,se
Of fiction, tempting the unsteady, desuitory
reader, may be seen an under-stresm Of the
sturdicst honesty, the most forcbe truth, the
clearest reason aud power OF thousht--all given
In such winning manner-as t0 convict and
conquer the most careless heart. They present
almost q new phase In composition. We are
puzzled how TO classify them. They stand alone.
Just enough density for prose, Just enough pas
sion for poetry-a mixed texture. Some period
Of religious fervor or noble enIeavor forms al.
ways their base-as the times OF Luther, the rise
Of the Methodists, &c. The slave trade, as II cx.
lsted In England about the close Of the eighteenth
century, AMI the uuremitting, patient labors OF
Granville Sharpe, wilberforce, and others for It's
abolition, form the prominent subject OF
Against the Stream" The work remind,
US mlst Of those grand oil medieval
poems, which waited to rs all that was
sweetest, softcst, or most devoted In tho ages
heroic, chivalric, or barbaric. How we arc now
soothed, strengthened, thrilled with the power
Of noble thoughts and words; how the puisa.
tons OF good In our natures are qulckened, until
their throbblngs arouse to resolution aud action.
The story, according to mode, Is placed In the
mouth OF an old woman, Bridget Bride, who tus.
tains her role most enthusiastically. The
prime and strength Of her life having been spent
before the Inauguration o! railroads, steamboats,
power-looms, &C., she exhibits, In her reminls.
censes, that most prominent feature Of tho agct
An ovefestmito Of the past, and 0 detractiou
Of the present-and naively glories In the knowl
edge that "instead Of pistons and cranks ant
slose oily rooms we had our gigantic water
wheel. and the cascade which rushed over |
from the HILL" Some sly quirks Of humor ar,
scattered hero and there. Having soied new
dress one Sunday afternoon by gambols with he
Dog, Pluto, sho declares, e. never had any dim
| Guilty At all In receiving the narrative OF Genesis
connecting clothes with the fall, rather than the
creation Of man, as most rational explanation
Of the nature Of things, being already quite con
vinced from my own history that they coult
II
tials In any bencncent scheme OF the universe.
Again, passages marked BY the most dellcat,
pathos follow; as spcaking OF aniction In child
hood, she swectly remarks: at Ia good for US al
70 have some Ice 10 our lives. II makes th,
air frtsher, and restralns the enthusiasm
which 10 meant 70 enrich the summers aut
middle Levels with living waters aud life-giyinl
soil from ovcrnowing too early In the sprln
time on the higher levels, and so evapotating Il
mists Of sentiment, or being lost IN marshes O
vague good Intention" OF the description o
heaven, In the sentence "No night there" sh
comments thus. "'No night there must mea
no darkness, no bowliderment, no losing ou
way, no missing our end, no horrJr OF doubt, n
shadow OF death; certainly not no fresh morn
tngs." In closing this book we are reminded o
the good tree. deodar, an evergreen, priced alik
In India for timber or ornament; aud we, hold
Against the Stream" has Its use alike as an cx.
horter and encourager to noble life, a, well a
. beautiful witness TO the grace AMI cmbcllIsh
ment Of language.