National Republican., 1873-03-11
LITERARY.
Bart Ridglc,, n story Of Northern Ohio
Published by Nichols a. Hull, OF boston
Eor sale nj III tho HooL store.

| Published by Nichols ~ Hull, OF Boston-
For sale nt all the Bookstores.
The above Is the unpretending title Of work
Just issued, which deserves, and which will prob
ably have a wide reading. This hook is pub
lished without the authors name, although the
authorship Is generally attributed to a former
member OF Congress from Ohio, and who is now
one OF the most distinguished members OF the
Washington bar.
The book Is well calculated 10 arrest attention.
Whoever opens II nnds at once that he has to
deal with fresh and vigorous mind, which Oc-
caslonally manifests itself with exceptional
strength and power. There never was book,
the product Of a cultivated mind, written with
such audaclOus disregard OF what are called the
rules Of art. There are but two characters In II
for whom the author shows the slightest con-
cern. The others, very numerous, and many OF
them natural, and two others really interesting
and about whom the reader would like to learn
more-come and go, and are never heard OF after
Indeed, as the author asserts, the events Of ac-
tual life are at utter variance with the dramatic
writers and rules Of literary art, and he seems
10 have felt At liberty TO disregard them wholly.
He not only constructs history, or tells 1t with
out CONSTRUCTIVE, somewhat on the inconsequent
mode OF actual life, but seems to have taken ac-
tuAl men aud women, as be must have known
them, many OF whom, as we know, even retain
their own proper names, ana thlS either from
Incidence and conscious lncapaclty to create,
or on the modest notion that Providence had
found people In accordance with the rules Of
nature, however much they may have dCylated
from the rules Of art.
Asa literary pGTfo rmanre the book Is unpre-
tentlous. 1t has not line Of nne writing and
no passages Of elaborate description; although
there Is much graphic sketching and outlining
and occasionally passages Of great beauty, yet
the style Is often abrupt, rude and unfinished
Much OF II seems 20 have been hastily written,
many chapters at dash, and never revised, with
here and there little gaps to be nlled afterwards
but never done. And when we remember the
attributed authorship we fancy that we have
here the strong, bold, often graphic sometimes
beautiful and eloqlent style OF the ofr;hand mist
prius advocate, finished for speaker but faulty
Tor q writer.
Tho incidents are numerous enough and han
died with freshness and skill that relieves the
volume from tedium, aud even the level parts go
forward with o force that carries the reader over
tho commonplace and grave with unnagglng in
teTest.
The author writes from the funess OF Western
but unhackneyed life, and handles good many
grave topics with q bold originality. His phi
lO6Ophy Of human life Is healthy and elevated,
and one OF the faults Of the book Is Weightlng
young HATt, At twenty-five or twenty-thTee, with
the experience and philosophy Of nfty.
There IA Q prevailing tone Of sadness running
through the whole, partly incident TO the ylcissl-
over II f.0In serInIng VEN OF melancholy In the
mind OF the author, who has uncOnsciOusy writ
ten much OF himself in this production.
The scene ls lai on the "Great western Rc