The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-05
BOOKS OF THE WEEK. :

|
Dialect poetry seems to be the prevailing disease
| OF English and American literature Fortunately
IL has improved in its moral qualities II in nothing
else since the spike County Ballads" and the Scala
veras Epics."
The latest specimens or this species OF verse pre-
sented in book form are the "Farm Ballads" OF
viii Carleton, gathered into very handsome
volume by the Harpers and "Bctsy Lee, Fo'c's'e
Yarn" published by Macmillan Co.
The best thing in Mr.. Cartoons volume is his
somewhat famous ballad, "Betsy and Are Out"
These verses not poetry; but the severest
critic cannot deny that they poetic. They pos
sess In an eminent degree the power to move the
heart. and they are not entirely deficient in
Imagination; but the school at the best is not
a good school. We could have welcomed the
ballad as in itself something unique; but we can
only regret that we ever heard "How Betsy and
Made Up" The second ballad is an indisnct echo
OF the first, and the others only feeble mita-
tions OF the mannerisms which made these so
popular.
What are the mannersmsS We can only answer
that they are tricks similar to the gags" OF the
stage, securing momentary popularity, but not OBJ
tanning recognition as legitimate art.
Even Whittier. who processes to publish higher
form OF poetry than those dialect ballads uncOn-
sciously perhaps, employs the same kind OF trckery
His strength is in locality, and the mention OF river
or town sometimes makes his baldest lines &C.
ceptable to most readers. In the pennsylvania
Pilgrim" he sings OF
Tasting the fat shads of the Delaware.
The name of the river makes US forget that the
poet Is only speaking OF the unpoetc occupation Of
eating fish.
Are we to accept such lines as indicative OF the
quality OF American poetry in the futures
What are we think OF this stanza Of Carletons,
taken from his most popular ballad
And when I'd done my supper drawcd the agreement
And give it to her without word for she knowd what
And then 1 hummcd little tune, but and then
Was busted by animal that hoped up In my
The figure in this is wretched and the lines are
bald prose spoiled by bad grammar. Still there Is
pathos in many OF the verses which cannot be
overlooked and this occasionally shows itself In
other ballads besides "Betsy and l." The volume
is well printed and the woodcuts are excellent.
No student OF the tendencies OF American litera-
ture can dispense with the book.
.'Betsy Lee" is an English poem after the Ameri-
can dialectic models, only 1t is long drawn out in
stead OF terse and vigorous. The incident on which
the story hinges is exceedingly coarse but in spite
0fths the yarn had been told in ten instead OF one
hundred and ten pages II might have been very
pretty ballad.
From the poetry the farm and farmhouse we
turn very naturally to the house and housekeeper.
Miss Catherine f. Beecher has written and the Har-
pers have published an excellent volume which we
would like to call The Practice and Poetry Of House
keeping" The name given to 1t by the publishers
is tMiss Beecher's Housekeeper and Health
keeper" The book contains over five hundred
practical recipes for economical and health
full cooking giving many useful hints in
nd M
baked, broiled and fried meats, pickles. sauces and
Salads fish, vegetables family bread, buildings and
pies cake, preserves and jees Besides all this.
the volume Is extremely valuable for its sugges-
tions in regard to identifying home, the hints
for training flowers about o window being alone
worth the price OF the volume. II the nameless
hero OF Mr. Careton's verses had studied this chap
ter he never would have been compelled to say to
his lawyer "Betsy and Are Out"
Rhetoric seems to come next In order-a revised
edition Of "Bascom's Rhetoric" published by Wool
worth, Ainsworth Co. The book contains many
valuable hints and much defective writing. For
instance, speaking OF perspcuity, Professor Bas
com says, at is evident that to q wise man. the
capacity Of those whom he seeks either to instruct
please or persuade" &c Docs this teacher OF rhe
torc suppose 1t possible to do either OF more than
two thingss This confounding OF either and any In
q chapter on perspicuity IS very funny But. after
all, even work rhetoric can only point the way
to perfection in writing without attaining 1t, and
Professor Bascom's book is one OF the best works
on the subject we have seen.
We have also received from the same publishers
text book on intellectual philosophy, by Presi-
dent Champlin, OF Colby University, and from John
Murphy, the well known Catholic published work
on the elements Of philosophy, by Professor Hill,
OF the st, Louis University. The theological bias
OF these works make the discussion OF their merits
exceedingly difncult, II not impossible, In secu-
lar journal.
Historical Sketches OF Plymouth Luzerne
County, Pa" by Hendrick B. Wright and published
by T. B. Peterson Bros, is one Of those volumes of
local interest and value OF which there cannot be
too many. Every town and city in the United
States should induce its best informed writer's to
put its annals into the permanent shape of book,
so that its early history may not be forgotten.
Colonel wrlghts book is an excellent model OF this
kind OF work.
Another work OF like value and much wider in
terest is a volume on the antiquities OF the
Southern Indians by Charles G. Jones. and pub
lished by d. Appleton 4 Co. The volume is not
written merely for popular reading but to cover
the full meaning of its title.
few other books appeared during the week.
Among these, Miss Thackerays 'Od Kensing-
tom has been put in book form.
Also 1.-THE Other Girls" by Mrs. Whitney pub
lished by ]. X. Osgo0d co.
And "The ProgressiOnstS' and angela" from
the German OF Conrad Won Bolanden, published by
the Catholic Publication Society.
From all this it will be that the books or the
week are Of more than usual interest and value.
WEATHER REPORT.
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