Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-12-20
Mystery of Edwin DrOOd;

When Charles Dickens threw Off this
/ mortal coil in 1870, the thought must have
| struck the world that he would thence for
ward abandon the profession of literature
| and write no more forever. But as all things
are vain, so this was delusion, and we
| find ourselves of the number to bear the
welcome news that he did not, as was SUD
posed, abandon the pursuit Of letters. but
still writes to delight his fellow-creatllres
(more especially, nor, ''the poor" to whom
he aflectionateiy dedicates his latest): and
we can further say that, if his last alleged
W0rt takes well with his fellew
creatures, there will be no end to the fe-
cundity OF his pen any ttiOre. We have to
announce no less than the publication of
'Part Second Of the Mystery of Edwin
Brced3 Ivy the SpiritPen of Charles Dick
ems through Medium, embracing also that
part of the Work which was published
prior to the termination Of the Authors
Earth-Life." The Mediums earth-name is
Thomas p. James. He deserves great
credit fer his docility in quietly allowing
the great author TO make a tool Of him.
The Mediums earth-ho1ie, which could be
guessed by any sort of a guessef i'll at most
six guesSes, is in Vermont, and in the
town of Brattleboro. Brattleboro, VT: L.
7. James, Medium and Publisher. We
might stop to enquire why Mr.. Dickens
forsook the British Isles and came to brood
over the town of Brattleboro. We are not
aware that he formed any peculiar attach
ment for that locality during his earth
travels in America. But we will not be in
quiSitive, lest we desecrate the mysteries of
spiritualism. We would, however, charge
upon the author and friend of the poor,
that he committed a great indiscretiOn to
make his headquarters n that locality; for
the presumption is, till otherwise proved,
that the exports of that region, whether
literary Or material, are in the nature
of wooden nutmegs and hams of the same
indigestible substance. To the twenty
chapters of Edwin brood left by Mr.. Dick
ems, the Medium has added tweuty-three
other chapters, Of which he (the Medium)
has greater reason to be proud than the
author. We suppose that the Mediums
main object is to make money, and that he
does not wish praise; but we must say TO
his earth-Credit, that he has copied Mr..
Dickens in IA striking manner, producing
fair Semblance of his style and good SAM
pies of his extravaganza OF fancy. For
instance, he has given us a
character, an old maid named
Ceep, who has two remarkable eccentrici-
ties. One is, that she asks every person
who seeks admittance TO her house, while
i'll the vestibule, whether that person be
''fond of the Muses." Au affirmative an
swer always gain admittance: a negative
fOreStall5 that pleasure. The other is, that
she invariably chooses in her oral commit
nications with fellow beings, servants, Wis
itorS, or what not, TO address them inrhym-
ing cOupiets. For example:
.'Oh, go at once to MI. Neville,
For l'ye just left him very ill.,
Again.
"And now Miss Bud, and reverend Sir,
1t makes my heart within me stir,
With grief his sutierings TO behold,
For fear that soon he'll leave our fold"
Again:
"Wil YOU tell us, Mr.. Peckcraft
What has happened unto YOU?
For the sad lock on your features,
Shows Us you're feeling blue
This is extravaganza, but Dickens would
hardly have been guilty Of it. Not the
least uni;Worable remark that we could
make upon the last tWenty-three chapters
is that they are frequently marred with un-
grammatical language. Casually we OBJ
served the following expressions: "has
drank" .'is shook and ''the miserable man
vino lays so helpless before them" We
find that the medium has relied with much
confidence upon capitals and italics. The
leading ideas of the plot, intimated by the
author in the first part, are pretty correctly
by the medium, but awkward
ly conducted TO the close. But upon the
whole, the completion Of Edwin brood, like
the contemplated Life aud Adventures of
BOckley Wickleheap,' merits the quiet
neglect, which will drive the Medium to
make a better use Of his edrtb-life, than
spending it in imposing upon the credulity
Of the simple or Of the poor" forsooth, of
whom he would obtain the price of his
book, without returning an equivalent.