New-York tribune., 1873-07-05
BOSTON.
LITERARY NOTES.

HvrR .FrFR-THE AUTHOR OF "GINXs BABY -
LADIES BEFORE lYCEUMs.
tyRon REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE'j
BosToN. July 81 wrote you that Miss
Preston the author OF Aspendale and the tahsa'o
of Mireo" had written short novel ealled Lo'o ~
The Nineteenth Century" told that tale az t"" oi
10 me- therefore will not disorder my halr WIN "sn'
or clothe myself with sackcoth. even though mus"
fer reading through the proof sheets-and very plea
a., ,osatnc they wcre-reconsider my statement.
"Ioye iu the Nineteenth Century is very niue more
novel than Friends in Council"i is novel; out tna'
.ces not prevent from being most entertaining DOOR
II has the very sleuderest possible thread OF plot
Nonng Journalist sent away from Boston, when she
us Trmonntain 70 his sorey overworked eyes Tor
,res months He found himself in the Summer OF 1870
su Mrs Morris JOYS boarding house, in New-Hampshlre
He fonnd there also, the Heroine" "a reserved soft
spoken girl Of ~ who was understood TO give music les
cone and certainly very little jeweTy" Ihere
were other people IN the house rich people, Win olF
Ien aud servants in the lower rooms artists teachers
and ptople OF that ilR up alof Mr. Julius May, the
sIero and Miss Clara Benton, the Heroine, had met
long AGO. when shc thirteen and he was hiteeD'
They got acquainted, therefore very readily ana louhu
they had plenty Of that harmony OF taste ana VI"
T'ety Of opinion which make people companionaoe 10
each other They talked about going TO church. and
Charles Reatle aud Gnxs baby, and Troopes novels
Fbe liked Trolopes rather TTollopes woman,
for whom he had so often made up a new wardrooe-
and he didn't He vowed the poor girl had appeared
before the public 50 often that she was p0Sseea mans
cheap depreciation that, by the way WINE
and pictures grow better for keeping, but
feminine antiquity never attractive TIL IL ~ silver
haired. and seventy and picturesque. As was gong
a. say the argued themselves into an interest III
each other The Franco Prussan war was declared and
her sympahies intensely French, and ms as IN
s.bsey Prussan: aud so they fought the battles over
n the pleasant rocky New Hampshire fields. OF course
an ended by ms thinking himself inloye Wthher
and telling her sOwhen il came time for them TO part
On a sort Of unsentimenta fashion, which suited well
enough spicy flavor Of their past acquaintance sbe
Deither accepted rejected him. but told him as iu-
dicous sensible nineteenth century girl should that
Beher Of them knew enough about the other to enter
into any such lifelong compact as he proposed
"Marriage" she said, "invoves very much.
fhSS know OF Won must understand his temper, ms
history, his mode Of life and al be thinks about certain
moral aud social questions, and whether he have le
inou aud what is. Aud on some OF the same points
yon want-or ought TO waut-to pe Satisneq aOonl me
Aud sou want 20 Know also whether an hSuseAeeper
sud eau darn stocki9s-yheh IS AL fa,r. & Now & oI re-
We know something of one anOthers parentdge -
Poor 6ut honest as the stoIy-books say
90 they arranged to correspond and she went to
Miuden, tue little college town where she lived, ana he
back % Tmountan, 70 his place on leading newsIa-
Ser. 80 they had Winter OF correspondence during
whi,h they did not meet When, in the next Spring,
they again they had learned each other by heart,
End Juhuswho had been bat half-hearted lover mp IN
New HampshiTe-had grown impassoned enough He
had grown poetcal too, for De wOoed her by showing
her passage ia The Princess and she answered HIM
ly another and theu-but must not tell secrets
you know u an, YOU too, have been in Arcadia They
InatIy and lappy-they keep house wonderfully, in
AL apartment aud itls n very unsafe place for any
young frequent who wants 90 nurse pet prcJa-
dice against matrimouy
This all the pot-two nice people met, and talked
md wrote letters, and married. There are no side
issues, iucdeuts-iust this pretty little framework
knowing and loving The chief value Of the book l.
s. The letters they wrote 10 each Other which are, by
che way largest part Of the volume. In these let
t,rs they discuss, aud with wonderful kcenness ana
roughtiuncss. an Of subjects. Miss Benson has
made up about great many things. and tells
without fear favor II seems 10 me clear thai she
slpICssc- Miss Preston, herself for she is treated with
pr,tfv rirltv and almost always gets better of
Nj MAY. Matthew Arnold Is the prophet OF her new DIS
Veuatou as well d, ne5ut for Dante Rossetti, she
Las srarcely any thing charitable compassion She
e. roUi led because she thinks Aurora Leigh could not
have been written bya happy woman ana she had al
ways supposed The union Of the two BrownnSs 10 he
the ideal MARRIAGE. Womln-like, she seems 20 fancy
tnat ink is lcarts blood She has hcroucs lofty
lsnpt fUr the ducas which he tolls aud Is sure that
content aud competence Is the true basis oi cul-
tu Tu do tLe Hero iu>,ce-aud man though he be, be
bas som, rights that bound TO rcSpect-he meets
I,t Guc scoIu ofAu with defense Of IT, ful Of clear
common sense.
D
Hlir "a. luNurN. u means pure ar aud delicate l"od'
and -wi and silent service az table which leaves one
able to listen aui free talk safe 10 sparkle. II
having our frcudS about H. when we need them,
AID te ability TO nv from tncm 10 the ends OF the earth
need tudt. often DO. II means that when
ont ot thtarr or concert or fashionable church
EVEN, sa0 from the breath Of that diyuer mood that
lof,r air. j iut0 The decidedly neither air OF the Tn.
Iuguuau -'tcCt- We are no. 90 rk onr precious and
.iInaut uvts by bfcJ,tIug the bitter nOTjh wind aud
allowing Il to buffet exhausted lungs but rather
Esep cushioned cafri 'ce and roll soy and safely
Aud % that caIrag, is one, own and So one J.
to'h much better stlI! Again, There j. the luxury
81 giving How can NOu, % creature All benevOence,-
whereof an signal monu umeut,-oNerlOOk THAR
She hethuss herself theryupon Of al the pleasant
thnes wealth gives aud senshly concludes that far
moved as money being the best thing neither OF
them would Ice likely refuse II hospitality, should u
come their There few passages IN the book
which are peasauter hearing than the account Of some
a. the famous French surgeons, gwen by physician
who bad studed among them. II occurs in one
OF Miss Benson's letters. Her good Old Dr. Bennis
French and feryeut IN BIS sympdthies as herself, had
leen talking with Ter.
And ne fen into "reminiscences Of his happy life in
Iars Rs a medical student uf mature mind aud genuine
enthusiasm. They had tod him IN England that ne would
Tud the ackn0w kings of physiological and med
.a science. great French specialists, mere intel
leCual machines, 10 increase their knowledge al
Of animal anguish dealing with cases OnlV not
with pateuts careless Of the bunantes OF their
profession. And found, he went on kindlinC, that
iusuiar dulluess and seiCOmpaCencv had never com
I.ss,d more stupid mlscOuCepuou! The humanity Of
IAcse French svaus Is OF somewhat TOO refined
IoHif / came 10y Gods grace 10 know some Of them
well and found that their uutrHg researches into The
mysteries Of human life and suffering bad made theu,
almost 10 d man. humble, delicate Infinitely meruiul.
The claims their thought aud atieDuGnof the sufferer
learner especially n stranger never once saw
eghted. otherwise than most reyeienuy and care
How vel / remember he continued going one
sunday mOrniuC-an Autumn day Ike thls-wlth
fricud 10 one Of the principal hospitals IL was the va
term at the Medical School, and there were but
few students visitors abOut A. We passed INTO the