The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-03-17
THE BOOK SEASON.

Literature has q sort OF natural history apart
| from the recognized classes subjects Into which
books are necessarily divided
| For instance, II we speak Of theological or re-
ligious books every reader understands us as
| meaning class.
we speak Of Catholic or Protestant Episco-
palian, Methodist, Presbyterian, high Church or
| Low Church or Broad Church books, subdivision
| OF q class is understood.
But these subdivisions Of classes are still further
divided. Everybody Is familiar with the pecu-
liar religious books which righten little boys into
| being bad because all good little boys die young
Everybody is familiar with the peculiar religious
| books which describe the bad boy who, metapnori-
cally speaking, never could catch any fish. Again.
everybody is familiar with the peculiar religious
books which give the last words of some good man.
| these ''ast wsrds' being generally extended into
| very bulky volume.
| To the books last named belongs work entitled
"The Parting Words Of Adolphe Monod," which is
just published by D. Appleton h 20. 1t is book Of
evangelical piety and faith, and contains Monod's
Sunday discOurses while lying sick bed. Bodily
| suffering accordingly enters largely into the re
| gious discourse. But by indicating the natural
history" OF the book we give ample description
OF its contents and sufficient criticism OF its
merits.
We can apply the same rules to other classes OF
books, notably to biography. Everybody under
stands exactly what kind OF book to expec
when he reads on the title page "The Life and
Times" or "The Travels and Adventures of some
body So clearly is this natural history of biog-
raphy defined that we can tell every grade, from
the dignifed history OF the life of some great man
to the foolish and inspid story Of some nobody who
has managed to obtain an equivocal recognition.
Baron Stockmar, in his "MemOirs, - makes him.
self much more important parsonage than his
royal masters and yet he was only little, time
serving German doctor, hanging about the courts
Of King. Leopold Of Belgium and Queen Victoria, no
more entitled to regard than David Rizzio or John
Brown.
Sometimes the books of this class are interesting
even II they are noxi0us; sometimes they only
noxious.
One of the purely noxlous books is "The Bona
parte-Patterson Marriage. with the Secret Core
spondence," by W. T. r. Salfel, and published by
the proprietor" foolish Baltimore BELLE seventy
years ago, married one Of the most inconsequent
of the BOnapartes. The marriage and it's subse-
quent history were as much scandal as If she had
elOped with her coachman and he had afterwards
deserted her for the housemaid. Nine. Bonaparte
after the divsrce lived life as digni6ed as that of
her even more unfortunate sister, the divorced
Empress. She still lives, and, though a very
Old woman, she still preserves the dignity
OF her character, and when appealed to
about the publication of this book she
said it was matter of Indifference to
her, But the book was published in direct epposi-
ton to the wishes Of Colonel Jerome n. Bonaparte
and Mr.. Charles j. Bonaparte. The .'secret CORE
spondencen consists Of some old letters found in
waste paper warehouse in Baltimore. The letters
are unimp0rtant and the work is the work of a bum
gler. The book is not contribution to history
because, beyond the fact that silly and ambitious
American girl married weak brother OF the First
Consul and was kicked out of the payrenu family by
the Emperor, there was nothing to tell This every
body knew and consequently the ''proprietor'' has
committed an indefensbe outrage on respectable
lady who In her youth was weak enough to think 1t
honorable to wed Bonaparte
Another department OF the natua history OF
literature consists Of books of anecdotes, para
doxes, &c. These always have a certain kind OF
popularity and mo library Is complete without
them.n
"A Book of Epitaphs," published by G. W. Garlic
ton Co., is a characteristic specimen of this
species Of literature. Many of the epitaphs in this
collection have been floating about for years. but
every time the book is opened most Of them will
appear new. These epitaphs are a singular Illus
tratiOn of the feebleness OF the human intellect and
OF the lncengruities which are sometimes thought
to be works of affection. And what Is more singu-
lar still is the fact that nearly every old graveyard
in the country will show specimens as remarkable
as any in this book. The following, attributed to
tombstone at Gettysburg Pa,
Remember, man, as
You must die we'll asI,
is q common inscription in this part of the country
and is repeated over and over again in the same
graveyards.
Somebody must write the natural history OF
novels.
We have before us several specimens, each ola
different class.
One of these, by John s. Sausade and published
by G. W. Carleton & Co., is called .Mark Glider.
sleeve" 1t is an American NOVELETTE, puerie
American novel.
Another American novel, published by d. Apple.
ton Co., was written by Mary Healy a daughter
OF the artist. The name of it is "Lakeville," and
the scenes are mostly laid in Chicago. Some of the
incidents take place in France, as u matter OF
course-no American novel is complete without
something Of this kind. But, on the whole, Lake
vile" is one of the best novels of the season. The
style is clear and sometimes strong The characters
are typical, and some OF them have an individuality
that is exceptional in the American novel, The
book will bring reputation to its author and credit
to our literature.
mot Easily Jealous" novel published by James
r. OsgOOd Il Co., is a conventional English story,
good enough to read and not TOO good to be neg
lected.
"Robln Cray a story OF Scotch life is the latest
addition to Harpers library of select novels.
MUSICAL REVIEW.
The fondness OF young ladies for trashy. sent-
mental songs and SNOWY but empty instrumental
pieces may be attributed, to some extent, to the
evil system OF teaching music In vogue in the pub
lie shoots. These institutions, admirable in other
respects, are entirely deficient in the very funda
mental principles or music. More trash in the