National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-11
NEW puBLroArr

New York.
Thls volume contains three sprightly stories,
Of which "Pretty Mrs. Castor" Is the chef
dcsvrs. Remarkably winning, cannie little
compositions we find them. Written In that
soft, rich, mellihuous style, delicious as aThs
mellowtasted Burgundy We commenced
their examination full of dIfidencs and doubt
expecting to find the usual froth and scum
composing our modern romances;-the same
insipidity, weight and triteness. But, happily,
wedeceived ourselves. We found here . won
derful degree Of warmth and sunshine; thawinp
away, entirely, the hard, frosty crust of belief
in the WORKOUT, threadbare state of all future
love yarns. Most Of the characters are dear,
clever people, stamped with some feature OF
goodness, carrying out the Byronic principle
that "none are all evil" So that mingling in
fancy with so CHEEKY view OF life, n Tor
nothing else, we have to thank the little book
for putting US in fine, complacent humor
with ourselves and human nature.
"LINCOLN AND SEWARD" By GIDEON
WELLEs, ex-Secretary of the Navy. Pub
fishers, Sheldon j. Co., New York, For sale
by r. B. Waters & Co. --.
In April, 1873, Charles Francis Adams de-
livered, at Albany, an address memorizng the
character and services of Seward during the
administration of Lincoln. The success of Mr..
Lincoln's Government was attributed, largely,
to the sagacity and intellectual superiority of
Seward. The aim of SIR. Welles is to disproye
this statement. While admitting the fact, that
when Lincoln assumed the Office of Chief Magis-
trate, general doubt prevailed as to bis fit
ness for the position, yet the deception was
soon dispelled. He proved himself his own
controlling spirit, originating every measure,
and making himself wholly responsible for the
policy of his administration. Several chapters
of this volume are familiar, having appeared
In the GALAXY, attracting, of course, universal
attention. - Cd -.
But now we have the subject thoroughly
sifted and gathered together. The author has
chosen high and honorable task-the refuta-
ton of false, unjust charges against the dead.
The voice, being ereathedrG, must be-reeeived
as genuine; the motive, purely disinterested.
Mr.. Lincoln must no longer hold the place of
an opaque ball, shining only by rejecting the
light of others, or as making moves on the
chess-board only at the dietation Of other
sclf-controlling. Mr.. Welles is an easy, pleas
ant writer, full of animation AMI glow-neyer
descending the into the prosy, didatic Strain
so that his readers are kept wide awake and
interested to the very last line.
"THE LIFE OF EDWIN FORREST" By
JAMES REEs COOLEY CIBBER.) Publishers,
7. B. Peterson & Bros, Philadelphia. For
sale by j. Shillington.
Friendship should ever be the influencing
motive of biographer's work. Other stimulus
arc often employed. A popular person makes
popular history; and hence, expediency comes
in, an unworthy spur gosding to action. When
memoir comes to US from the hands Of an
acknowledged friend or associate, how graceful
and tender seems this last tribute of honor and
love. Can any history of johnson displace that
of Boswell's, or any life of Dickens supplant
that of Foster'si No one seems so eminently
fitted to write biography of Forrest, as James
Rees. The friend in boyhood, the constant
companion in maturer life of Americas grea,
tragedian, the work before Us is voluminous
covering over five hundred pages. A life sc
full Of varied incident. and detail, could not put
up with a smaller compass. Rees is exceed
analysis Of each dramatic impersonation; is
exact as to every Renaissance, and devotedly
garrulous as to personal recollections. Ex.
ultingiy he fingers, with q mlser's greed, over
every fond memory or kind scene that may
place his friend before the eyes of fame in the
surest, steadiest light. No doubt this book
will find q large class Of readers. Few can
afford to maintain ignorance of career SO
brilliant and nationally prominent. X
'sTHE DETHRONED HEIRESS" By MISS
ELIZA A. DUPUY. Publishers, T. B. Peter
son & Bros, Philadelphis. For sale by J.
Shillington.
''THE HIDDEN SIN" A sequel to "The De-
throned Heiress." By ELIZA A. DUPUY
Publishers, 7. B. Peterson g. Bros, Philadel-
phia. For sale by j. shillington. 49,.
Here we have two large duodecimo volumes
"Thc Hidden Sin" with It's sequel, "Thsbe,
throned Heiress." In Eliza Dupuy's writings
the old Persian proyerb is verified, ave heal
the sound of the milestone, but see no meal"
Almost as fast as beads may be threaded
stories are strung out of this tormentingly fer
tile brain. And, like the necklace of glass thus
formed, they possess a value about as uniform
Her romances plague US at every page with an
unmistakable air of familiarity, as If the
theory of TRANSPORTATION of souls was being
verified, and G. P. R. James, Ellen Pickering
and other disembdied spirits, were employ
Ing the medium of ELIAS pen to iterate their
once popular scenes or chapters. Every age
wears its distinguishing features as each in
dividual wears his own identity.
"No compound Of this earthly ball
Being like another, all In all, -
So that modern scenes cannot be plagarized
rom the past, successfully; no more than the
grandsire's coat can be made to hang grace
fully upon the shoulders of the ten-year-old
representative of his trace. The jaded or the
stale can only disgust; the blooming or roseate
ever please. The last elegance of the faded
cameha is disregarded; while the unfolding
petals Of the cowslip charms in its simple,
living beauty. Blots are upon the face of
everything. The ocean has its rocks, or shoals,
uncsnny places to meet; the ssrth its deserts.
and SO, literature, in Eliza Dupuy, holds only
Q skerry, which Is too well known to work
much injury.
MARRIED" A Novel By MRS. C. J..
NEwBf. Publishers, 7. B. Peterson & Bros =,
Philadelphia. For sale by j. Shillington.
"COMM0N SENSE" A. Novel. By Mrs.
j. NEwBY. Publishers, T. B. Peterson &
Bros, Philadelphia. For sale by j. Shilling
ton.
Mrs. Newly writes very readable books.
The novel readers can really manage very
nicely with them. We cannot allow ourselves
to indulge in q very rapturous strain as to
their startlingly entertaining character, but
then we admit them to be clever, genteel
books, possessing q graceful, well-bred cir that
holds Its own power to please. Mrs. Newby's
style Is sufficiently vivacious and varied to hold
fast the readers interest until disposition is
made of each character. Then, her thoughts
are chaste and serene; her scenes severely
decorous and correct; so that, like nice sher-
bet, with not q perfumed cake or drop Of rare
essence overlooked, we really are presented
with quite deliciously favored draught.
C0URTSHLP OF SAVAGES.
Among the aboriginal blacks of Australia,
courtship as the precursor to marriage is I'M
known. When young warrior is DESTROYS of
procuring wife, he generally obtains one by
giving in exchange for her q sister or some
other female relative of his own; but II there
should happen to be no eligible darnsel disen-
gagged in the tribe to which hs belongs, then he
hovers around the encampment OF some other