New-York tribune., 1874-11-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

John Paul, though his comic escapades give
no hint OF the great German prototype whose name nc
| has adopted In sublime irony has brsyey won his
spurs among American humOrists by the sparkling au-
dacities which happily set of by his demure ana
even solemn bearing His apparent inconsistencies OF
the Joke gives spice OF reality to his gayest absurd-
| ties and 81 he does not laugh himself compeis the
| laughter Of his readers In the most preposterous
recirals maintains air OF grave historical nara
| tive, and you no more think or douDting MS
| word than you would that Of the Baron Num-
| ehausen or the veracious Mendez Pinto. 1t Is
| much to John PauPs credit that he improves
upon acquaintance and you often find rich and ripe ker
nels Of wheat beneath what seemed only mountain OF
intolerabe chaf II he is always jolly he is not always
! a buffoon. His liveliest persnage often cOnceas
| deeper feeling than you would suspect In man
whose stock in trade is made up Of broad grns You
will good deal Of heart in his nonsense you keep
your eyes open read He dashes into the arena
with free lance is true, his air Is not conspicuous
for reverence, he Is impudent 10 degree at tmes Dut
| there is always "method in his Madness" and he
rarely never falls into the vugarity which Is
the beset,ing sin Of so many professed humorists.
Indeed John Paul occasionally looks at the serious
side OF things, and then he shows himself truly
in earnest perhaps, strange as It may seem, Is oven
pathetic. One chapter, for instance, Is devoted to
personal recOecuons OF Horace Greeley. and moro
truthful tribute to his cherished memory we VEN
turc been paid by the euogst
|
Chaplin, and Mr. rockingham, as representatives OF
different styles of pulpit eOquence capitan theirway
Here few lines from tho sketch OF the last named
brilliant orator. " In OF tho word Ia Mr..
rockingham popular preacher, would he ever be-
come one deep and original thinker, tho attraction
lies in his thought and not in his mannert is what he
saws that charms, and not tho he It, In conse
quence one could tire Of him. His delivery Is not
bad but 1t rather than elecutionary In ges-
cuaton he INDUCES, he too absorbed to brand
sh even finger mot Mr. John ParlJ in the most i'm
pressye passages his voice sinks rather than ses be
becomes possessed with but one thought. Eminently
progressive he suggests ideas TO his hoarer The CON-
preheus siveness of his not bounded by what
Is spOken He puts end Of thread into your hand
and leaves you to unwlnd the spool at your leisure
and in your own fashion, With Chaplin you come
up after while, but II is impossible to catch Frohng
ham. He keeps ahead OF you, let make long legs
as you may. Some Of his sermons rather as
founding he mounts among the stars, aud then kicks
the ladder down behind him Keep fast hold OF
his coatal, aud you all right but let go for an
instant and you find yourself away down below,
standing in amazement wondering how he got mp there
how long he intends 10 stay, how he'll get down. and
where you've been all the while. Never fear Tor him
though An accomplished scholar armed at all points,
and carrying his wood water, and provisions, lie is
perfectly competent TO take Of himself nywhcre"
One Of John Paul's chief delights is to make fun OF
Boston. To him, he cOnfesses tEero is nothing 80
sweet In life as holding social converse IN several differ
ent languages with any Bostonan whom you may find
not gone home dinner between tho hours Of eleven
and three any day OF the week" He perpelrates
many bad Jokes at the expense OF the "hub," but in
spite Of Mr. Paul 1t still reyolves in the old ruts After
all, John Is generally better than he and is no
more a harlequin than the kings jester was a fool.
OPENING A CHESTNUT BURR By Rev; E. P. Roe. l2Ho'
pp 5GL Dod Mead
The quaint title of this story is derived from
the season OF year in winch tile scene opens, when
tbe ripening chestnut IN the fros.y Auulnnal woods
serves as the OF acquaintance between
two lovers and is made the SYMBOL for the expression
Of sentiments which hLd no prompt utterance In
words. Walter Gregory, the hero OF tho tale Is ayou1g
New York merchant whose experience in life had rem
dered him prematurey cynical. deprived him OF his
faith in human goodness and heavenly hopes leaving his
intellect acute and skeptical and his heart dead to
the purest and sweetest affections The problem or
the author illustrate the influence or gracious
and noblo womanhood in redeeming such
spirit from moral apathy and despair Mr.. Roe
has laid out his power in depicting the charac
ter of the heroine who model OF sanity purpose and
ardent picty without losing the peculiar charms Of fem
nnc lOveiness Gregory, the heartlcs ana practiced
man OF the world skilled In the language OF deceit and
The arts OF ittcry at first attempts to trhc Win nor
feelings the OF idle hour. Tho plot Is
gradually unraveied Till the power OF goodness becomes
trium the wes OF the temp;cT and The err
ing soul is restored to virtue and peace. Iu the con-
s,rucon Of the story there is approach TO the un
healthy sensati0ralism which Is so often the supreme
element IN modern fiction. Tue scene il never crowded
with snDerluOus characters. There are no unneces-
sary incidents to burden the movement Of tho
narrative. within this limited compass every event Is
made TO bear upon illustration of interior feeling,
which IA the motive OF the composition. Mr. koc ls
ALWAYS ddacc, more less openly, aud no DOUBT too
nuch So for good ar tic effect The tones Of the put
nt arc too loudly heard in the OF tho poYcllst
Instead of subtle hints aud modest suggestions We nave
the ferveut appeals OF the preacher though soened py
the vail OF romance through which they are presented
Still Mr. Roc is stroaS in his delIneltion o. character.
All hi, persouases have clear siirpcut Individuality
and III Ike fresh ana deep Impression on thc reader
He is not at home dealing with the wilder PASSIONS
or mere repu!siye traits OF humanity but his descip
,ops Of tie Ordinary temptations OF tie world ana the
average manifestations OF character lie cvnces nat-
uraness and force which make Sood his c'ims "s ah
effective moral teacher through The mcll~n of Hctloi
He Will never be IA avorite with the lovers OF croe'qie
or ghaslly inventions, but viii always find readers
among these who ght in the heai,!ul loT OF human
feeling as exhibited IN action.
EGYPT AND ICELAND IN THE YEAR 1874 By BA1iRD TAYLOR
~ l.ro. ~. 9S2. q. 7. PuaaM's sors.
The recent poetical productions of Bayard
TAYLOR which have challenged the admiration of his
friends will not impair the cordially VITA winch they
wc,cone bis temperance in ;nc flld where lie WOO
his earliest titlcs 10 fame Tlc freshness OF his -
presslons ard tie accuracy OF his observations give
him POWER rsul masiership this department of era-
ture The reader wearics with lis descriptions
which are equally remarkable ior their tutn!ulness aud
their yivacy Few writer's If travels bear repeated
rerusal SO we'll. We turn 10 the productions OF
his youth which anticipated tie charm o. bis malurer
works. and find IN thcm the fascination which
tioC ataa