The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-08-26
Our New York Letter.
School for Sednddp-TM Sedrle! Lette,
-lb htStory-"Ror KIrginidaS Only"-
"KhGt l did With Ny FIfiy AiRiSns,, !,
NEW York, August "a, 1874,

ete., te. HA E
NEW YoRK, August "a, 1874.
Special correspondence OF tho InteliGeneer. ]
For at least fortnight previous TO the
appearance oi Mr., Frank Moulton's "stste.
ment," the public anticipation regarding
the import Of that mysterious and long
withheld document Was at lever heat.
Now, however, the statement has up.
pearcd, but (alas, for the Ecandal.mong.
ers y II has not proved such q thunderbolt
as was expected. In fact, 1t can hardly be
said TO add anything OF much importance
to the documents already in the case. As
1t Is, the affair is sufficiently complicated
to suit the most tragic, and /! the letters
produced are fictitious, as the Plymouth
Church party Tor "SChoOl for Scandal" as
It has been aplly termed would have US
believe, then the BeeCher. .Tilton case may
be set down as series 6f plots and corn.
ter'plots, unsurpassed by the most highly
overdrawn work of fiction. II would be
difficult, nay impossible, to give any de-
cided opinion as the general one Of the
public hereabouts. Every one has his
mind or theory upon the subject, and ia
decidedly slow, II notentirely opposed, to
accept his neighbours views. Intelligent
people, however, are averse 10 expressing
an opinion, preferring rather 10 leave
the case to its developments and 10
the decision OF those whose province
1t Is TO investigate. As think of the
matter those sublime and ioTcible words
IN The Scarlet Letter. occur 10 my
mind. | quote: FIT. .f
"Let men tremblc 10 win the hand Of
woman, unless they win along with 1t the
utmost passion Of her heart Else It may
be their misfortune, when some mightier
touch than their own may have awak-
ened all her sensibilities, 10 be reproached
even Tor the calm content, the marble
image OF happiness, which they will have
imposed upon herifor the warm reality"
The mention Of
THE SCARLET LETTER"
reminds me that this work has received
much attention recently, since in its rela.
lion 10 the beecher. Iilton scandal II
holds q gloomy intcrest. As its author
has himself told the subject of the book
was suggested to him by the discovery
among heap Of rubbish in the custom
house Of q Massachusetts town (where he
was employed for somo tImc) OF piece Of
scarlet cloth Of queer device, which,
upon closer examination, took the form Of
the letter A. The letter WAS rolled up in
some sheets of dusty, age begrimed manu-.
script, which narrated the story of Esther
Prynne, resident OF Boston during the
days Of the ColOniSts, who was con-
demned to wear this scarlet letter upon
the breast OF her dress rs token Of her
shame and iniamy. With this material,
aided by fiction and an astonishing psy-
Geological knowledge, Hawthorne has
drawn vivid and wonderful picture 1.-THE
remorsc, the agony, the pain, borne by Ar.
thur Dimmesdale, the scducer at that time,
the youngest and most popular minister
in the New World, and OF the untirng,
unremitting-though concealed-watch-
iulness by the injured husband Of the
every action and word Of the former, cul.
minated by discovery and death.
Considering the dullness manifest in
every branch OF business OF the present
time, the publishers are quite active and
the summer loiterers have the benefit Of
al unusual amount OF
FRRsH LITERATURE
wherewith to beguie the tedium OF rainy
days, and to cheat themselves of sundry
hours OF ennui. Among recent publica-
tions by j. B. Lippincoit = Co. ! notice
one OF particular interest 10 people
in your section Of the United
States. ut is entitled "What
did with my fifty millions" and is the
work OF "Moses Adams" which is the
nom de plume of DR.. W. G. Bsgby OF the
Richmond (Va) Whig. As a notice on
the title page indicates, the book is
| "FoR vIRoINIANs ONLY"
and | shall therefore not hazard q critical
analysis OF it. suffice 1t to say, that II
is a satire upon tho disposition made by
Virginia oi the monies she has devoted to
internal improvements, with several allu.
sions to Richmond and Lynchburg.
There are many good qualities about the
style, and the work will repay pcrusal.
DIoGRNEs.