New-York tribune., 1874-10-28
BOSTON LITERARY NOTES.


" OUR HELEN" BY SOPHIE MAY-"THE BABES IN THE
WOOD" BY JAMES DE MnIE-"THE MYSTERIOUS
1sIANp.p BY JULES vERNE-ANNOUNCEMENTs OF
HURD &HOUGHToN.
lrRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUNE.I
BOsroN. Oct. 26.-Who will read them all
ask myself as the new books come pouring in and
recall my childish wonder on first visit to streets iu
of milliners' shops who could wear all the bonnets
But suppose In this great and growing country there
are heads enough for books and bonnets and, fortu-
nately tastes differ Some of the books good, and
some are good for nothlng-some finished, ana some
crude-but classic language. you pays your money
and YOU takes your choice " and will do my pest 10
tell you what the opportunities for choice are.
First on to-day's list is Our Hoen" by Sophie May
who wrote all the Prudy Books. Lee q Shepard are 10
include this volume in their pretty "Maidenhood series
and wish more books OF this Kind might be written AS
said apropos Of katherine Earle" girls must read
something and they have not lived long enough to be
ready George Eliot and the philosophical novels but
let them not sip at poisoned fountains Let them read
books that will tend to give them right views OF te ana
TO make them true tender and pure women, to teach
them that duty better thing than pleasure ana that
heaven is higher earth Books there that teach
these lessons the form Of narrative so delightful that
sweet 16 cannot help reading it; and OF this kind Is
"Our Helen"
.'Tnngs" were little hard on Helen. She was the
eldest daughter OF family of five sisters Her mother
dead and at the beginning OF the story her rather
marres Just after Helen had got used to her role Of
housekeeper and halfmother TO the rest IL was unde-
niably hard to her. and the question was, whether 1t
should be made harder by characterization easier by
submssion-whether Helen would rebel, or whether she
would do her duty eheerfully as child OF God Inc
history Of her struggles which were struggles with her
SELF the successive steps by which she conquered Is
most interesting Admirable is the Lesson OF the book,
there is not the slightest trace of preacbnes about IT,
Woo6 A o.
James de Mile (Wm. F. GIL & co.., comes next take
it I'D with @ little bit OF a grudge. say to myself,
What another Of them@ What right has this one
man TO keep constantly before the public Why
should he be able to write book week, any more
than the of the human race ~ turn the first page
or two suleDly Then am conquered for begin to
he entertained Whatever else De Mile s he is not dull
He gives very improbable people and he makes them
do very improbable things but, having begun. you
will no more stop watching them than you will turn
your eyes away from gymnas at the hight OF his per-
formance, when he is narrowing your feelings and
oendn ng your taste by evident resolution to put all bis
bones out OF Joint and break his neck the next
De Mile is good for headaches and megrms because
you can't resist the claim on your attention OF these
inYSssnS cfeatures of his, who are performing such
antics before high heaven.
THE Babes in the Wood is not one Of his best efforts.
He has written too much and he fails to the line
between humor and absurdity STILL here and
he s as usual readable His ttle he tells us, is purely
Agurative, and must be took sarcastic"
By the Babes is meant the following innocent and
inexperienced parties:
l. Little Rosette g. McGinty.
2. Kitty. G. Cary.
8. 'Arriet. T. The Papa.
A. Fred. 8. The Mamma.
And by the Wood" is meant Italy In 1sis.
With these preliminares proceed to hoist the cur
tain
Little Rosette to be the really charming
character In the book is the daughter certain
Sir Eugene Merrivale; and OF De Mile Is
Engshman, ne places perfection where it belongs. in
the peerage, and makes Rosette perfect lady that
she cannot even understand Ibreeding To encounter
trades people, I and other such unfortunates, is.
for her. like going into strange country.
where you don't know the language. Kitty
nice girl but she did not belong to the charmed
circle with As for "Arrie and the Papa"
and "Mamma"-they were unmistakable Cockney vul-
garans. Their money had been made out of pills aud
potions, but why they had Of IL to gid
their manners witha one cannot conjecture We have
grumbled about the satres OF the English America
but no Englishmsn treated any Of Uncle Sans
large and not always interesting family half cruelty
or half oOntemptuousy Englishman treats those
Of his c0untrymen who are embarrassed by their
HIS and regards their personal pronouns. II
the originals Of the Papa" aud "the Mamma" ever
read this book they would be hold justified by any de-
Gently amiabc Jury In numbering James De Mile.
MoGinty and Cary two smisble Ir,shmen, uniting
at the best and the absurdest OF qualities Of the
Irish goutaeman Az for Fred. the hero-+f q woman
painted In her novel picture masculine tickle
aud weakness. and vanity and susceptibility
know what the critics. who cit In chairs state aud
snap their scssors at their victms saw OF her
bot huk Fred the most natural Rosete 10 the most
sgisesbe. character in the book. The story to
cr6ta ~ ths Rey0uffoo NJ IA