, 1874-02-21

are they not iron.gray, too7 I have dropped my
said tood-ngh:' IN tonn suppressedly hostile
his own. Now may 60. We may oil 90. ! an the
last OF think an to pass through the swing,
I hurry along the passage to join tn. rest IN tho
ecboolfoou1. reprore tbs boys for the rash mpict4
Of their deneanor. feel foot on ny garments b.
hind, and hesr long, cEaeEng SOUND tnaa too' loo
1You beast r. cred /, in good nervous English,
turning sharply round with my hand raised in act TO
strike thnt the third time this week that you have
i stop dnmbfounded II mean to box the offend
e1's ears, must raise my hand conssaszsnly higher
what has happened 2 hare called Gen. Sir Roger
Tempest beast and offered to cuff him. For nc
never been my besetttng En and sonething IN the &C.
NAL laughter Of his rcassrcs na-1 bold out the
injured poron Of my Hat sna xou sy;s
sure you will forgive ms; but OF contse I never
d1ea1nt it WAS you"
"How exceedingly clumsy Of ma! How could It
have hsppcned beg your pardon ten thousand
uHes." ......
In lis words there is polite xnd solicitudo
in his faco only friendly nairth- He ia old that il
clear. Had he been youne. he Woula hsse sasa with
Of this generation
"1 nm av{ally seEry! Hey o awful, stupid OF me
What awful dufer a1q !"
PRODUCTION, tho acquaintance between Nancy aud
Sir Roger ripeas rapidly. The grl'a i1epressible
and innocent candor catpivates the gentleman,
and In brief space of time ho proposes for her
hand. She feels the charm OF his kindly aud mp
right nature; yet mora to bo freed from her
tather's harsh rule than for love Of him, she ac-
cepts his onor They aro married, aud the pros
pect OF happy union is favorable notwithstand-
ing the disparity in their ages.
Up to this point tho book is very gay and
amusing The lively play and chatter Of tho
children, aud Nancy's blunt, aluudering frank
uess, that preciptates her into continual ludi-
crous difficulties, provoke lncessant smiles and
laughter. But now tho story gradually clouds
over, until it becomes dis.ressingly gloomy.
Shyness, constralnt, and lack Of tact on the part
Of both originate painful m.suaderstandinsa be-
tween the couple who should haye been At one.
with each other Au Intriguing woman davea
Nancy haif-flantic with cauBeloas jealousy. aud
an IN nprincipled Lotlario involves her in much
undessrved misery. She is transformed into
something very like shrew, md, for period OF
nearly two years. leads her husband sad life OF
it. Thon, over the grave OF q beloved sister,
there come repentance and mutual explanations
and forgiveness, and the story finishes with lore
restored, and full Of hope again.
: From this brief synopsis, and the short pas.
sage extracted, it will be seen that Miss Brough-
ton does not depend upon plot, but upon narra-
tive and dialogue, for ner effects. She uses
plain md strong English never picking Tor MIC, nice
will tell what she has to say in the plumpcst
manner. She does not hesitate to say leg when
she means leg, nor to employ any other direct
and honest word, although prudcry may have
pronounced it unbecomine. She gives in this
way good mauy shocks to elegant American
nerves, but they are wholesome and inUgorat- 1
ing study OF her sinowy style would have q
result like that of association with hoalthy,
nature. It would tend to root
out foolish notions, and put sensible ones in
their place. Words have power over thoughts
that IL sometimes unsupported.
The Learned Blacksmith.
TALK ON ALL SORTS OF SUB
JEcrs. By EL1nu Bun2rrr. With Autobiography
Of tic Author. Boston Leo Shepard.
It is about twenty-five yeara since Mr. Burritt
first appeared in tho character Of author in the
United States. Hs then published little book
entitled "sparks from the Anvil" which was re-
:civcd with much fayoron account Of the special
interest attaching to "the Learned Black
smith" as we'll IS for its own merit. His active
public life ut home an abroad now being over no
has again resumed the literary pursuits which
gave him celebrity in his early manhood, aud
sends out the present collection Of short papers
10 roncw bis connection with his friendly readers
II the past and present
The 'stalks "-aa he styles them-embrace =
great diversity OF topic. Mr. Bur1itt's vide e1-
oerience and largo attainments enable him to -!
speak intellgently upon IN uncommon range Of |
subjects, and to add to each some useful in
.ormation or reflection. But the easaye are not |
ho most interesting portion OF the volume. The |
autobiography condensed within -fifty-three |
oages, gives the book an exceptional value. It !
PRESENTS an example Of industry and achieTo-
ncnt which has few equals. It was written in |
'rder to correct many erroneous statements con-
nto print, and also with the modest hope that
Ispiring young men might dud in it encourage
nent, and perhaps suggestion.
Elihu Burritt WAS bern in New Britain. Conn.,,
n 1910. and WAS the youngest Of ten children. |
lis father owned little, hard.soi1ed farm, from
shich he could obtsin but a partinl support for
lis family. He, therefore, combined the TRADE
# the shoemaker with that OF the farmer, plying
he awl in wintry and rainy weather, and the hos
n summer. He died 10 1925, and Elihu soon
lad the hankeriug for learning which WAS COM
non to his family, and at the age Of q left his
nril to attend for 3 term at the village school,
IS every days absence from the smithy cost him
he loss Of 4 dollar in wages, he was stimulated
o make the most Of bis intellectual opportunity
lathematics was his farorite study. and he gave
himself to 1t almost exclusively. Returning to
he anvil when the quarter's schooling was over,
10 continued to work on mental problems while
ealing blows with the sledge-hammor.
He was already pottaring q little over French
nd Latin, and tonnd that it was easier to con
ARTS Of speech than to carry on intricate rnathe-
aatical calculations during the process OF
eating and haumering iron. A year passed
nd he mastered the Greek grammar. and now
70 resolved to have another three months Of
study. Thia time he wont to New
Iaven, but not to Yale. He waa ashamed OF his
mali attalnmcnts at ~, and 50 aet down under
he shadow OF the college, on tho first morning
4 the city, with the determination that, it he
ould construe two lines OF Homer by nig1tfall, t
0 would ask no help OF tutors. Dsfore tho
tternoon had waued the victory was accomplish
d. Ife had translated fifteen lines, and COM
lifted to memory the originals. Then. he tells
9, he strolled out under the classic e11ns and,
'oking up at tho co1lcge-valks, indulsed in
alf-dohant emotion OF independence.
He kept seven languages under way this winter,
nd at tho end OF the seasoa folt Il reluctanco to
rop them and 20 back to manual labor. Hc
ngaged in school-keeping, but his health failed
nder the confinement, and no accopted
osition IS Commercial! traveller. Just before
10 financial crash OF 1887, lie invested the whole
his gains in small mercantile enterprise,
I'D in tho general panic asd ruin he lost every
ling. Upon this he resor:cd to his trade once
o7e, locating in Worcester, where be had &C
l1ich was rich in books in foreign 1anguaEes He