National Republican., 1874-05-20


BY GoSrRAN BosYs. Translstsd nom NthSI
essIIros 90. New fsss. fss .sis y
-<PHILP SoLoMoEs. s-~S[ sNENNN. ~
French novels have not a. ret, become gsns-
rally popular with American rssders We are
glad tonots this fsct II shows thetr sitistinE
influences are Understood. French morals and
manners are loose and corrupt. Thar novsls are
the faIthful dsiinsafefs Of THAR lives. Among us
vIctor Hugo, George sand. snd Aisxsndsr Dumas
are the most extcndysly knorn of Gsuiio novel;
lists; and bat lnanty appreciation. have bssn ae-
corded thsn. Hence, Of jules Saades1, Thsop-
lille Gautisr, or Paul dc Kock, We soide In total
-ignoraaee. American habits cad conduct rest
upon basis OF severe proprleties and rigid de-
ooFum. The French present the other extreme OF
unrestrained immorslities and boasted lieentious-
ness.ZThs fEm Of Carleton l. Co. propose making
the sttsmpt current year 70 alter the bent OF
our public taste, and She Loved Him Msdiy"b 10
the first OF series CT trsnslstious with that OBJ
ject. In this specimen book we ind very weak
sgitator Of native principles. Here sre mad, I'M
pure loves, unholy relations, odious surroundings
unreal exaggerated situations, and distortions OF
humans into fends, but nothing to delight or
elevate the mind; nothing to strengthen our faith
in virtue. Instead OF . sharpensr to appetite, We
md this novel nauseating in ths extreme.
sNo INTENTIONS A Novel. BY FLORENCE
i
New York. For sale by J. SHILLissroS.
As writer Of fiction Florence Marryat shows
an excellence far above mediocrity. mo 1nten-
tions" is an English story, having its scenes drawn
from the circles Of nobility. This Is no guarantee
that lives over-uice and tauItiessly delicate arc
portrayed. On the contrary, Eric Keir, tho GEN.
trail figure, is introduced as one who has already
strayed very far from the paths OF virtue, and
wadsd very deep into the mire of vice, while Us
yet only very young collegian. Penlteuce, Il Is
true Is allowed to clasp him In o loving embrace,
but, like Lara, later years finds him remorseful
and gloomy troubled
|" with thought Of years in phantom life misspent,
And wasted powers for better purpose lent:
And fiery passions. that had pour'd their wrath
In hurried desolation Ger his path,
And left the better feelings al at strife,
In wild reflection DER his stormy life"
When Eric conceVes q gsnuine, loyal passion
for true worth, under tho guro Of Irene st. John,
he is so fettcred and followed by old connections
and old indiscretiOns as to find the promise Of
happiness only bitter mockery. However, after
vicisatudes many and various, he is united to the
object of his affections and the pertinent inquiry
is made in the closing paragraph of the book,
"Are they happy?" The answer offers sad but
true commentary on the dearth Of achievement;
and that happiness lies only In pursuit. 1t is ss
follows: "Ah! my friends. is anybody happy In
this vorldr The fact Is no creature in the world
Is worth the misery of another creatures life We
pine for thom, we rave after them,We strain every
muscle-sometimes we commit every sin to attain
them-and when the gold lies In our hands, IL
turns to ashes and dead leaves"
JOHN ANDRoSS." By REBEccA HARDING
DAVIS. Publishers, ORASGE, JUDD 4 Co.
New York.
Rebecca Harding Davis would have made On
admiral Pythoness In tho days Of Greek myths
and superstit!ons. No DeIphic oracle could have
been delivered with moro obscurlty and mystery
than she enshrouds ths meaning and plots Of her
stories. The ofd oracIcs were always LEFT to he
interpreted by the seeker as events might infu-
encs him to understand them. So Rebecca Hard
Ing seems to leave each reader to mako what they
can Of what she writes. "John Andross' looks
wondrously like nice, readable book. IL ISL
neatly bound, titled, illustrated, divided into
chapters, and men and women with good enough
names carry on conversations that seem to bold
some meaning that ought to be understood. And
yet we stand as bswildsrod as the good Princess
Gracieuss was, at the task assigned by the wicked
fairy, Of asserting, according TO their kinds,
bag OF feathers plucksd from hundred different
blrls. How thankful we would be for tho slight,
est predatory argument foreshadowIny where
John Andross sprung from and what record OF
him is intended to bo borne. Or, If some antigua
rian student would, for moment, leave the
ancient ruins OF the past, and deeipher this Hero
glyphIcsl character, what debt Of gratitude
would bc due him. Robert ColIyor tells OF his
brother Sam, that, in reading, whenever he met
q word ho could not pronounce, IL was always
skipped over by saying, "Jerusalem." Sans
habit strikes US as worthy Of imitation Just hers;
and that We might as we'll dispose OF our book BY
the same ejacuIatory confession Of ignorance. II
certainly is - erusslem" to Us.
miss LESLIE's NEW RECEIPTS FOR