, 1874-06-20
LITERATURE,



Il Honghon.
NJ on1ss. xs, Wy py gnss
O.. -
Whom Mr.. Aldrich puts his pom to paper no
nro confident OF d work Of ronnol literary merit.
Whothor It bo sung IN musical numbers, or writ
ton in tho plain language Of prose; whether It
be briof talo, comprising but q ningle strnngo
aud startling episode, or history tl,at RUM
through yoars to Its completion, 1t will bo s,,ro
to have IN exquisite gracc, Il piquant humor,
and delicate fuiBh. hIr. Aldrich 1as given us
this certainty through Nh unyarying experience
OF noatly twonty years. Since 1856, whom, q
boy of 10, ho produced Tho dainty poem. "Daby
Dol," up to tho writing Of "Alafjorio Daw,"
son.etbing liizo yoar ago, lie has not onco dis
appointed or wcaionod expectation by bringing
forth au unworthy composition. Equally in
vs,ug themes l1avo not always been ths subjoos
OF his attention, but tho treatment Of whatever
ho has touched has boen Invariably symmetrical
aud artistic. This is record for which he and
tho public mny DO grateful. II geniuH bo rare,
art is equally so,-that art which is puro and
true; which strives for no dazzling, moretr1cious
effects, but follows Nature, and ia ever hoathful
and humble.
"prudonco paliroy" is tho second attempt OF
Mr.. Adrieh at all extended story. Tho first,
"Thc Story Of Bad Boy" may bo cnlled YOUTH
ful in moro senHcs than ono. 1t Ind a child for
horo, and was writton for young readers, aud
yet no growu-up hook for grown-up audience
will ever bo published by ita author .e,,rpassiug
It ia beauty and atsractlvenca. Wa question il
u DO not too good to bo thorough ni1cceas. It
IL Intended for Immature nlintls and yet its
morris aro of an order to be appreciated outY by
cultivated tAsto. Tho flue etigo Of ita W.T. tho
elegance OF its phraBooogy. and its wonderfully
a. Y11ra4a ats,t,1 t.un A- l.
measure lost npon childish render. But the
praoticcd oyo under Which tho book ,nay chAuce
to fail will reyel in those gems, which hayo not
to'r equal In any yoiuo yet contributed to
England novel, Of which We hayo had aoy-
9Fa 9i,, admir1olo q r, specimens The earliest was
5Haa1 Wsnr n and The atest are suor
toenth Century" Neither is in my wiso copy
or MI Imitation OF the other, and yet tloy have
strong fan'ily-likonoss, for each ia faithful
Transcript Of New-Englxnd lifo and character.
humanity az they haro developed in tho Oldest
aud most cultured portion Of our country thoro
~ nothing sensational, exaggerated, or un-
nre not more honest and roalistio, Verasity ia
their virtue aud their charm.
Iheie IL not much Of Il plot In this last novel,
as there il not in any Of tho school to which It
Mr.. A!drich has peculiar gift at concoaIing tie
aehoi1onent OF story. Until the last mosaent |
LIE genorally succeeds III covering IN every clue |
to to tho resolution Of the knot ha haH tangled
ens!tnliy reseryng for the i}nal page or two the
under command to tho very ond.
NlfoFnouth-tho Qulot, finished ren.coast !
town. Where tue main part OF tho story IL located
mls aoftsnontn n; 1.-THE nat!yo village Of tho
nehs ior the Hlocpy, old place, giving it what dis
tino5ion he can IL Lis novels. It Nns tho scone
where Lily " Bud boy Was situated, and wo nav
hiMppqse 1 ho has transferred it's very atmosphere
INTO MS romances. We ectupulously avoid tho
unk,1idness OF letting my reader into Lie secret
OF Prudence Paltrcy;" to tho author should
% % aocnred tho sacrcd right Of this communities
me az Ct sr1p srse tHst
pagcB of fiction. And slo is nono too ghostly or
TOO good for human naturo's daily f,od," but
II just tho frank, hearty. unaffected, and refined
aa1nBel whom we ulhy mect over and over any
cay, III just such towns among Now England
U.s., or On Now Englanda shore, as Ports
~. or Berkshire, Or Concord.
are other M pofttaitures IL tho novel aH
rhere nassea from the sceno, leaves with
,-]iko n. memoir Of sanity 1luseltIslness
ckly as he. good Ralph Don't aud Ills
fraglant !. boaating no heroic virttcs,
purity. Aud % col ldialy honor. In
phow John, though hare their being in
manly men whom ~ 'ns as it they had
ort, tho whole circle who it now, in tho +
b book nr6 uB natural Greats
cd tlor dNy, or we're lvinE+ authors |
Lle secluded town OF Riyormouth. ten IN
y Nose Eynns," according to the ii il
.tcmuns in his dedication, ''was Trl. a
'mcnts snntched from the profession si,s xhlss J
9 chief business OF his life." Books wtlch ~
lrriedly put together, in tho odtls and ends ii.
No left by M engrossng yocation, are not wont
poaseea great value, and the present il no eA@
l''tion to tho rule. 1t boars witness to tho ln-
yorablo circumstances in which it MAS COM
,scd. Rude. cu.e!oBh, sloven'y, lu style. 1t is
}od deal Of trial to make out"tho meaning Of
10 bulk OF ts sentences and, az Tor the con-
oction between paragraphs, tho reader must
rtcu content himself With c. failure to discover
Tho criticism to which the stylo Of the work is
nenabio may bo applied to ts plan aud chsrac-
,rizntion. The outlines OF all the figures are
rokon, 1neagre, and htludowy. 1t is impossible
, picture nly ono Of them distinctly before tho
80. One can, perhaps, got partial image OF
on. Throop, tho chiyaroua Southern .gontle:
I'M alid Noso Eyans, by considerable draft
II tie Imagination, may be made to stand out in n
air relief; but tie rost Of the fragnontary -
haracters bafls evory effort to inveat them with
definite human somblance. -
reader likes to bo thrown upon his own re-
ourccs, occasionally, for the filling out Of AL
niiuiblicd slotcll, or tho completion Of bold,
irec. puggestion but to build up all entlro ro- :,
nance out Of dsjointod pieces and most uncer- !"
ain hints, ID yuxatious business: Tile author "
Had l'tu tie ] CONCEPTION Of Moss Evans" tho /,
oro who gives namo to tho book, boen thorough n
) carried out, it would layo been effective. The
don Of man having tho glorious beauty Of m . .
lpollo aud tho trust, and truth, and innocence u
i cLild is inspiring, We have met with it be, c
orc in romance, but 1t iB always welcome. It t.
,uly rcmanB that it should be made plausible n
md possible to tho imagination. to convey entire
atisfaction. If Mr.. BAkor will FREQ himself 7
l,o writing Of book tho first object Of hia lio
or tho tiuo being, Ao may be able to sketch for q
IL q "MoAo Evans" whom TIC will gratefully Q
.ccept Us the ideal man, perfect in body and
,ta!n!cBs in soul.
In turning over tho pagos Of "Tempeat- {
ronBed," by Theodore Triton, one suffers an un-
usual feeling Of pain. 1t reflects In every past
the character OF its author. Tho woalnesBeh
uayo proved tito ruin Of his book, Brilliant,
gifted, winning, beyond most mon, Il soo'iod at
ono tiino al though oyory honor possible, to the
writer aud tho orator was within tile reach Of Til