The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-12-01
criticisms at one time frightened one-half Of

criticisms at one time frightened one-haif o
the Northern authors. And in fact we asi
any one of these authors to give US anything
better than the Wagon Boy" BY Carter
of Cleeve. 1t is gay little piece.
Scarcely had the war ended before Gen
eral Hill started at Charlotte, North Caro-
lima, his magazine called The Land we Love
Many interesting articles appeared in tha
work, and we wish Northerners would reac
them when they are disposed to call in ques
ton our scanty literature. We can recon-
mend to readers the following works: Ken
nedy's "SWallow Barn" illustrated in Har
psr's wood cuts, and his Life of William
Writ, in two volumes. Its true he mistook
his calling when he attempted poetry; but
so did DR.. Dwight. We. can also call atten'
tion to some very sweet poems BY Pinkney,
and Baldwin's " Flush Times of Alabama,
Scots's Life of Mosby, and ten editions Of
Wirt's British Spy; his Old Bachelor, and
Life of Patrick Henry. We hope ere long
TO read Bledse's history of the late war,
and DR.. Handy's United States Bonds,
and any other books that may be in course
of preparation for the press. The writer has
no disposition to underrate the pencraft Of
the North. His opinion perhaps is worth
nothing, for he makes no pretension to being
judge of composition, but will modestly
say that Brsinsrd's lines are the best he
ever saw on the Falls of Niagara, and Den
nie's " Lady Preacher" the most charming
little work he ever read. OF course we en-
tirely disagree with Griswold in bis estimate
of Dendie. We would advise Northern re-
ligious editors to quit their attacks on the
South for they are no match for Southern
penmen. Bau slIl H aH b91f
The writer cannot be censured for these
harmless words of defence in behalf of that
section of the country in which he lives
We hold DR.. Hall in high respect, both for
his talents and pisty. He is so estimated
all over the parts of Dixie in which he is
known. He ought to know that literature
is something in which but few of our race ex-
eel. Ireland, from which he comes, has q
population of FIVE millions, and at one time
Tom Moore was their only representative
poet, and Plowder their only historian. How
few have been buried in Westminster Abbey,
compared with the millions who sleep in OBJ
scurity. DR.. johnson looked into every
English shire to find poet, and wrote the
lives of about fifty; but the time occupied
by these candidates for his notice was very
considerable. He left out Chaucer and
Spenser who ought to have been in, but put
in number who might have been left on the
outside of his interesting work. Under these
circumstances the south is doing tolerably
well. This section is not unconcerned about
its literature. 1t poIshes the manners OF
men, and it is ornamental to women. 1t
brings in its train vast amount OF happl
ness. May our mountains, hills, valleys and
forests, capes, rivers and battle,fslds all be
celebrated, and sll our Kinks and manses re-
ceive anew charm from the pen of the his
torian, the harp of the poet, the brush of the
artist, and the researches of Philosophy. =
T. B. B.
P.S.-We just remember Marion Har-
land, Violet Vane, Kerchevals History of
the Valley, Southall's Recent Origin of
Man, Charles Csmpbell's History of Vir-
ginia, Smiths History of Virginia, E'ten
Cooke, Miss Lomax, &c., &c. If authors
don't report themselves to "these headquar-
ters" they deserve to be sent TO Fort Della
ware, where two hundred had great fight
in getting to one Lilliputisn stove. dg51
.I