The New York herald., 1875-12-20

Does not say. Oh, how often In lonely
Despairs would hail II instead
or friends tho most friendly II only
II let US lie down by our dead
But with gall and with wormwood OF anguish,
Through silcnees stronger than tcars,
II nerves us 70 bear, as We langush,
Along the gray years
And kind ones in soothingcst fashion
mot always ev'n love undcrstandsD
Speak low in their yearning compassion,
or tho beautiful folding OF hands
Vouchsafed 10 the weary-of graspings
For which the long parted so pine
What comfort TO me the keen claspings
When the clasp is not mine
o hands that lie crossing so sanity
The bosom on which have leanti
Could press them, though aintly
Just once-I would wait with content
For the time that so loiters so fingers,
When with raptures undrcamcd Of before
catch TO my lips the dear fingers
And loose them no mo-c.
There is a straightfowardness about Mrs. PrestonG
poetry and simplicity in her language that will make
her popular with the average well the cultivated
reader.
The BIRD AND THE BELL, with other poems BY Chris
tophsr Pcarse cranch. Boston: James r. osgood x
Co.
Mr. Cranch has so many modes Of expression that he
really docs do himself quite justice in any one OF
them. He is poet, painter and musician. Just enough
Of each mako him delightful companion az
well accomplished gentleman A father asked
a wise old man how he could make great man OF his
son. "By giving him parts and poverty was the
ply Mr. Cranch has the parts but wants the poverty
an incentive TO hard work either OF his arts. lie
writes gracefully but not always clearly and is inclined
to be somewhat metaphysical. He has always the
art TO conceal The conscious that he is
writing more as literary exercise than because his
passion has the better of him. wo would not for
moment deny the beauty in some of his verse; only
we think that he lacks the real poetic nrc Men who
art few nd far ba-
tween that Michael Angelo stands almost alone there
fore Mr.. Cranch need not feel it reflection his
talents that he is not master of three arts. Art ID
too great mistress to be conquered with smile. A
man must pull OFT his coat and plunge In, and cven
though he has genius he will have to work and toll il
he wishes TO win name among the great Tho
OF genius will find the path much smoother than will
tho without but II the former is careless and the
latter ambitious and hardworkng the careless
will be LEFT behind in the This is merely aside
and does not apply directly to Mr.. Cranchs case
for Of his poetry gives evidence OF almost
too great labor He is common writer, aud one
stanza Of his that has become household word would
disapprove such assertion If inclined to mako
IT, which not This is the stanza-
Thought is deeper than all speech;
Feeling deeper than all thought
Souls to souls never teach
What unto themselves was taught.
The poet has gwen essay in nutshell in that
verse; II expresses all he could have said in twenty
pages In OF tho poems in this book the
pardonably bad line and pun
He would make Handel fly of the handle.
On the other hand let quote poem, graceful and
sweet with the fragrance OF lowers-
With rose and orange scents this place laden;
Tho summer air quivcrng thick with birds.
In these cool garden walks met the maiden
Whose beauty robs her praisers tongues of words
A crimson rose was in her hand. She held it
To m n
But looked In her eyes and scarcely smelled IL,
But took the flower and hand in both OF mine.
These are the shades where, arm in arm. for hours
We walked-brief hours of throbbing pain and bliss
Herc drank loves btterswect, deep hid in flowers;
Here gave and took last despairing kiss.
And where is she, the fair, light footed conner.
pace these loney garden walks in vain.
o, long lost joy! o. Rose OF love and summerl
That day ye bloomed will never como again
One OF the most genuinely poetic and delicatey hu-
OF the poems in this volume is ''Brd Ian
guage" II is running over with the brightness Of
and is perfectly charming from the first note
OF song tho last II is OF itself sufficient to es
tablish Mr. Crnnch's reputation a tunefu singer.
FARM LEGENDS. BY VIII Carleton, author Of Farm
Ballads" :" illustrated. New York: Harper Il
Brothers.
Will Carleton is poet who writes from the abun-
dance OF his heart He has other expression for hs
genius than poetry, consequently he makes himself
felt. He throws himself body and soul, might and
bears tho stamp of earnestness in every line, and
though IL is often rugged it is generally strong The
faults evident at glance, but overlook them
for tho sake OF the intrinsic beauty OF the poems,
which catch the we'll as the heart OF the reader
Just long he confines himself 20 farm ballads and
legends he is good but tho moment he steps what
he perhaps, looks upon higher he descends to
mcdlocrity. His BETSY and Are Out" is the most
popular OF his poems for the that 1t has been
often read in public, and of course, owing to its
simple power, which almost amounts to cloquencc.
Mr.. Carleton is better in the pathetic than in the
humorous, though he is not without a Of wit iu
his composition. The opening poem, ''Thc School.
masters Guests is quite funny and describes in feol
ing tho visit OF school committee 10 a district
schoolmastcr. Such committees proverbially
Ignorant and this one was no exception to the rule.
Thoy called the master to find fault with the new
tangled notons'' he had been Introducing
The thing I'm bid for TO mention when the class
gets up to read,
You give 'cm too tight OF rcinin an touch em W
moro than they need;
You're aocr than wise in the matter of holdin book
in one han,
An you turn stray In their dons an tack an odd
on their an.
There amt no great good OF speakin' the words
Providn you know what the facts is, an tell 'em or
Jost as they be.
And the other good district fathers gave quick the
consent that due,
And nodded obliquey and muttercd, Them ERE is my
"My gals is as steady clockwork, an never give
cause for much lear.
But they home from school t'other evenn talk
in such stuff as this here
love an thou lowest an he loves and 'ye love- an
you love- an they
An they answered my questions, IT'S grammar
twas all could get 'em to say
Now II instead OF doin your duty, you're carryin' mat
ters on
Al 20 make tho gals say that they love you it's just all
that want TO know.
Quite an amusing called up by this picture.
The next poem Three Links OF Life which
tans a number of stanzas supposed to he spoken by
mother her baby 10 keep up the idea and tho rhyme
in this song the mother says just about silly things
mothers do their babies but which hardly
worth pcrpctuatlng in book form. Rob the Paupcr''
OF the strongest poems IN this collection Tho
description of the poor lunatc running through the
swamps and the hills with the pursuing men and
beasts his heels Is well drawn IL be read
entirety TO DO appreciated, would quote from IT.
In hrs nrenco Mr. Carleton who by the May Is quite