New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-08-10
tons to the intelligence Of the translator and the enter
prise Of the p.,ss,,.shersr
DOUBLE WEDDING. BY Mrs G. A. WAKEFIELD. limo
pp 4OG T. g. Peterson Brothers,

A DOUBLE WEDDING. by Mrs. @. A. WAKEFIELD. l2mo.
PIP 4OG T. u. Peterson Brothers,
The flaming Imagination which gave GER
tain lurid ependor to the Household OF BouVene'
upon its publication a few years since, ana thre" "
curious interest around Of the author no longer
exhibits its wonted fires in the present creation OF ine
same pen With the lapse Of tme the style OF the writer
has greatly toned down from Its characteristic intensity
but without attaining the compensation OF greater
simplicity and natural strength. 1t now presents
singular combination Of ambtousness ana negligence
clothing the most ordinary conceptions Ill ah
inflated dctlon, and making grandoqhcnce OF
language q thin disguise for poverty OF IDEAS
The carelessness Of execution and indifference 10 te
ary flush which 1t everywhere betrays cannot De con-
cealed by any pomp Of hlghsounding word OF aa~]hs
figures OF rhetoric Nor does the construction OF he @
display the inventive power, which might perhaps WIFI
tolerant readers partly atone for the defects OF the CON-
position It's tissue OF improbable incidents, loosely
and partiaciay strung together, aording no fine illus
trotons Of character and with scarcely touch OF nat
raj and healthy feeling. There is strange ap7c"'
mndedness to speak, In the evolution OF te "i'ic
scenes OF drama which appear to FOLLOW each or
almost at random without visible connection or sighi-
cant purpose and subject to the b'nd impulses
OF the writer rather than to the Intelligent sdiS Will
Any severity of criticism, however, which the WORK
might call forth dsamed by the evident vein OF sor-
row which runs through Its pages IL mas Dcch wieh
amid the ruins of the ancient southcr dynasty WIN
spirit of fond regret for its FADED glofles anu Vi
despair for its future social condition The issue OF 'hc
civil war has left blight over the rose-coored holes
that we're so ardently cherished and the bitterness OF dis
anpontmept has given tncure Of sadness to tie COM
position This is sometimes evinced by c!hicai peIsoi'i
reflections prominent public characters 0nt o'eher Oy
incidental expressions Of dependency Which crop out a'
intervals throughout the work Nor should II be FORGOT
ten that the signs of amazing carclcssncss WINCH aus
figure the volume may very probably DC due 10 '"c
distance of the writer from the press II scarcely pos
sible that the laundering French phrases when swarm
on almost every page could have come from the pen
even Of q specifically educated person Inc errors Ill
English however, in numerous instances are qnite ~
had Thus we have "horrd old Doctor sam Johnson
with Mrs. ThraH after she married rro=-i" King Ar
thurs famous sword Excalbur' Is mctamorphosed mo
Excalibus" the wine called Fronsnac loses lis goody
name in Fontenac Jeremy TayoT's cclibaie becomes
ceebate and Shakespcarcs Benedict, BcHcdtet These
are not the only OF has;c and ina;tertoh Waeh
abound in the work, and which give le0ean air 10 s
execution singularly at variance with the p'eesoh Oh
its costume like barn-door fowl in the feathers OF
peacock.