The New York herald., 1876-11-09
LITERATURE.
traiHto.day.

L4 LIMA ~ N ESs
THE BOSTON TUPPKR's LAST BooK-HEMERroN's
COMING NovEL-TENNYsoNs NEW POEM.
BosToy, Now 9, 1876.
Boston has ono author whose pen apparently never
tires, but who has, Notwithstanding been compelled
TO buy printing machine to enable him TO keep up
with the demands Of his oagcr readers and this person
is Oliver Optic whose book, "Living Too Fast" was
published Saturday by Loo 4 Shepard Oliver, or
rather Sr. W. 7. Adams, usually writes about very
smart, good little boys who develop Into something
very little lower than tho angels, and tho habit
hard 10 break that, although his hero a dishonest
bank cashier and dciaulrer, he feels II his duty 10
bcstow large fortune tho youth and 10 let HIM
escape the penalty OF his crime The contemplation OF
this awful dispcnsation OF justice will, IN Mr. Adams'
opinion. check tho extravaganza OF American youth,
especially he distinctly states that tho cashier was
not always comfortable In his mind when he thought
OF his crime. Nobody but a Boston man would ever
havc dreamed OF such refined remedy for uuthrift-
incss, bat the weakness of moral Will prevent
Mr.. Adams book from being read, as tho luckless
public library girls will DO able to testify long before
night At the Athenian Club dinner Saturday night,
Mr.. Adams called upon to answer 10 the toast,
ITO the improbable and impossible elements iu the
culture OF American youth"
To SEQ what is not to be scen."
Mr.. Adams defended tho apparent extravagances in
his books by showing that lie always blended them
with great undoubtcd truths "For instance no said
"lm writing story in which the hero goes fishing for
white fish in Lake Huron. Now, there is q Lakc Hu-
ron, and people go fishing in It for white fsh. These
great truths and tho fact that nobody ever caught
5000 pounds OF fish from Il in day except my hero
does not dctract from their forccn Besides Mr..
Adams book, Loo 4 Sheppard havo also
brought out ..Nelly Kinnaird's Kingdom, -
by Amanda Mr Douglass and D. Lothrop
Co. have published . edition Of Ella Farmsn's
"whits Hand" book which appeared little late
for the holiday season last year, and worthy Of
better aio than tho quiet Ignoring which II received In
consequence.
KANERroSs LATEST yovBL.
Tho novel or tho week, however. Is Philip Gilbert
Hamerton's "wendcrholmc," reprinted by Roberts
Brothers, and greatly abridged from the form In which
It originally appeared Mr. Hamorton gives the reason
for the great OF tho FIRST edition In passage tho
preface which will bo found curious and interesting by
all who liko to know tho inner history OF bookmaking
1T happened" he says, ''soms time before this
story originally composed that the author had .
conversation about tho snie OF novels with OF tho
most eminent publishers OF fiction In London. Tho
result OF his experience wns thot In the peculiar condi
lions OF the English market short novels dd not pay
while long nos, Of the same quality. wore much
safer Investment Having incurred several successive
loses short novels, my friend. Tho Publisher, had
made up hts mind never TO have anything
moro TO do with them. and strongly recommended mo
II l attempted work Of ncsion, TO 60 boldly into
thrce volumes st and not discourage myself by
making nm experiment . smaller scale, VIII icn would
only max failure n certainty Tho reader may easily
imagine tho effect OF such conversation upon
an author who, whatever may have been his expert
once in other departments OF literature, had
all III the publication OF novels Tho prncticai
quencc OF IL was, that when tho present story
written, commercial reasons prevailed, they unhap-
PLY often do prevail over artistic reasons, and the
book was mado far longer than, AZ work Of art, Il
ought to have boon.
s'Wendcrholine" is the history OF old family man.
sion Lancashire, which, in tho chances changes
OF few years, is Inhabited by English gentleman,
by wealthy cotton spinner. and thea by the nephew
Of tho latter and mo daughter OF tho former who
marry each other aud 1.-Two happily forcvcrmore.
Mr.. Hamerton is whom Il Is only loss unsafe
to attack than II he popular clergyman for he
has large following, every soul OF which believes that
he iniabl., but only fair to say that his novel
is not near perfection as his other
books Ho says that many OF the char.
actors have becn taken for portraits, and IL
is significant fact that nearly all these characters arc
unlovablc Tho truth 10 that Mr.. Hamerton, like
ne ariy all writer's who are unaccustomcd to novel
writing. almost his d'sasrccabe pcrsons before
he finishes thcir portraits and draws them sharply
that tho reader ances personal dislike have
guided his hand, whereas II is simple hatred Of an ab
stract feeling.
THE cHARAcTERa
The best OF tho pcrsonages in the book Is Mrs. Og-
dcn the mother Of the wealthy cotton spinner before
mentioned Mr. Hamerton mas a cool. ironical George
Eliot way OF writing about women. and he makes Mrs
Ogden almost real to tho reader Maggie TuIic-
ver's aunts This Is his description OF Mrs Ogden
There Is q squarencss and rsidity In tho back and
which evidences rnth0r OF strength OF body
and ! resoute character shan OF grace The visagc,
too have been pretty though II must In
life possessed the atrnctivcness Of health
deed although its early bloom OF course by this
oil oscthcr lost, there remains hrmncrs In the neshy
parts Of enough prove that the yct
cheeks prominent and the jaw Il powerful; bus
although tho forehead Is high suggests no ideas OF
intellectual Development and seems rather 10 have
grown merely line vegetable marrow grows,
than TO have been developed by any exercise
OF thought Tho slightly aquilne
in outline, but too large and thick; the lips.
tho contrary. thin and pale, and would be out of
harmony with she whole face " the cvcs dld sos
accurately and curousy correspond with them. Those
eyes OF exceedingly light gray, rather incIinnG
blue, and the mind looks out from them In what, to
superficial observer. might seem frank and dircct
way but closer analyst OF character might not be so
readily satisfied with first impression, and might
fancy no detected shade Of possible nsincerity or
power Of discrimination. The hair seems rather scanty
and close 10 the face; u s gray, OF that pccu
liar kind which results from mixture Of very fair
hairs with perfectly whitc ones. We only sec 4
little OF II, however, on account Of tho cap.
she IL PROUD Of everything that she says and does
and never, under any circumstances loses her ssii
TacA ana haa nann a losa hut hnF ahar.