The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-26


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ysx YEARS or MI Lirg. BY Princess Felix salm-
Saln. New York: X. Worthington
In pressing into one medium sized volume an 40
count OF the adventures. friendships and bereave-
mems Of ten years Of eyentfu life the Princess
salm-Salu has done herself and ladies generally .
great injustice We naturally expect book written
by woman especially clever woman to be chatty
and iul OF small Information. Now, II II the habit OF
some philosophers TO despisc small Information; but
philosophers can be fools like other people, only per-
haps little learnedly, and certainly those who
contemu tho small and minute information which
photographs the daily lilo OF q people are not
wise. For a woman who passed through so many
important events and many strange scenes the
Princess remarkably little TO say. This Is perhaps
to the credit of her heart though It takes from hcr
literary merit The truth IS tho Princess, according TO
her own showing, was very much in love with hcr
husband she 10 think that every one Is ~
much interested herself In her hero, her gentle but
pugnacous Felix. According TO her own showing he
man Of very lstle ability, but seems TO have had
u courageous and loyal heart he was always spelling
Tor aght and like most people of that turn OF mind
ended by getting wiped out or existence whilc
yet a comparatively young man. All that
eoucerns Folk arouses the enthusiasm aud
The eloqucnce OF the writer; but even in
matters which concern him nearly there IS
want OF minucness OF detail and ;horoughness OF
Information which The chief attractions OF bio
graphical works The autorcss does not take US enough
into her confidence; We do not see enough oil the mo
tyes of he actions or events which reported 70
There is little any powers Of observation OF
tho habits and the strange peoples among
whom the authorizes WAS thrown IN her wandering,
evcntiu life. An Indian cabin or French hotel are
recorded as though they were nero arbitrary signs,
nf hob MI IN
readers mind clear and ample idea Of the thing
written about Now no greater mistake than this
could DC made, and though tbcro s some truth IN
what Princess says about the usclcsspess OF trying
TO convey adequate ideas Of scenery by mere verbal
description 20 the length OF agreeing that is
Is impossible to pretty clear notions OF tho gen.
era appearance OF country by means OF verbal de-
,crptious. writer cannot pant landscape, but by
n few broad well defined touches he may suggest one
The Princess also has tho fault Of seeing events
through coorcd spec,acles. Whoever is her friend s
full Of virtue, and her enemies, though generally
treated with charity still very bad people. But In
spite many drawbacks the book Is full Of interest
aud possesses many tine and striking passages
This unavoidable for the Of the story
through the three great dramas OF this ccntury-the
struggle for the Union, the fall OF the Mexican Empire
and execution OF Maximhan, and the Franco Prussan
war.
Though the Princess occupied position during all
thrcc events which gave her unusual facilities Tor the
requirement of interesting information II Is TO her
share in the Mexican drama that she Of her
popularity aud fame. The efforts she made to save
the life OF MACMILLAN were crcdtable her heart and
head She was partisan of the Emperor and us IL
her nothing but nobility In his charac-
tor and in his execution only unworthy vengeance
This, no doubt, Is womanly reasoning; but when we
remember the hundreds OF Mexican citizens who were
torn from thor families and their friends and shot
TO death on the mere suspicion Of prcferring
the freedom OF their country TO tho welfare OF usurper
VIC cannot share either her sympathy or her sorrow
Thc idea that the blood OF an emperor is OF more i'm
portance than that OF any other man Is exploded
Snc. The really valuable feature Of the book IL tho
simple and unpretcndlng manner in which all events
that under Princess Salm- Salm's notice
corded. There besides much unique information
about who have played the principal roles In this
ccntury's drama with which intelligent readers Will DO
glad 10 acquaini themselves.
THE HERITAGE OF LAxGDALE By Mrs Alexander.
New York: Henry Holt u co.
This volume Is recent addition TO the "Lesure
Hour Series, and is by the author Of that charming
story, .'rhe wooing orr but is no more like that
story than chalk like cheese. 'The Heritage OF
Langdac" is "shape'' story, 10 borrow from stage
parlance, That u.s. the is laid the early part
Of tho eighteenth century, and the characters
quently dress IN tho costumes Of those days. when
mans legs were more subject OF care and thought
than his face. Like all stories told OF those stirring
times this abounds in abductions, mysterious mar
riages, pirates and modsh' ladies' with court plaster
patches The characters are clevcrly drawn and
tho dialogue good Maud Langley, the heroine
eventually gets her heritage, but 1t Is utter
great trials and trbuatons. There capital descrip-
make envious as he reads. Lady Hemsiord,
Maud's gay and WORTHY aunt is very complete char
nc,cr and the suoordinates Miss Sparrow and Dora
shy, are amusing. Horace walpoe is introduced In
side glance as one oil the characters or the day.
little TIE part OF the author is the statement
that Mrs Langley performed Becthovcn's sonatas
HE harpsichord, a difficult task US they were not
written until some fifty years later than the date OF
tins story. While many win pronounce this Mrs. AL.
exanders most exciting story. few Will find it the
charm and originality OF "rhe Woong OF"
GEsrA RoMASoRuM or, ENTERTAINING MORAL STORIES
Translated from the Latin, by Rev. Charles Swan
Revised and corrected by Wynnard Hooper, b. A.
London George Bell X Sons.
Messrs. scribner Wexford IL Armstrong have just
imported edition OF that delightful book s.Gesla
Romanorum, which, as every one knows, Is q collec-
tion OF the stories told by Tho monks of the Middle
Ages as they sat around their comfortable monastery
hrcsidcs Some OF the most celebrated OF and
modern writers have gained their plots from these
stories, which are striking and original they
quaint aud collection OF tho ..Gesta" was
printed In 1873 in the Litin tongue, butno English
translation was made until Mr. Swans printed IN 1924
IL has been proved by the research OF Herr Hermann
Oestericy, who translated work into German that
The manuscripts OF these stories still exists Mr.
Swans translation having been found faulty in some
respects Mr. Hooper has revised aud improved IT, and
as The volume stands now II seems quite complete;
but doubt that in another halt century this will
be found wanting and some learned professor Will
hmsclt 70 work to make new translation or to re-
wise this one with the help o new facts We arc In
She meantime, however, content to accept the Swan
Hooper version. which gives US such dishfu! of
nuts 10 eat ono can hardly say to crack, for the