The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-26

even In poetry since Wordsworth drew ,bs
creature not too bright and good for human
natures daily food" We commend n porusoi
OF Miss Crspigny to those who would gain
happy hour.
Another novel. published by tho sumo house
The C0quctie, Or The WstorD Of Tizr Wharton
Pctersonsl was scarcely worth rcprintlng. IL
may interest some readers. however us liter.
ary curiosity. being. wo believe tho earliest
example OF American fiction. and illustrating
the sort OF work which did duty among Us form
novel in the closing years OF the l.et century,
1t has also some historical value. being the true
story Of Miss Elizabeth Whitman who seems to
have boon belle, or rather. We presume n
toast" in the Connecticut society Of that div.
This young lady was ono Of the many reputed
victims OF picrrcpont Edwards who may bc de-
scrbcd ~ petty. New England I.oyolacc in an
epoch which although it Immediately followed
tho Revolution ia point Of time. should rs no.
CARDS the tCuc " society. bc termed colonial Tho
thread Of the narrative is unwounl in u series
Of letters between persons whose names but
thinly disguise the real actors in the irngody.
and us the author displays the proiNity. With
out any OF ths acutoncss. OF Richardson. whom
she obviously makes her model she is Of
course. intolcraby duh.
Tho Library Of American Fiction OF which
the two initial volumes have Just been issued
by the IIarp"rs. is an admirable project whose
execution. however. as yet leaves something TO
be desired. Such n scheme should have been
launched, W. think, with works Of conspicuous
and substantial merit. the productions OF
authors whose names are recognized rs
an honor to American letters. When
the contemplated series had boon inn
pregnably lodged in popular cs,ccm by ac-
complishcd and vigorous writer's like Bret
Harte. Howcs. Julian Hawthorne. Henry
James, Jr.. and Miss Phelps. it might be safo
to interjcc the ventures Of new and unuractised
hands. We cannot but marvel that an enter
prise In itself commendabe, should have
been begun with the distressing piece Of iuve-
nility entitled Esther P1mcfdihcr. Anything
more prcuo~tcr0us than the motive ~ this tale.
whose foremost parsonage is II quccnly. highly
magnetic schoolmistress who so b'witches the
bevy OF girls committed to her care thut one
dies from blight Of the affections another ruins
herself by silly marriage to shield her goddess
from an hours annoyance. while all hate and
worry one another with feline jealousy and
ferocty-anything. we repeat. more Absurd and
puerile than this pivotal conception 1t is impos-
sible TO conceive. The writer's diction il cor
rect enough. but there ia none OF the snap and
sparkle in it which in the case Of some raw
writer's half atoncs for the shallowness of their
views OF life and the paleness OF their charac-
tcrization. We are surprised to find power,
fascination. and originate" attributed TO this
novel. for We must confess ourselves unable TO
discern in it any considerable trace III the cree
stive faculty. or even Of EXPERIENCES in construc.
ton. and felicity in dialogue.
JustHes Lorr's on the other hand. which
forms the second volume in this new Library
OF American Fiction" IL n book of different
sort. II lacks compression. close. organic unity
OF structure, and swift. straightforward sweep
OF plot. but it bears many marks Of unusual
talent. In the first place. the author prints life
as it is. not Ms school girls dream it; she has
manifestly known love and disappointment,
and there are actors in her drama who seem
instinct with the passions. the pcrvcrsities and
the shortcomings Of flesh and blood This
Is strong language TO use Of one who
is apparently novice but 1t IL no COM
mon experience TO find more than one
phase Of our American society portrayed in
its truo lines and colors. and our sympathies
challenged 10y CLEANS Of genuine vitality in
some characters from a young writer's hand.
We may mont on. also. minor merit. which is
not likely 10 escape the most casual rcadcr-a
happy gift Of expression. a knack Of crystalliz-
ing n thought in its most compact. precise. and
aphors. which arc literally winged words"
Nor should We omit to signalze rs at once real
istic and entertaining the chapter which sets
forth the experiences of of1ice-seekrrs in our
national capital.