The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-04-07
Literary Notes.

Gum Times is within reach, passes our compre-
henslon If the movement of heroic figures in
rapid succession across the stage of action-if
the quick sequence of thrilling narrative-if the
hrm, clear power of portraiture-if the wide
grasp of vital questions--if the grand rush Of
the worlds progress-if these elements, as han
died by Mr.. Justin Mccarthy, the brilliant lit
erary man and active English NJ P, cannot
compete with the stride of the novel, who is to
blame2 Not the author surely, of this crisp.
exciting, popularity written history of the Won
derful epoch within the memory of most of our
older readers Emerson says the stuff of which
all successful society novels is made is COM
prlsed IN one sentence" She was beautiful. and
he fell in love" Mr.. Mccarthy has thousand
stirring stories that pulse with the strong heart
beat of nation, to tell, before which the love.
tale sinks into, or ought to sink into nameless
obscurity
England's Story of To-day as told by Mr..
Mccarthy, begins with the death of poor Will
liam ~, who could not think it possible that
the Kingdom could we'll survive his demise The
accession of the young queen-the midnight
visit to kensington paace-the knocking up of
the porters-the sudden appearance of the
startled young girl with her hair streaming over
her shoulders, in her night-robe and slippers. be-
fore the summoning lords of the realm-make a
picture that Millais ought long ago to have
painted. With rapid pen that allows no room
for WEAKNESS, the author carries his reader for
Notwithstanding with a Macaulay-lke point
the great characters of the day, as he sweeps on
Melbourne, Durham, Wellington, Peel. Russell
the young Gladstone the young Disraeh O'Con-
nell, Palmerston, and scores of we'll known
names, come up for quick photograph. Lord
Durham's Canadian Policy, as tersely set forth
must hold or may hold, some lessons for his sue
cessor, the present Viceroy The scheme of
Ocean Steam travel and Penny Postage occunv
an early chapter very agreeably. The ROYAL
Marriage and keen and admirable delineation
OF Prince Albert as Consort, man, politician. and
general reformer, almost give in nutshell
what 1T has taken five of Mr.. Theodore Martins
volumes to tell. The cheap victories of the
OPIUM War do not go without seattle. The
great Church Movements in England and Scot
land are passed IN brief, strong review, and liv
ing portraits of the leaders-N Newman. of the
Iractarlans, and Chalmers, of the Free Church
are presented. The story of Irish Repeal is
made as clear as is needful to an American.
mind and OConnell receives his lust deserts
The memorable Peel Administration. with its
strength and weakness, has full illustration Tho
hrst of the World Exhibitions is placed before
u.s. from the germ of its incipency in the brain
OF Prince Albert, till its brilliant opening bv
the Queen. 1t seems small affair now. after
all the wonders of this kind since witnessed bv
the world but it was something of vast imnort
then AS one reads of the Coup d Fiat of Ma.
poleon, and the indignation of the Queen at her
Minister, Lord Palmerston, for the suspicion Of
some impliedsympathy with it (Which occasioned
his official dsmission) it seems odd and ineon-
slstent to hear to-day of this same Queen brav-
ing the discomfort of her people by her per-
slstence IN having monument raised to the son
OF this usurper in Westminster Abbey The
Great Eastern Question, so far from settlement
yet, eliminates in the Crimean War whose his
tory is given with fine condensation. The last
chaPter furnishes survey ofthe literary achieve
ment OF this first half of Victoria's reign. The
work Is to be completed in two volumes and if
worth and usefulness and unaagging interest
were the accepted elements of wide popularity
then we might hope that such history wonId
sweep aside the foolish and destructive fiction that
IS overwhelming us. The book is excellentlv
brought out by the Mcs8rs Harper & Brothers
Frarktin Square, NeW York.
1t behooves us, as true to literary Southern in.
terests, to take note of such books as bear a
Southern imprint. The large, handsomely got
ten up volume of nearly 300 pages which comes
from the city of Nashville as the Third Sunitary
report Of its Board of Health, may have had
aPPreciative scrutiny and proper critical notice
throughout our Southern press. The tborongb
lnvestigational character of the work. its wide
reach OF all-important topics, its unouestioned
theories and experiments and its fearless and
bold treatment of subjects of sanitary kind
which are no more local to the city of Nashville
than to any other of our scores of cities and
large towns, certainly make it worthy of such
study and examination. If has received sucb
u has not been from the press so far north as
richmond. Now that our local authorities ar.
to bestir themselves in authorization Of
the approach of the annual CITY cleaning no
more well considered manual than this sanitary
book prepared by some of the most scientific
men OF the South, could be circulated not only
among health boards, but even among citizens
themselves, that there might be more general
weakening to the fact Of the unsupported exist