The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-04-20
A New Book.

mond, Va. Whittet Shepperson. 1880.
have turned aside rom rhe weighty
cares of busy profesSic nal life to give my
attention to q brief criticism OF this new
effort of Southern girl to set the magni-
6cent machinery OF Southern thought III
motion toward establishing what every
Southerner Graves to sea- Southern liter
ature. / do not need to praise our women
they are known of all. In the days of
darkness when the Confederate States,
ringed in fame and dying of a collision
with superior force, was sinking slowly to
its grave, We all know that the women ct ct
- ,,-I ~ ;ss.s sPaSnsda every BASTARD VINO
loved life better than liberty, and under
went untold agones of privation for the
sake Of the lost cause. This is not the ap-
propriate place for further words in their
praise, nor are mine the transcendant abili-
ties requisite to the task ; but it is enough
for me to say that it is but proper that
they should be among the first to make
struggle to save independence of thought
to section which has lost independence of
action. And, therefore, We need not be
surprised that Miss Maggie McNipch,
warm hearted South Carolina girl, has laid
an offering upon the altar comnon to al of
our people
Her little volume lies before me now.
It's rich wine-co 'ored binding, its clear faced
type, its creamy-sinted leaves, all make it
beautiful to the book-lover and precious to
the sight Of those who see in such publish
ing work as this the grey dawn of success
tul enterprise in our midst. The execu-
,ion of the book would not disgrace the
Appletons or Scribners of the North. and
vet it comes from the hands of Virginia
compostors, and from the press of pub
Usher in the Old Dominion those regions
OF outer darkness, if some wiseacres are to
be believed. But it is such work as this
which is 10 redeem US from such slurs and
70 bring the golden splendor Of new era
to the South--an era greater than any pre-
ceding it; broad and tolerant in its views,
but firm in the knowledge of its rights, and
strong enough 10 protect them
It is not my purpose to deal with the
poems which make up so large part of
the Wayside Flowers. They are thought
tul in tone, and in several instances las in
Rosabel, Only Yiolets, and Baby's Prayer
are picturesque in detail. But it is my in
teution to refer briefly and critically to
short prose sketch to be found on page
forty six of the volume in question and en-
titled "a Leaf from the Gallery of Mem
ory." No one but woman could have
written it. a strain of pure high pathos
runs through its every line, and cold is that
heart which this simple little sketch does
not touch almost if not completely 70 tears.
1t is but winsome wee thing-a brief tale
of minister, young and Of high hopes,
ruthlessly Tilted by jade, and slowly pass
ing away in the prime Of glorious manhood
but it takes the boiler nature into the
sacred chambers of the human soul and
shows it that love is a something too high
oy far to be the football Of a shallow firt.
1t Gares have moral in this age when
parsons and politicians and all their ilk but
TOO often offer up their principles for
mess Of pottage. Filtration and coquetry
are the evil spirits which tie the shoes OF
fashionable life today, and the little girl
from among her native hills, pine-crowned
and darkly rising to the skies, has dared
tell, in 10 uncertain words. the evil copse-
ouences resulting thele!rom. Nor is this
all. While we must admire the courage
which has prompted her, even the most
dyspeptic critic cannot meet with anything
which would not stand the severest tests of
English rhetoric. Sweetly, plainly, simply
the little story runs on like the brook which
chatters along through dewy fields and un-
der rustic bridges-sweet because the God-
given kiss of Nature is upon its changing
waters, and cannot be obliterated save by |
their destruction, nor even then. So nat
ural is it that the feelings must respond, |
and the surprised reader finds the sympa-
thetic tear trembling upon the eve, or else |
moistening his cheek with the healing dews |
of compassionate regret. Poor Kenneth, |
farewell! We may lay aside the Wayside
Flowers but they will never wither so long
as the lover Of literature may find there |
among them that most touching prose- /
poem which sings the suffering of true love
beneath the knife of heartless and shame !
less filtration.
Another word, reader. You too have a
duty to perform. 1t is this You must buy
her book for the sake of Southern litera-
ture Here, as elsewhere, perfection is
realized out of imperfection, and even if it
is examined in the mean and grasping light
of bargain and sale you will lose nothing,
for the story of Kenneth and Bob is cheap
at the price of paltry dollar. Buy her
book and read it, and by thus doing you
will encourage, as YOU Should the rising
literature OF rising section. Farewell.
FRANK E. ANDERSON.
Richmond, Vs., March, 1881.