Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-05-06
LITERARY NOTES.

q 4s5isss By 8, J sns SAN Hsr TD
Sons. Washington Robert ash Besi nares sc''0nef +
| The unfavorable impression Of Mr.. Cariyle
| created by the publication Of his Memoirs year
or SO ago is not likely to be entirely removed by
perusal Of these two handsome volumes. de-
voted to the first half Of that eminent fault
finders life. On the other hand, it win be rather
| deepened and strengthened with most readers.
In fact, one cannot help thinking that under
| similar conditions, Carlyle might easily have
been Guiteau or Guiteau Carlyle, SO savage,
| selfish and unreasonable does the latter appear
1 TO be at times. Nor can this feeling be fairly
| attributed to any bias or shortcOming on the
part OF his biographer, as many people pretend.
| 1t is due solely to the subject, and not to its
| treatment. MIR. Froude seems to have done his
work intelligently and conscientiously enough
aud as he believed Carlyle would like to have it
| done, or. at all events, as he, with full sense
| OF his responsibility alike to the dead ana the
living, thought it ought to be done. Whether
| the picture as painted be q pleasing one or not
| 1t ls unquestiOnably true one; and had the
| thinner made his lines less deep or his shadows
Tess strong, the likeness might have been more
| attractive to the eye, but it would have had far
less OF historic value. While the volumes before us
do not contain much In addition to the incidents
in Carlyles lie already given in the Memoirs
above referred to, they will help to clearer
| comprehension OF his character and they
explain many things not heretofore generally
understood They tend to show that physical
| and social Influences had more and Unborn mar
rOwness and crOOkedness less to do with form
| ing his hayward disposition than is commonly
supposed. He was lifelong sufferer from dys-
| pepsa; he grappled long and hard with poverty,
and it was many years before his workssbecame
| popular. They show also that the irritabity of
his late years was OccasiOned in part by remOrse
over the conviction that he had broken down his
faithful wife's health and FASTENED her death by
| giving her OverwOrk in waiting upon him. He
was unhappy, also, because he regarded himself
| as unappreciated and misunderstood. The let
tiers given are often very suggestive, likewise, If
not always creditabe to their writer or lust to
| their subjects. This History has therefore
peculiar value, and while it is not and does not
pretend to be complete biography, even 80 far
as it goes, yet in many respects nothing can
ever take its place. 1t Is doubtful, moreover,
whether anything further of Importance will be
added to the present sum Of knowledge on the
subject, by Mr.. FrOnde, Notwithstanding his con-
ditonal promise to furnish something more in
the future.
y. Barnes Co., New York and Chicago.
Although the name of the author of this book
is withheld from the title page. we are permitted
to divnige it as that Of one who has already won
some fame by her happy treatment of Revolu-
tonary themes-Miss Rebecca McConkey. of
Baltimore. Her present aim is to resuscitate
the renown OF Daniel Morgan, whose well earned
laurels have too often adorned heads that were
not entitled to wear them. and to expose the
character Of BENEDICT Arnold, whose browning
treason was only the consistent elimination of
his whole rash and unprncipled life. The au-
Their, though writing with enthusiasm, evinces
cool and correct judgments of men and events
states her facts clearly, and ably sustains her
argument. Many of her conclusions, though
not new to those familiar with the details of
history, will be found to possess novelty to the
general reader.
HER PICTURE: roston: Roberts Brothers. Wash
ingtJn: J. j. Chapman.
The fact that this is the twenty-ffth volume
| of the mo Name Series" shows at once the sa-
gacty Of the publishers in conceiving and car
rying out the anonymous idea, and their wis
dom in selecting the various books which con-
stitute it. 1t is not often that works by authors
who are not known achieve such success as
these have won; and the success of the series
has been fully deserved for it has given to the
reading world some of the best novels of the
period. If Her Picture is not one of the best,
it ranks fairly with its companions, and good
deal OF extra interest has been excited by the
number and character of persons to whom its
authorship has been attributed. But this ex-
traneOus influence is not needed, for the story
| Is cleverly written and well sustained through
out The heroine Rue Belmont is something
! quite out of the common order, with her clear
green-gray eyes, and honest simple manner
lover is every inch man. The scene Of the
story is laid in France, and the taking of "Her
Picture" is told In very charming way.
COUNT sILvIUs. By GEoRa HORN Translated
G. orge W. Harl n.
Some local interest ought to attach to this story
from the fact that Miss Stafford. who so excel
lently renders it into English, is resident of
Washington. But 1t will attract and hold it's
readers for It's own merits albeit it is little too
much after the style of Mrs. Radcliffe. The
hero, Count Silvius, by dissipation, gambling
| and the plots of the villain of the story, Herr
Dupont, loses his paternal estates He is des-
Turneyssen, who, however, does not return his
passion. Then comes plots, poisOns, secret
passages, and many thrilling adventures. FL
nally hidden treasure is discovered, by which
the Count, now thoroughly reformed is enabled
to buy back his castle. and, as ought to be the
| case, he eventually marries the one he loves
When to these taking points are added COM
| ments on Jesuitsm, communism and woman's
rights. 1t will be seen that the book is likely to
hold the attention Of the reader until It is
finished.
PotLYs SCHEME: BY Gordon. Boston: D. Lo-
Are there two humorists of the Burdett
family9 The name of the famous Iowa wag is
understood to be Robert; but this little book is
dedicated by it's anonymous author "to my
| cousin, James T. Burdett, the humorist"
Hence the inquiry above. But this of course
has nothing to do with the book itself, which
pleasantly sets forth the scheme Of bright lit
| tie woman to keep house in the country for the
summer on the cooperative plan. The nara
tive of her trials and final success is quite enter
tanning and the quarrels and reconciliatiOns of
Vivian and Wilbur cannot fail to interest the
young, particularly if they have had similar
experience.
THE PETTIBONE NAME. A New England Story.
BY MARGARET SIDNEY. Boston: D. Lothrop GO.
The motive Of this wholesome story is the no.
BILE efforts of a woman for the exaltation OF her
family name. The heroine, Miss Judith Petit
| bone, destroys her fathers will in her own favor
| that her brother and his children may not live in
poverty. Most of the characters, which repre-
| sent distinct types of New England character,
| are faithfully drawn, and the local coloring is
well preserved The story is interesting through
out, and when the little dressmaker reveals her
friend Judiths selfdenial the scene is quite dra-
| matte.
AN ELEMENTARY HISTORY OF ART: rchitec-
ture-Scul Painting-Music. By N. DAN
vERs. New York: Scribner l. Wexford. Wash
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