Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-24
LITERARY NOTES.
SOUTH MOUNTAIN MAGIC. A Narrative. BIZ
MADELEINE FISToN DAHLGREN. Boston: James
Il. Osgood & Co.


SOUTH a., MOUNTAINS MAGIC. Narrative, By
Il. Osgood Co.
Mrs. Dahlgren. who carries her industrious
habits and inqniring spirit as we'll to her noun
tain summer home as into foreign lands, has
given US under the above title collection Of SUI
pernatural narratives such as used to raise the
hair OF children on end half a century or so
ago. but which seem sadly out Of place when
put in cold type in this age of daily newspapers
and public schools But the occult always has
singular fascination for the human family; and.
aside from that quality, the stories recited by
sars; Danlgren have certain value as tending
10 Illustrate how such traditions prevail with
the rude and unlettered In various parts Of tho
country, and in various countries, for that mat
Ter, without apparently, any means of commu-
nicstion between them. In this sense, there
fore, the author has done well to thus collect
and preserve the folklore of q region 30 prmi-
tive and 80 full of material of that character.
some OF the superstitiOns and customs she de-
scrlbes are both curious and interesting, and
many OF the stories she tells, had they ever been
carefully investigated or verified. would be very
difficult Of explanation on natural grounds
Unfortunately, however, the author does not
Vouch for them; the most she does is to assure
US that she saw the persons who repeated them
70 her. This locates the responsibility, but 1t
fails to carry conviction to the mind of the
Intelligent reader.
HENRY ". LoNGFElLow. A Medley in Prose and
Ballantyne SON.
When great man dies the occasion for public
sorrow is by no means limited to the loss sus-
tanned in his taking off, After the consignment
OF his body to the grave. and often before that
event. the country is burdened with the ambitious
performances of swarm of offlcious nobodies,
who, under pretence Of intimate relations
with the dead, take occasion to celebrate them
selves in the thin guise Of tributes to his men,
DRY, remiscences, and that sort of thing. The
case OF Mr. Longfellow is one strikingly in point.
His demise was made the opportunity for seve-
raj presumptuous persons to force themselves
into a prominence which could not have been
possible under other circumstances. 1t is only
iar TO say that Mr.. Stoddard's hastily compiled
volume is not open to the full force of these re-
marks 1t is not, however, entirely free from
objection on that score. There is considerably
more StOddard In It's pages than is strictly neces
sary for fair understanding of Mr. Longfel-
lows character and talents; bnt it Is, neverthe-
less, In many respects an acceptable contribu-
ton to current literature. 1t is in fact. about
the best of its class. It is not formal biogra-
ply, nor yet is it studied criticism, but rather
a pleasant combination of narrative and COM
ment, interspersed with notes and references
and number Of early poems withheld by the
author from all the later collections Of his
works, the whole making very readable med
ley: There ia also "LOngfellOw photography, !"
which will be found of value to the student, and
not without interest to the general reader.
JOHN c. CALHOUN. By DR.. II. Won Hoist. Bos-
ton; Houghton. Mifain Co. Washington: r. b.
1t is questionable whether the time has yet
come for perfectly impartial biography of Mr.
Calhoun, 1t is clear, however, that if the work
Is to be done, it should be undertaken by for
eigner, who alone could do strict justice to the
theme. In this view the publishers Of the
American Statesmen" series have done well to
enlist the services Of DR.. Won Hoist, than whom
perhaps no more competent person for the task
could be fouud The investigations made by the
author in the preparation of his constitutional
History OF the United States" largely qualified
him for it, and they also enabled him to Judge
both Mr. Calhoun aud the events with which he
was 80 cOnSpicuousiy identified with discrimiAa-
ton and fairness. To these advantages DR.. Won
Hoist adds clear and concise style, the quality
OF which may be imagined from the graphic
portrait of his subject. taken from the opening
chapter in which the great nullifier is described
as "a man endowed with an intellect far above
the average, impeleti by high-soaring ambi-
ton, untainted bS any petty or ignoble passion,
and guided G character of sterling firmness
and more than common purity, yet, with fatal
Illusion deyoting all his mental powers, all his
moral energy, and the whole force Of his iron
will to the service Of 8 doomed and unholy
cause" -
FuIIsH Of the suiolf Bar Boston soue aSe sus
The first impression on taking up this book is
one of astOnishment that subject so vast
should be undertaken IN volume Of less than
three hundred pages. a closer inspection dis
closes the fact, however, that it only essays to
be the history of few noted French criminals
and criminal trials. The narratives given are
all full OF interest, and Illustrate in most strik
ing manner the old adage that truth is stranger
than fiction. The ina gInation of the most &C.
cOmplished novelist could scarcely match some
Of them for ingenuity Of plot and fascinating
style. Some of the most curious old cases cited
nave moreover pretty close cOunterparts in the
present day, showing that crime, as well as his
tory, is constantly repeating itself
DISEASES OF MEMORY: An Essay in the Positive
pleton CO. Washington: F. B. Mohun.
Another volume OF Appleton's popular Inter-
national Scientific Series, wherein the author
presents many Illustrations Of the diseases of
the memory, from which he essays to make GER
tain deductions. His conclusion is a general
one, and rather vague. In brief, it is that men,
DRY depends upon an active circulation of the
blood, rich in the materials necessary for inte-
grafton and diSinte9ration. In his own lam
there is tendency toward morbid excitation;
when it decreases there is tendency toward
amnesia- We can push our conclusions no
further without entering the domain Of pure
hypothesis"
ERRORS IN THE USE OF ENGLISH. By the Late
WILLIAM b HoDGsON, L. l.. ID. American Revised
Edition. New York: D. Appleton Il Co. Washing
The first impression made upon the reader on
opening this book is likely to be to the effect
that nobody writes the English language cor
rectly. This is due to the method adopted by
the author, who chose to impress his lesson by
citing examples of incorrectness, on the princi-
pie that the ancients used to give Temperance
lectures by the exhibition Of drunkards. In
other words, it takes up the study of English on
the negative side, points out the faults and
shows the manner and reason for correction
The plan is good one, and the book will be
found serviceable to readers generally as
well as to speakers and writer's for whom 1t
was mainly intended.
HISTORY OF FRANCE. By CHARLorrE M. YoSeE
New York: D. Appleton Il Go. Washington f. b.
MOhun.
This little volume is the latest addition to
the History Primers, (of which Prof J. R. Green,
the eminent English historian. is the editor