New-York tribune., 1884-01-08

II.
Women Series l6 mo-, PIP. 800. Roberts Brothers
This little volume shows good literary workman
ship. 1t does not weary the reader with vague
theories nor does It give over much expression to
the enthusiasm-not to say baSeleSs cncomluIn-
for which too many female biographers have &C
custOmed us to look. II is simple nddiscrlmnatlve
sketch of one of the most clever and loyabe of the
class at whom Carlyle sneered as "scrlbbing
women" Miss Edgeworth had scarcely
that divine gift which we call geBjus,
but she had great talents and an mpetuous, hearty
and genuine nature which carried her in great
measure out of the rut of petty conventonality of
thought in winch most women Of her time walked.
II was not her fault that she did not attain to the
heights within her reach. The father whom she
consistently adOred to the end of herlitc ''i" s"'e
respects theworst literary gnide SIC could have had
He restrained in many ways tn bo 'teors po"-"S
of her mind. and curbed her oriEina ity
TO his own utiiitanan beliefs. She
preached "the minor virtues; she chanted
the praise of the prudent and the calculating and
wasdidactic with humor and not without grace;
but of ideality and sympathy there
her best work. And, d-NIhs he what bo1As
may live to be loved and re-Io.. by succeeding
generationsi The commOn-sense in her work is
estimable; she drew with surprising strength,
humOr and Justice the characters she knew; but
her name is so far from shining in the highest pa
of literature that she can hardly be called
lannon's woman She read eagerly
and incessanty but her horizon was
not thereby especially enlarged, " How can the
public" she wrote of Byron, who cds a genius, in
truth-"how can the public allow this drunken
fagitious actor TO appear before them disgracing
genius and the taste of his country ~
OF Maria Edgeworth, the woman, one cannot
easily say too much in praise. That home life, so
bal nj wa
end. Miss Zimmern has treated it with delicate
appreciation. To her countrymen Miss EdgewOrth
was always the most judicous and sympathetic Of
friends. her good sense forbddng her to be blind
TO their faults She once wrote in letter which is
not inapplcable to the Ireland of to-day:
fear we have much to go through in this coqn-
try before we come to quiet, settled ne ana
rein of law at this moment to hold the Irish; and
through the whole country there Is what cannot
Justly call spirit of reform, but spirit OF rF0ta-
iion under the name of reforms restless desire TO
overthrow what is and hOpe-mOre than nope
an expectation OF gaming liberty or Wealt4i Vi
both, In the struggles and If they do gam either,
they will lose both again and be worse OH than ever
they will afterward quarrel among themselves
destroy one another, and be again enslaved
with heavier chains. / am and have
been all my life a sincere friend TO mod
crate measures, as long as reason can be heard ou
uproar when reason cannot be heard, and when the
ultimate law of force must be res0Tted TO- 10 pre-
vent greater evils. That time was lOst III Ille pe-
ginning of the French RevolutOn-l hope IT may
not be lost in Ireland 1t Is scarcely possible tH&l
this country can now be tranquillized wit hout mill
tary force to reGstabish law; the people must be
made 10 obey the laws, OF they cannot be ruled
after anv concessions. Nor would the mob be able
to rule If they got all they desire they would only
tear each other to pieces, and die drunk or 1amlSh
sober The misfortune of tins country has been tnat
England has always yielded to clamOr what should
have been granted to justice.
Mss Zmnern's book is refined in conception
and tasteful in execution-al, in short the cymo
might say, that expect q woman's book to be.