The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1890-02-20
A WATCH KEY" /"
A NOVELTY ANORTH CARO-
LIMA LADY.
A Well Written and Readable
Book Founded upon the Cele-
brated Cluverius. Case.
Elizabeth City Economist ]

Elizabeth City Economist
Some weeks ago there came to US
a volume, with the "compliments OF
the author" entitled ga Watch Key"
which we have only had time to ex-
anime within a few days. Its author
as appears from the title page is a
North Carolinian and from internal
evidences is familiar with scenes Pc
cular to Eastern Carolina and is or
has been resident of the vicinage of
the "shell road" and the storm beaten
shore. We belong to the guild of the
dwellers by the sea and are hospitable
to the brotherhood, but apart from all
claims of section or association, we ex.
tend to the author of A Watch Key
the hand of congratulatory admiration.
The book is we'll written, its delinea-
tions Of character are true to nature as
pictures of social life, and the thread
Of the narrative is preserved through
the variations of detail. The thoughts
and phraseology are often original and
attractive, and its reflections touch ten
der chords and bring back memories
that are "pleasing and mournful to
the SOUL" The style is little efflo-
nescent but time will prune that defect
without the effort of art. The scene
is Virginian the dramatis personae are
part Carolinian. The early narrative
is picture of social life in Milledge-
vile, Virginia town, and the denoue-
ment of the story is reproduction OF
the late Cluverius tragedy. Mrs.
Golding is the aunt Susan, the angel
in the house; the mother of the mother
less, the angelic and kind adviser, the
friend without guile, the comforter in
distress. Mrs. Bragg is the meddle-
some matchmaker: the arch pretender
in fashionable life. Mrs. Talons is the
town gossip, the Paul Pry of Milledge-
Vile society. The Clalvering boys are
the spoiled and and petted nephews o.
good Mrs. Golding, and Lydia Mason
is the giddy girl of fashion, frivolity
and Irritation, the devotee of sensa
tional life, the giddy butterfly societ,
that seeks notoriety, reckless of public
sentiment, who sips the sweets Of fash
/ ionable life careless of the poision thai
lies beneath them, and who finall,
falls victim in the sequel. The de.
scriptive power of the author of A
Watch Key is very striking. We taxi
at random single PASSAGE
sWhat an unspeakeable calm there
is about summer evening sunset, anc
what an unspeakable sadness too
The whole earth is weary; it has pant
ed under the mondays SUN and faint
ed beneath its rays; its vigor is spent
and the languor of supreme exhaustion
is upon it; the triumphs and defeats o
the day alike are over; its feverish toi
is past, and the guardian angel Q
Rest breathes his Benedicite upon tn
air. Heaven is very near us at sucl
an hour. We can almost catch tn
echo of the angels songs, can almos
feel the rushing OF their wings"
This is the authors communin,
with nature, alone. Next is com
muning with her own heart, as h
draws a picture of the calmness ant
dominion of despair, under the shado'
of great calamity:
"When the worst has been suffered
there comes to all men great calm
the calm of perfect despair; of perfec
repose. And, really, when we com
to think of tot the many petit
| ignoble battles that have daily, hourly
to be fought upon those lower plane
of suffering whereon the most of L
pass our lives, is it not somethin
almost to envey in the lot of the fe'
upon the supreme heights, who hav
been so utterly vanquished in the wal
fare with Fate as to lay aside their al
mormon -combatants forever-hencs
forward only lookers-on in the gres
drama OF life"
Another picture of happiness in re;
life-perhaps the only unmixed happ
ness:
"Happy is the bride that the su
shines on" "And Ellen Bragg ";
happy-beatifcally so-as she locke
out from her camber-window upon II
matchless beauty Of her wedding NOR
The out door world was one dazzlin
sunshine; the golden baptism raine
down upon trees, shrubs, houses, pe'
pie everything; it was one of o.
March's jubilee days, upon which
relaxes his iron rule and melts into
, softness and beauty almost April-lik
What an auspicious wedding day, Wi
. the benediction of Nature resting lik
crown, upon it ALL"
For sale by Edwards & Broughto
publishers, Raleigh, N. c., at 50 cent
Industrial News in Stokes.