Year: 1870

philadelphia: J. b. Lippincott 4 Co.


What is truth to nature about which we critical
people prate so gbly after reading the works of
betters Shakespeare is praised for preserving it In
all Ais characters and Dickens is censured for not
presving it in many of his characters but the re-
suit is much the same so far we are concerned
Shakespeare may have had the insight that is
claimed for him, but he does not reconcile us 10
Richards sudden love suit to Lady Anne, nor her
rs sudden yielding to him. nor docs he reeonono
to the eagerness with which Laertes fas I'D WIN
the plot of the King to kill Hamlet with the
foil. This is not nature, we say, if we give the
critics the go-by and think for ourselves Dioheils
NAV not have had the insight of Shakespeare put
he reconciles ms 70 all his characters, even the most
fantastic and bizarre and it must be admitted that
he has created more characters that fix themselves
in the memory than has Shakespeare himself we
have never met Dick Swiyeller, or Tom Pinch, or
Micawber. but we have no more doubt that they ex-
;s than if they lived next door to us. They are true
10 themselves if not to natureas true as Malvolio
Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Dogberry.


But who is to be hejudge whetherorno character
is time TO natureg There can be judge who is not
liable to err when he sits in Judgment upon persons
and events not within the narrow pale of his own
knowledge and experience The cobbler OF antiquity
was listened to with respect so long he criticised





crticse the statue itself he laughed at for his
temeTty and hidden to stick to his last. The proper
study of mankind may be Man, but it is not his
study. and if it were it would not be possible to
pursue il to any such certain results as attend the
study of the exact sciences. We knew the outer
man by anatomy, hut there is no anatomy by which
we can know the inner man. He is AZ mysterious TO
ps rs he was TO the earliest of the race 1t does not
become MS, then, TO express ourselves confidently as
regards Man. least of all as regards men and women
and the shadows they project IN fiction. We hesi-
tate therefore, to express what we think of " Dallas
Galbraith," which puzzles us in many ways. We do
not say that it's characters are not true to nature
but we DO say that they impress us with sense OF
nnreaIity. We except LaddOun and HonOra, who
IRE real to u.s. though we have certainly never
met the one and it is too late for us to meet the
ether SINCE she is Mrs. Galbraith. She is thor
Ough woman. woman to live for and die for Con-
ceited pompOus INSCRIPTIONS yet full of good ma
ture and not without good feeling, LaddOun is
fine study Of scamp-the scamp of circumstances
We like what little see of the simple people OF
Marasquaw we have a sort of unwilling admiration
for Madame Galbrath, and curious sort of respect
for Dallass mother who Just misses being the best
drawn character in the book.


We have two faults to find with Mrs. Davls-fiTst
That the majority of her peTsOnages impress us as
AbStIactOnS second. tldU IntIe Is nltlt vi ho
yelopment in them. We find the first fault with
bOme of the characters of Dickens-Gradgnd for eX-
ample, being merely the abstraction of practical
facts and Pecksnff merely the abstraction of moral
hypocrisy. They are amusing, but not real Madame
Galbraith and Dallas are similar distractions to us
pne of resoute untender goodness the other of the
soul of goodness in things evil" When we say that
Mrs Daviss characters do not develop, we do not
mean that they are the under all circumstances
but that we foresee what they will do under all cir
cumstances They appear to have been conceived IN
their entrety-not to have grown up III her mind as
the story proceeded. They are not pliable-are not
nodded and changed by events This defect, for
such we must consider it, mparts a certain powert to
them. which they could not have were Mrs. Daviss
method more artistic AS it is, there is no mistakng
them for q moment they are before us, definite
tangible positive Strength is the characteristic Of
Mrs. Daviss eenius-strength of conception and
strength of execution There is no humOr in her
stories, and no stories need humOr more 1t is de-
Inanded by their strength, which suffers and makes
ma snffer because there is foil 10 it, nothing 10
contrast with it, nothing to brighten 1t up-nothing
in short TO make it thoroughly enjoyable and hnna
Find what fault we may, however, with MIS- Davis,
we heartily admire her genius, which has never ap-
peared to so much advantage as III Dallas Gal
braith.~ 1t is powerful book-a book that refuses
TO be forgotten.