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from me, I say unhesitatingly that dent, H. C. Terhune, Newark; Vicesome of the papers are equal to those President, William Nelson, of the Paof any magazine in our land. It has terson Press; Treasurer, Dr. Skinner; not the transcendentalism or the pic- Recording Secretary, Edward C. Evetures, but the instruction--the interest rett, Branchville; Corresponding Se-the real value, second to no maga-cretary, I. E. P. Plume, of Newark zine in the United States." Club.

He urged a cordial support from the societies, its members, their friends. "I wish," he said, "I could be heard by the intelligence of the State; that I might urge the importance of sustaining this effort for a home literature upon our best citizens-those capable of appreciating its value." A full report of this able speech would be the best canvassing document any publisher could desire. It, however, was not reported, and we glean a few words from memory;

Able speeches were made by Dr. Skinner, Wm. Nelson, Esq., of the Paterson Press and Vice-President of the Union, and others, all taking the same view of the value of THE NORTHERN MONTHLY to the Union, to the cause of literature, and the pride and growth

of the best interests of our State.

The Magazine and its conduct were thoroughly and unanimously indorsed and commended.

The Sussex Herald remarks: "The Board sustained the action of Committee on State Paper, gave a vote of thanks to the editor, and commended THE NORTHERN MONTHLY to the societies of the Union. The position already gained by the Magazine is cheering to all interested in its success, and we appeal to every one having State pride, or an interest in elevating the literature of our State, to aid in making the NORTHERN MONTHLY a regular visitor to every family within her limits."

The officers of the Union are: Presi

IN the June number of this Magazine there appeared a brief sketch of the Eucleian Society of Bloomfield. Since that time our semi-annual election has been held, and officers changed, and are as follows: Vice-President,. Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary,. W. O. MCDOWELL. Librarian Treasurer,

President,

Assistant Librarian, Editor,

Literary Committee,

Rep. State Union,.

D. G. GARABRANT.
D. N. GRUMMON
R. A. OSBORNE.

H. H. BIDDULPH.
. S. PELOUBET.
L. R. BARRETT.
J. N. BALDWIN,

M. C. COGGESHALL,
J. H. MOORE,
T. S. BROWN.

D. N. GRUMMOS, J. B. MAXFIELD, D. G. GARABRANT. The Society is in a prosperous condition, and looking forward to the fall campaign with much interest. We contemplate at that time giving a course of lectures-that of last year was as able as any in the State; and this, with a number of challenge debates, will keep our forces pretty wellengaged.

Address W. O. McDowell, Corresponding Secretary, Box 1500, NewYork Post-Office.

BEDMINSTER LITERARY SOCIETY.— This Society is located at Lesser Cross Roads, Somerset county. Its members consist of thirteen young men of moderate abilities. It was organized November 13th, 1866. Its officers are: President, Dennis A. Huff; Vice-President, C. Martin Whycoff; Secretary, P. S. Tingley.

BOOK NOTICES.

A NOTICEABLE feature of the books | been banished or run short" of ma reviewed in our present number is the absence of the sensational element. Whether the writers who furnish this portion of the public's mental pabulum have reformed or departed—

terial-we are unable to decide: certain it is, that the works of the month bear few if any traces of their handiwork.

Even "Edmund Kirke" may con

gratulate himself upon the success (in | very slight expense of sensibility. An this respect) of his On the Border.* The ill-natured person might say that this most enthusiastic of the noble army arises from the fact that no one of the of patrons of "yellow cover" may take characters who figure "on the border " it with perfect safety, without fear of is permitted to touch or be touched meeting either incident, fancy, or by us, so that we have any real idea of phrase to quicken his bounding pulses them; but the fact is as stated-the by a single throb, or being at the ex- people in the book don't trouble us pense of a wink extra per hour; the much. utmost he has to fear is one of those spasmodic, facial, muscular contractions producing what is commonly called a yawn. For sedative ability of the highest order, this book is a marvel; the nearest to excitement which one attains in its perusal is a mild wonder that so quiet, calm, proper, not to say tame, a work could have been written with the "dark and

bloody ground" of Kentucky for the
theatre of its exploits: the war raging,
and armies, as swayed by the impulses
of victory or disaster, alternately ad-
vancing and being driven across its
soil; a Union scout for the hero; a
woman of doubtful parentage for the
heroine and lady love of the scout,
married to another man, and persecut-
ed by a third; an aged but extremely
athletic and high-minded brother of
the colored persuasion as assistant,
ubiquitous and gifted with second
sight and a forty-horse power of con-
versation-that the writer should man-

age and maintain perfect order and
quiet among all these, and more such
and worse, must elicit the unbounded
admiration of every candid, impartial,
and right-minded person.
True, the pages

"Drip with a silent horror of blood;"
but as no one knows whose, or who
slew or was slain, or why or when, this
is no manner of objection even to the
most fastidious. Whenever impending
event or catastrophe threatens to excite
us painfully, our author kindly vails
objectionable features with the all en-
veloping mysteries of unintelligible
composition, or beguiles us to forgetful-
ness by a half-hour's conversation with
the estimable, but by no means fascina-
ting, and most aggravatingly impu-
dent Ethiopian already alluded to.
There is a mystery about all the char-
acters which prevents our understand.
ing and entering into their sorrows and
suffering with them, so that we are at

* Lee & Shepard, Boston.

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John Jordan, the leading character, is the son of a worthy Scotchman, who acted as overseer for one Squire Weddington. Rachel Irving is the name of our heroine; but we are unable to inform the reader

"Who was her father?

Who was her mother?"

or, indeed, to give any information as to obtrusively faithful Zeke, the black serthe members of the family, except the vant spoken of. John takes the stump just at the opening of the war; of decidbecomes obnoxious to a certain class, is ed Union sentiment and utterances, he hunted, his father and brother slain, and, impelled alike by vengeance and patriotism, he enters our army and renders valuable service to Nelson and Garfield. Rachel is married to Bradley Brown, a worthless, drunken sort of a fellow. She loves John Jordan, and informs him repeatedly of that words as mediums for the conveyance fact, invariably employing the same of that blessed assurance, and invariwith the request that he will "go with ably accompanying the declaration her," marry her, etc., evidently forgetting the lawful and natural claims of the dissipated but affectionate Bradley. Going beyond words, her endearments are stereotyped as her phrases, consisting always in throwing herself, "her head upon his shoulder, and her arms twined convulsively about him." We can see no occasion for the convul sive portion of the twining, as John usually "held still" in her chaste embrace-too still, as it seems to us, considering the fact that this same woman's husband had twice saved his life. He finally tells her the time has come when he is to "die a brave, true man, or skulk away into some free State, and, with the wife of the man to whom he owes his life, live the rest of his days in open violation of the laws of God and man."

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She "had not looked at it so," and

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bids him die; she "will live upon his memory until he comes and takes her forever." This seems to meet his views, and they are happy in the thought of perfect union in the world above. Of course, this pleasing hope is based upon an equally pleasing knowledge of Bradley Brown's delinquencies and shortcomings, and a benevolent faith that he will not rise to claim his bride and cheat the waiting Jordan. After Jordan's death, which occurs as agreed upon, Mrs. Brown (what a name for a heroine!) hunts up her missing husband, finds him in State prison, obtains his pardon, and, in winning him from the old evil life, finds that "in the years that have followed she has learned that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way saves," etc.,

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We repeat our recommendation of the book as safe for nervous persons, a good one to take up when liable to interruption, as it can be relinquished without trouble, and all places are alike good to begin or close with; an excellent work for travel, as no one would miss any news, ride past the station, or be at all likely to lose the volume. For our part, should Providence deprive us of the copy we possess, we shall submit without repining; no murmur shall be heard from our parted lips.

By some error or unkindness of the printer, My Little Brother* was most unceremoniously crowded from the space allotted him in our last issue. "Tis the fate of youth, at least the very youthful, thus to be shouldered out of place, to lack appreciation, to be treated with injustice. But this child is one of "the few, the immortal" ones that "were not born" either to die or to be trampled upon-" will not down" at the bidding of the impeLee & Shepard, Boston.

rious monarch of the press-room; so he comes before our readers to present his claims anew-claims based upon personal worth, spirit, genius, sense, devotion, every quality that goes to make the character of a really good but not too perfect child. With the frank abandon that characterizes Young America even before it is weaned, with just enough of inherited "original sin" to make him a little dangerous to weakminded suitors of his pretty sisters, bold to dare any thing, reckless enough to make ma anxious, (and love without anxiety is too tame to be called a passion,) true and devoted withal, the gambols, and scrapes, and deviltries, and sorrows, and smartness, and heartiness of the urchin alternately vex, and soften, and fascinate. He is a boy, indeed, in the words of the author, "to kiss at one end and whip at the other."

of a schoolmate, brilliant, laughable, Little Briggs is a companion story rollicking with the fun and humor that are youth's choicest powers, and who matures into a manhood solid, true, noble; whose devotion touches, whose sacrifice we mourn, for we learn

to love him. The sketch is a master

piece of humor, truth, and pathos.

A Brace of Boys,* which appeared in a late Harper, will give our readers such an idea of the style as will dispose them to obtain the balance. The three stories mentioned, with that of a melancholy but conscientious minis ter, Fleeing to Tarshish, make up one of the choicest little volumes for casual reading that has come from the pub lisher in many a long day.

Similar to this in design is a collection by the same house of Stories and Sketches by the Best Authors,* most noticeable among which are the Skeleton at the Banquet, Let those Laugh that Win, The Proper Use of Grandfathers. Under a Cloud. Some of the sketches are poor, some passable, and there are some good ones we have not mentioned.

The idea of collecting these "fugi. tive pieces" is a good one, saving to us some of the choicest productions, gems of prose and song, and we look hopefully for further installments of the kind.

* Lee & Shepard, Boston.

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