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.

BOOK NOTICES.

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

or,

"Who was her father?

Who was her mother?"

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 advancing 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 persecuted 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 conversation-that the writer should manage 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 enveloping mysteries of unintelligible composition, or beguiles us to forgetfulness by a half-hour's conversation with the estimable, but by no means fascinating, and most aggravatingly impudent Ethiopian already alluded to. There is a mystery about all the char. acters which prevents our understanding and entering into their sorrows and suffering with them, so that we are at

Lee & Shepard, Boston.

indeed, to give any information as to the members of the family, except the obtrusively faithful Zeke, the black servant spoken of. John takes the stump just at the opening of the war; of decided Union sentiment and utterances, he becomes obnoxious to a certain class, is 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 Brad

ley Brown, a worthless, drunken sort of a fellow. She loves John Jordan, and informs him repeatedly of that fact, invariably employing the same words as mediums for the conveyance 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 conculsive 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."

She "had not looked at it so," and

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 a 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.,

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, The author evidently forgets that," to kiss at one end and whip at the in reforming Mr. Brown, he effectually other." defeats the nice "little arrangement" of Mrs. B. and the late Jordan. It is a singular piece of thoughtlessness, considering how easily he might have been drowned, or hung, or died in prison, and how charming a widow Rachel would doubtless make, sighing, sighing,

etc.

"While the grief at her bosom boiled over in billows of crape."

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.

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 masterpiece 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 minister, Fleeing to Tarshish, make up one of the choicest little volumes for casual reading that has come from the publisher 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 "fugitive 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.

THE NEW YOR PUBLIC LIBRARY

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