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cherish a taste for the higher developments of Ge
nius in books. Some men affect to despise Taste,
aQ index of a weak mind in its possessor. llow
lamentable the proof they thus afford of their own
destitution of mental strength Taste moulds, di
r ets, purifies, Talent and bkill; and even Genius,
unallied to Taste, is so erratic as to dazzle and be
wilder those who contemplate its exhibitions.
It is, in our opinion, ore of the most important
parts of education to cultivate the tastes of the
voung —to give them, as far as possible, ready and
• uS t conceptions of the true, the beautiful, the real
in Nature and in Art, as well as of the Ideal; and
no system of education is commendable even, where
there is no attention paid to the development of a
correct Taste. t (
CTfjc 3Literar ffffi’otTfcr.
Necrology. —The Rev. Nathaniel Kendrick, D.
]).. President of the Madison University, N. York,
expired at his residence on Monday, the 11th ‘inst.
Another great and good man has gone to his re
ward. The loss will be deeply felt and deplored by
the University, and by the Denomination which fos
ters it. He was universally revered and beloved,
lie died at an advanced age.
Professor Lane, of Emory College, died on the
20th instant, after a protracted illness. His death
will be severely felt by the Institution.
General Gleanings. —The Anniversary Oration
before the Literary Societies of the University of
Georgia, delivered by Henry R. Jackson, Esq., A.
M., will be published early in the ensuing month.
William Ilowitt has been discharged from the
Court of Bankruptcy, and Howitt’s Journal has
parsed out of his hands. His debts amounted to
915,000, for which he made a compromise satisfac
tory to all his creditors.
<£)itr CKosotp ftolnmn*
Who would not be an Editor —to have the plea
sure of receiving occasional billets-doux, on scented
paper with roses on the corner, enclosed in painted
envelopes and daintily sealed with device-wafers —
such, indeed, as could only come from the hands of
beauty l Now, we arc not going to tell our readers
the contents of all that we receive of this nature —we
rather guess not! but there are some among them
which we are quite willing they should see —in print.
Here is one for example. The device which fasten
ed the envelope was a bird in a cage. The cliirog
raphy is as delicate as the track of a sparrow upon
the virgin snow! It is dated Sept. 18:
Dear Mr. Editor: You cannot conceive how my
heart flutters while I sit down to copy for you some
stanzas that I penned yesterday in praise of my pet
canary, one of the most beautiful birds that ever
folded its head under a sheltering pinion. I dare
not hope that they will be deemed worthy of a place
in your delightful Journal, which, let me tell you, is
my favorite of all the papers Pa takes ; but lam anx
ious to have your opinion of them, even if they are
not printed. I have never yet published a single
1 iece, although 1 have written a common-place book
half full. I have often thought, however, that it
must be very charming to see one’s name in the pa
pers as an author; and I can but “ make an effort,”
us Mrs. Chick advised poor Mrs. Dombey to do. I
am sure you will be indulgent, and if my offering
must go into that hateful Balanm-box you tell of,
you will at least consign it to oblivion without re
jecting it in your “Notices to Correspondents.” I
should die if you were to say there, “ Fanny, is re
jected.” I send you my first offering with much
trembling, and with it the fondest wishes for the
•abundant prosperity of yourself and our dear “Ga
zette,” of Your friend, Fanny.
Now, dear reader, we put it to you, as a candid
person—could you, as an Editor, resist such an ap
peal as this 1 If so, you must be some incorrigible
old bachelor, who has either never loved, or loved in
‘aia, some “bright particular star.” IVe can’t —
>hat is certain. How could Fanny imagine that we
should reject her offer ! If we were not already fast
bound in vinculo matrimoniae, we might be happy
t () put a serious construction on the words of her
Rote. As it is, we will take it as it was meant; and
so far from being “rejected,” our fair and lovely
‘dend shall have a seat at our table, and be welcome
there again and again. Here is the offering she
Rmkes:
MY BEAUTIFUL BIRD.
BY FANNY.
Ay, ruffle thy plumage, my beautiful bird,
And let thy sweet carol of welcome be beard;
Tis I who approach thee with morning's pure light,
- o see how my darling haß fared through the night.
t by matin-song gladdens my heart as it pours
in a tide of sweet music that heavenward soars;
t" r I fancy the notes to be tributes of love—
*’or an His gOQd gifts _ to the GIVER above!
1 -ove thee, my bird, and ’tis pleasure to 6ee
1 f v bright eye so tenderly beaming on me,
S© © TEHE i&iffl 2a i] TfiE IB A S' tf ® TriF & ♦
With a lustre that never to others appears—
As if thou would’st say, “I am thine and not theirs!”
The sheen of thy plumage is fairer to me
Than the brightest of gold or the topaz can be;
I know that the world would but laugh at my choice—
Let it laugh—while I may in my treasure rejoice!
Thou art a sweet solace to me every day—
For with song thou dost charm iny slight troubles away;
And I cannot be'sad while thy gay voice is heard,
So, dearly I prize tliee, my beautiful bird!
We arc upon the verge of the Fall, gentle
reader—not the Fall of Niagara, but the Fall of the
Year; only one more step, alas-a-rfay / and things
will come to a summer-y close with all of us. In
connection with this close, it will be not amiss to
think of other clothes not quite so summery ! We
must all experience a change, whether we ivool or
not! The seas on which we are about to pass, will
be subject to wind and storm, and it behooves us to
become well-fitted for the encounter. Let us see to
it that all deficiencies be promptly re-dressed, and
so shall the Fall not prove our destruction! . . . .
To our fair correspondent who enquires “why the
delightful papers under the title of “ The Listener,”
are discontinued,” we reply, that it is in conse
quence of the severe indisposition of the author —
which disqualifies her from the task of preparing
them. They will he resumed as soon as possible.
We doubt not our readers will welcome
once more our correspondent E. F. G., the first of
whose “ Letters from Scotland” will be found in the
present issue. We have on hand the second of this
series, embracing the writer’s impressions of Edin
burgh, which we shall publish in our next. The
Letters from the “ Highlands” cannot fail to grati
fy the reader, and we hope to receive one in season
for No. 23, as the letters on hand bear no later date
than August 10th. In this connection we may state
that we shall probably have Letters from the Con
tinent in the Winter The present age may
be properly termed the Age of Queries —for there is
ever before the public mind some important ques
tion, that agitates either the whole mass, or very
large portions of it. Who dees not remember many
of these, as for example —Who struck Billy Patter
son 1 Who is the man in the claret-colored coat 1
Will salt-petre explode 1 Do tea-kettles sing 1—
Now each and every question of this kind has lost its
significance in our region, in the more pertinent and
absorbing query— Will it ever rain ? We think it
possible our readers may consider this a dry ques
tion. So it is ; but in all nations, it has ever been
a matter of solicitude to know something of the next
reign —and human nature does not change much. —
It is a difficult matter to arrive at a definite conclu
sion on this subject, on account of the dust that is
perpetually thrown into our eyes when we set our
selves to investigate it. We arc disposed to think
that it will rain, both here and in France, in the
course of time, but we may have to wait for the so
lution of the question until the next fall.
<Tf)e American ;s3moMcal Jkcss.
The Excelsior. A Journal of the Sons of Tem
perance. Boston^
The editors of this handsome weekly, Messrs.
Slack & Ycrrington, must answer to two serious
charges which we are about to prefer against them,
or else stand convicted of inconsistency. The first
charge is, that notwithstanding their avowed hatred
to “ spirits,” they publish every week an exceed
ingly spirited Journal—the temptations of which
cannot well be withstood; and the second charge is,
that while they profess to think it exceedingly
wrong for a man to get “high,'” they unblushingly
adopt as their motto, “ Higher /” and what is worse,
act up to the sentiment. These “ facts are submit
ted to a candid world,” what can our brethren of
the Excelsior say in justification of themselves 1 —
We are curious to know.
The Yankee Blade. Matthews Stevens & Cos.
Boston.
The “ Blade ” commenced anew volume on the
26th ult, and of course the present is a favorable op
portunity to subscribe. Our Yankee ‘Blade,’ unlike
blades in general, grows brighter and keener with
use and age. May it continue long to carve the rich
meats of literature, to the complete satisfaction of
tens of thousands —and may we never fail to get a
slice.
The Scientific American. New York: Munn
& Cos.
The fourth volume of this invaluable Journal
commenced last week, and the occasion should be
improved by all who desire a perfect Encyclopaedia
of Mechanical Science, to subscribe for the Scien
tific American. Each number contains several
wood cuts, illustrating new inventions, and we do
not know where else one-half the amount of valua
ble information it contains can be had for its price,
which is only Two Dollars per annum. Weearnest
ly advise our scientific and mechanical readers to
send on their subscriptions at once.
The Musical Gazette. Boston ; A. N. & C.
Johnson.
We tender our thanks to the publishers of this
beautiful journal for a complete file oft he current,
volume. Tho Musical Gazette is the only journal
of the kind on our exchange list, since the N York
Musical Times was discontinued.
It is we conceive, a matter of great importance to
sustain an organ of musical information and criticism
in one or more of our principal cities, and up to this
time Boston has probably been preeminent in musi
cal talent —especially in church music.
The Gazette is elegantly printed, in the quarto
form. It contains, besides letters from various parts
of this Country and Europe, essays on Church Mu
sic, critical notices, and generally miscellany, two
or three original pieces of music adapted for church
service. Another interesting feature we observe, is,
an account of all the great organs that are in exist
ence.
We commend the Gazette to lovers of Music—and
especially to those interested in the vocal and in
strumental services of the Sanctuary. The price is
only one dollar per annum.
(Due SiSocft STnI)Ic.
The Oak Openings, or The Bee Hunter; bv J.
Fennimore Cooper, Esq. In two volumes. New
York. Burgess, Stringer & Cos.
Most cordially do we welcome Mr. Cooper once
more to a field of adventure, kindred to those where
Deerslayer and the Pathfinder, won the public ad
miration. In tho work before us, we discover not a
little of the early charm of the author’s subjects and
style, and “ The Bee Hunter” was already a favor
ite with us, before we had followed his fortunes to
the close of his eventful history The “ Oak Open
ings,” which give title to this work, areforest glades
in Michigan, the beauty of which affords fine mate
rial for Mr. Cooper’s descriptive powers. In one of
these remarkable forest prarics, on the Kalamazoo,
Ben Boden, the hero, followed the occupation of a
Bee Hunter, and is first introduced to the reader in
company with three other men, who are also promi
nent in the future story. Ben Boden has a soubri
quet, by which he is best known —Le Bourdon. Os
the other men, one only is a white man, by the name
of Gershom —a sort of sutler to the Indians and sol
diers of that region. The two others were Indians,
one a Pottawattamie chief, named Elksfoot, and
Pigeon’s-wing, an Ojebway warrior, or, more com
monly, a Chippewa. We are subsequently intro
duced to Gershom’s wife and sister —the latter Mar
gery Waring, being the heroine of the tale. The
story is of the time of the Canada war, immediately
after the surrender of Detroit by Gen. Hull. The
“ Bee Hunter,” when on his way to the settlements
with his canoe well freighted with honey, ignorant
of the breaking out of the war, falls into Gershom’s
company, and subsequently becomes so interested in
Margery, that he resolves not to desert the family
in the wilderness. Then commences a series of ad
ventures with the Indians, who had “ dug up the
hatchet,” and vowed extermination to the “pale
face Yankees.” The interest of the story turns up
on the connection, with the family, of a renowned
Indian chief, named Onoah—The Tribeless—and in
English, Scalping Peter. Os great influence among
his red brethren, he contrives to win the confidence
of a good missionary—Parson Amen—and a brave
British Corporal, Flint, who regard him as an ally.
Through these men, he is soon on friendly terms
with our friends at Chateau du Miel —Bourdon’s resi
dence in the Oak Openings, commonly called Castle
Meal. His purpose is to betray them all, and take
their scalps—for while he is a noble Indian, he is
impressed with the necessity of exterminating the
pale-faces who are overrunning the hunting grounds
of the red man. The attachment that springs up
between Bourdon and Margery—or Blossom, as she
is called —is a sufficiently agreeable love story to
spice the book. Hunting adventures, and such like
forest scenes, are narrated with Mr. Cooper’s usual
skill.
The missionary is a truly pious man, and confides
deeply in treacherous Indian Peter, whom he regards
with peculiar interest in connection with a theory
of his, that the Indians are the ten lost tribes of the
children of Israel, and Onoah, the Tribeless, is to
boa future leader of these Jews! Parson Amen is
full of this theme, and at a great Council of Indian
Chiefs, held in a beautiful Opening, near Castle
Meal, at which Peter presides—the missionary de
clares his news to the red men with but indifferent
success, for they nearly all repudiate the idea of hav
ing ever been “palefaces,” as the Jews were. But
we hasten with our brief analysis of the book.
While the inmates of Castle Meal are living in
comparative peace—despite the hints of Pigeon’s
wing, a true friend to the Bee Hunter, who knew
Peter’s intention of destroying them —Margery is
winning the stem Chief’s affection by her kindness
and attention, and he inwardly exempts her from
death. At this time, Le Bourdon is called on to
exhibit his skill in bee hunting to the Indians, and
he manages in the exhibition to impress them with
an idea of his super-natural power over the bees, —
and succeeds in bringing even Peter into the toils
of superstition. Then, in the noble mind of the
Chief, Bourdon is exempted from death, and with
Indian finesse, he plans his marriage to Margery,
and the parties, nothing loath, are at once united by
Mr. Amen in a glade of the forest.
At the Council next held, Peter tries to influence
the braves to spare the Bee Hunter and his squaw—
but the dark tide of passion which ho bad hitherto
stirred in their breasts, is not now so easily resisted,
and some of his enemies among the Chiefs, so warmly
resist his plans, that he is obliged to yield, and tho
sentence of death is passed upon the scarcely sus
pecting victims of Castle Meal. Peter is to bring
the victims to the altar, and the good Parson and
the brave Corporal arc first led by him to their fate.
The scenes of their respective deaths are in the best
manner of the author. The Parson died in the no
blest exhibition of fortitude, praying for his enemies
and persecutors. Upon this beautiful incident turns
all the subsequent interest of the story. The heart
of Scalping Peter is touched by this wonderful •ex
hibition of forgiveness, and from that hour the fierce,
revengeful Indian, thirsting forthe blood of the pale
faces, is changed, gradually, by the influences of the
Iloly Spirit, into a penitent, humble, loving Ch is
tian. There is nothing strained in this conversion,
ft is wonderful—God-like—and its fruits are consis
tent. From that moment, Peter resolves to save the
survivors, and his great mind is now divided between
its new spiritual existence and the rescue of his pale
face friends. The successful flight of tho party down
the Kalamazoo, and across the Lake to American
settlements, under the guidance of Peter and Pi
geon’s-wing—the wonderful escapes from detection
in the midst of hundreds of Indian scouts, present
scenes equal to the best of the author's earlier ef
forts. We confess to have been deeply interested in
this last work of “ the great American Novelist.’’
It is worthy of his fame. The glimpses of forest
life and of Indian warfare, are “ to the life.”
The peculiar art of the Bee Hunter is described
with a zest altogether charming, and wo could al
most share the superstition of tho red men, as wo
followed Le Bourdon through the singular and yet
simple processes of “ luring the bees to their hive.”
There are many exhibitions of the author’s view*
and opinions of society and government occurring
incidentally in the narrative. Some readers will
find fault with these, while others, with whom we
agree, will admire their independence and conserva
tism. The absence of thought and food for reflec
tion, cannot be charged against the book. It is a
philosophical, as well as descriptive novel—peculiar
ly American, and fraught with a varied interest of
style, material and design. We commend it to our
readers, as altogether worthy of their perusal, and
with an apology for the length of this notice, taka
leave of the book.
Napoleon and the Marshals of the Empire. In
two volumes, with 16 portraits on steel; pp. 348,
372. Philadelphia: Carey & Hart.
These handsome volumes were prepared for the en
terprising publishers, as a set off against Headley's
Napoleon and his Marshalls—the publishers of which
latter work had previously forestalled a contempla
ted work of Carey & Hart on Washington and his
Generals, by issuing Headley’s work under that ti
tle, in a manner that rather interfered with the es
tablished courtesies observed among authors and
publishers. The Washington and Generals of the
Revolution, issued by Carey & Hart, was received
by the public with great favor, aud almost univer
sally pronounced to possess higher merit than Head
ley’s book. The present work is, we think, equal,
if not superior, to the former. We have beenmucJi
pleased with the vigor und beauty of the style,
while there appears to l* strict historical accuracy
unblemished by any of the vagaries of Mr. Headley.
There are twenty-eight biographies and sixteen fine
steel plates of the great military heroes of France.
The author has entered into the spirit of his work,
and exhibits, we think, an enlightened and unpreju
diced judgement in his estimates of character amt
actions. The book will gain more lasting reputa
tion than that of Ileadley.
A Warning to Wives. By the author of “The
Marrying Man,” “The Jilt,” &c. New-York.
H. Long & Brother.
This is decidedly a clever book, and ladies partic
ularly will find it not only entertaining, but instruc
tive. The plot of the story is effectively managed,
and the moral excellent. We do not hesitate to
commend it to our readers.
Notices to Correspondents.
T. H. C. Your favor is at hand, and shall re
ceive early attention. Our rules prescribe the in
sertion of your advertisement in the Editorial De
partment. We will publish it three weeks tor three
dollars.
Alton. —Y r our last favor was marked for inser
tion and sent to the Printing Office, where ft baa
been mislaid ; and we shall be obliged to you eithe r
to send ns a copy, or something in its place
167