e essays,
which emanated from a well-trained, scientific mind, an independent
thinker, and one who was perfectly free in his criticisms, deal almost
exclusively with one side of what the author wished and intended to say;
but as they stand, they prove that had he lived he would have shed much
light on the problem, how the rapid changes of modern city life may help
us to understand, by analogy and indirect inference, the slow changes of
a backward people.

* * * * *

The pathos and humor which have immortalized many of WILL CARLETON'S
earlier poems enter again into his _City Ballads_.[11] If ever a poet
comprehended the human heart and the mainspring of its responses, it is
he who gave us that wonderfully-common-place (by reason only of its
theme) but delightful versification, "Betsey and I are out." His new
collection embraces several pieces almost as striking in their
character; and their wholesomeness and truthfulness of sentiment will
win for them many readers. None of these poems are fanciful pictures of
life which does not exist; but they are, on the contrary, faithful to
the actualities of the living present. They portray metropolitan life
as in a mirror, and depict the mishaps of the inexperienced therein in
a way that is at once healthful and conducive to practical morality.
Every poem is a story, which carries within itself a lesson not easily
forgotten, and as a poem is almost invariably characterized by a
pleasant rhythm and animation. The illustrations--and they are
numerous--are excellent; indeed, one would not wish them to be better.
These poems and pictures will find entrance into many homes ere the
holiday season is ended.

* * * * *

One of the most astonishing successes, in a literary line, of recent
years is Col. Higginson's "Young Folks' History of the United States."
Published originally as a book for general readers, its superlative
merits commended themselves to teachers, then led to the introduction of
the work, as a text-book of history, into very many schools. No other
work of the kind, we believe, has met with such signal favor or so
richly deserves it. So far as it goes, it is by all odds the _ne plus
ultra_ for school use.

The same author has recently published what he terms _A Larger History
of the United States_,[12] which, however, ends only with the close
of President Jackson's administration. So far we fail to discover