la
frequently succeeds. He came here to write for England, not the truth,
but something which his readers _expected_. His object was to supply a
demand, and he did it. He learned nothing, and returned as ignorant, so
far as really _understanding_ the problems he purposed to study, as he
came. Those who can penetrate the depths of such pitiful characters
cannot fail to feel true sorrow that men should exist to whom all life,
all duty, every opportunity to tell great truths and to do good, should
simply appear as opportunities to turn out a _piece de manufacture_, and
earn salaries. Mr. Russell could have done a great work in these
letters--he leaves the impression on our minds that in _his_ opinion his
boots and his breakfast were to him matters of much more importance than
the future of all North America.

WANDERINGS OF A BEAUTY: A Tale of the Real and Ideal. By
MRS. EDWIN JAMES. New York: Carleton. 1863.

An entertaining little romance, which will be specially acceptable to
the 'regular English novel' devourers--a by no means inconsiderable
proportion of the public. Its heroine--a beauty--moves in English
society, is presented to the Queen, is victimized by a rascally husband
or two, and visits America, where she ends her adventures--_a la Marble
Faun_--rather more obscurely than we could have wished, by 'enduring and
suffering,' but on the whole happily, so far as sentiment is concerned.
As the story contains to perfection every element of the most popular
English novels of the day, yet in a more highly concentrated form than
they usually present, we have no doubt that its sale will be very great.
The volume contains a very beautifully engraved portrait-vignette,
'after a miniature by Thorburn,' which is worth the price of the book,
and is neatly bound. Gentlemen wishing to make an acceptable gift to
novel-reading friends will find the 'Wanderings of a Beauty' well suited
to the purpose.

THE PRISONER OF STATE. By D. H. MAHONEY. New York:
Carleton. 1863.

We may well ask 'what sustains the hopes of the rebels?' when such a
mass of treason as this wretched volume contains is suffered to be
freely published and circulated. That the Administration can find the
force to oppose open foes in the field, and yet make no exertion to
suppress traitors at home who are doing far more than any armed rebels
to reduce our country to ruin, is a paradox for whose solution we have
for some time waited, _not_ by any means in pa