m conduct themselves in manner which fails to prepossess us,
Mrs. Beauchamp Brown alone emerges with a distinct identity. Her zealous
adherence to herself, her unconsciousness of weakness or defect even in
the most rashly-chosen part, are good points. The writer allows her to
express herself without too elaborate canvassing of her character and
motives. When the Fifth Avenue Hotel is burning the great lady is amazed
at such behavior, and shrieks peremptory orders to have the fire put out
_immediately_. When she reaches Plum Island, and is transferred from the
steamboat to the skiff which is to carry her ashore, she is "angrily
scared at the seething waters and the grinning rocks."

"'Man! this thing is full of water: my feet are almost in it!' shrieked
Mrs. Beauchamp Brown as the gundalow lurched and heaved shoreward.

"The White man looked over his shoulder, and slowly wrinkled his
leathern cheeks into an encouraging smile. 'Like ter near killed a
woggin,' replied he sententiously. 'Will be ashore in a brace of
shakes.'"

The Yankees are all capitally done, and the "local color" is excellent.
There is not much to be said for the other characters in the book.
Margaret, who is supposed to be irresistible, raises surprise if not
disgust. Her conversation is crude and infelicitous, her conduct
excessively ill-bred. Indeed, for a company of so-called elegant people,
the talk and doings are singularly bald and crude. Even the Jesuit
Father seems to have a dull perception about nice points of good
behavior, and we have a doubt which amounts to an active suspicion as to
the reality of the writer's experience of Jesuitical casuistry and
social wiles. Certainly, Father Williams fails to make us understand how
his order could have ever been considered dangerous. It seems a pity
that the author should have tried such a wide survey of human nature.
Her talent does not carry her into melodrama, to say nothing of tragedy,
but there are many evidences in her book of very fair powers in the way
of light comedy.

Studies in German Literature. By Bayard Taylor. With an
Introduction by George H. Boker.--Critical Essays and Literary
Notes. By Bayard Taylor. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

It would be impossible to name a better representative of American men
of letters, if there be such a class, than the late Bayard Taylor. We
have a few writers, easily counted, who are distinctively poets,
novelists or essayists; but