THE BOOK TRADE. Diary of Mrs. Kitty Trevylyan: A Story of the Times of WHITFIELD and the WESLEYS. By the author of "Chronicles of the Schonberg-Cotta Family," etc., with a Preface by the author for the American edition. New York: M. W. DODD 506 Broadway. We are rejoiced that the authoress of the Schonberg-Cotta Family is adding a new luster to her reputation by this last work. The whole reading world gave a sigh of disappointment when the "Early Dawn" succeeded the inimitable “Chronicles," not because it lacked merit or interest, but because it fell so far short of its predecessor in these two qualities. The "Diary of Mrs. KITTY," however, is fully equal to that of ELSIE and FRITZ in all that is natural, simple, and charming. The period in which it is written, too, is one of hardly less interest than that of the reformation, being a time of great religious controversy and change, when the preaching of WHITFIELD and the WESLEYS stirred all England to its hearts core. The style is exceedingly pleasant, and the characters most life-like, but the chief power of the book, after all, lies in the exquisit humor with which the religious eccentricities of doctrines and people are shown up, and in that higher attribute which discerns and reveres a pure religious faith, in whatever nation or age or sect it may be found. Men would be wise to remember what this little book so beautifully teaches, that while names divide and doctrines repel, the one hope and one faith of every truly Christian heart forms a tie that is drawing them all together into a closer brotherhood, and welding them more surely into a unity that is indissolable and eternal. We give below two extracts from the "Diary," not as the best that can be gleaned from it, but as fair specimens of its style and spirit. Aunt HENDERSON is a follower of JOHN WESLEY, and a stout champion for his doctrine of perfection, which, perhaps becomes somewhat exaggerated, like other doctrines, as it travels the further from the original source. Having combatted in vain Scotch Aunt JEANIE and English Mrs TREVYLYAN, she suddenly makes a master stroke, and holds up her two opponents as the proofs of her argument: "KITTY, my dear, your mother and aunt JEANIE are the best women I know. They are as good examples of perfection as I ever wish to see. They may argue against the doctrine as much as they like, but they prove it every day of their lives. You understand, my dear, the WESLEY only argues for Christian, not for Adamic or Angelic perfection. He admits that even the perfect are liable to errors of judgment, which your poor mother also proves no doubt, by her little bigotry about the church, and aunt JEANIE by two or three little Presbyterian crotchets." We cannot refrain from gving our readers a piece of BETTY's mind, for BETTY is the character of the book, a faithful old tyrant, as trenchant as she is trusty, and not to be slighted for fear of unpleasant results. She declares herself to be quite above all superstitions, but at the same time she is brim full of the most doleful signs and tokens, and quite disgusted because events dont carry them out. At last, however, BETTY coming down in the dusk, and going into the dairy, fell over the stablebucket, which ROGER had left in the way, and broke her leg. The Falmouth doctor came at once and set it, and says it is not at all a difficult or serious case. But BETTY, never having had an illness which prevented her from moving about, in her life, grimily sets the cheery doctor at defiance, and takes it for granted that she is dying. And its a comfort to me Mrs. KITTY,” she said to me this evening, “to think I am. 168 It'll be a warning to ROGER as long as he lives, that's one thing; for if I've told him once about leaving that bucket in the way, and said it would be the death of some one, I've told him so scores of times; and now he'll see that I told him the truth. That is one thing Mrs. KITTY; and another is the signs and the tokens. be made plain." * * * * * * * * * * * They'll all "But BETTY," I said at last, "it is no better than the heathens to heed such fancies. We must open our hearts wide to the Bible, and let the light of the truth and the What are all the forebodbreath of the spirit shine and search through every corner. ings in the world to one hour of hearty prayer! Remember, prayer was stronger even than ST. PAUL'S forebodings; for he said he perceived that the voyage would be with much hurt and damage, not only of the ship, but also of their lives. Yet, afterwards, when he had fasted and prayed, he stood forth and said that God had given him the lives of all that were in the ship; and though the ship was wrecked, not one life was lost." "There be some prayers," said BETTY, "that can move heaven and earth." "And prayer was stronger than prophecy once," I said, "not the prayer of an apostle, BETTY, but of a poor sinful heathen city. Ninevah was saved, let JONAH be disap-" pointed as he might at his words being set aside." "Well Mrs. KITTY," said BETTY dryly, "I hardly take it kind of you to put me down with that poor selfish old Jew. I've thought, many a time, it was as wonderful the Almighty should speak by him as by Balaam's ass-running away from his work, nearly sinking the ship and the sailors, and then sulking and creusling like a spoilt child, because the Lord was more pitiful than he, and the poor sinful men and women of that great city, and the poor harmless dumb beasts were spared. I can't say but I do feel hurt to be likened to him." "BETTY,” said I, “you know I never meant to compare you to the prophet JONAH. I want you to hope BETTY, because the more we hope the better I think we pray." "Well my dear," said BETTY relaxing, "young folks most times find it easy enough to hope. If the sun shines for an hour, they think there'll never be winter again; and if old folks don't keep their wits about them, where'll the fire wood be when winter comes? * * * "And Mrs. KITTY my dear, I meant no disrespect to the Prophet JONAH ; poor fearI mightn't ful soul he had his troubles sure; and if I'd been in his place I won't say have been worse than he, although I do hope the Almighty would have kept me from caring for some poor bits of leaves, that grew up like mushrooms in a night, just because they made me cool, more than all the people in that great town, especially the innocent babes and the dumb beasts." We might, indeed, fill pages with pieces of Mrs. BETTY's mind, but we refrain, feeling sure that our readers will be satisfied with nothing less than the whole of the Diary of Mrs. KITTY TREVYLYAN." CONTENTS OF FEBRUARY 1. Petroleum: Its Location and Production. By IRA TAYLER.. 5. Commercial Chronicle and Review.. 6. Trade and Commerce of the Port of New York. 7. Journal of Banking, Currency, and Finance... 8. Grain Trade of the Upper Lakes 9. Statistics of Trade and Commerce 10. Railway News 11. The Extinguishment of the Scheldt Dues 12. The Commercial Failures in 1864. 13. Report of the Secretary of the Treasury. 14. National Banks of the United States... 16. Naval Ordnance. 17. Commercial Regulations... NUMBER. ................... ................... 132 133 144 145 146 148 158 158 ........................................ ..................................... 18. The Marine Insurance Companies for 1864 |