the poor thing sickened and died, and all-all-mark it well, Mrs. Hartell, came from my not getting my money when it was due!'

"Mrs. Hartell, cold and careless as she was, was startled with the consequences of her own mere thoughtlessness, and naturally sought some vindication. How could I know, Margery, you was in such need of it?—it is a mere trifle-only your last month's wages!' "You knew it was due, and that is all a lady should want to know. What seems a trifle to you is all to us.'

"But how could twelve dollars be of such mighty consequence?' "I have told you my story-it proved sickness to me and death to my child.'

"C'est bien ridicule!' exclaimed Adéle; 'you desolate madame -and you very well know madame is very charitable.'

"I was not after wanting charity, but my own, that madame had, and I could not get.'

"Well, pray, Margery, say no more about it—it is all paid now.' "Yes, Mrs. Hartell, but paid too late.'

"We trust such evil consequences as Margery suffered from the want of punctuality in the employer's payment do not often occur, but they are not without a parallel. It is not very common for ladies, far more from thoughtlessness than meditated injustice, to delay the payment of wages? Is there not a culpable inconsiderateness of the rights as well as necessities of a large class, including tradespeople and humble creditors of every sort, in that common reply to their demands, Call again?' p. 146–151.

Having expressed ourselves so strongly in praise of this volume, we shall speak with equal frankness of two faults in it. The first is one common to all the late writings of Miss Sedgwick it is a leaning to the side of ultra-democratic sentiments, which are neither wise nor salutary. It is far more important, it is doing much more for social virtue and welfare, to instruct the people in the duties, and to warn them of the dangers, of liberty, than to minister continually to that overweening sense of rights, which, by an easy transition, in this country, passes into the licentious spirit of Liberty above Law, begetting discontent with established and necessary distinctions and subordinations, and hatred towards the richer classes. We do not mean to say that Miss Sedgwick is grossly and vulgarly in fault in this respect. There is a discernible tendency, however, which we deplore, because of our deep and honest conviction that its direction is false and its influence dangerous; and we deplore it the more when we think of the good she might do if the force of her talents were in this respect rightly directed. Miss Sedgwick need not trouble herself to spread among the people of this country a sense of social equality and popular rights. The democratic element in our social system is in no

danger of being overborne and weakened by any antagonist force. It will take care of itself on this side. She would exert herself far more wisely and beneficently in restraining, purifying, and guiding it in safe and rational channels, in administering needful warnings and cautions.

The other fault of this book is, that it is too partial, one-sided a view of the subject. The author says, indeed, in her preface, that it has been "her business to illustrate the failures of one party in the contract between employers and employed." We should not quarrel with this if the book were to be confined to the party whose failures are described. But it will be extensively read on the other side; and in its present form it is precisely the book we should wish to keep out of the hands of a numerous class of servants. For it should be remembered, that to the best performance of the duties of the mutual relation in question, it needs good servants as well as good mistresses; and there are vast numbers of servants who are not Lucy Forresters. We do not believe the fault is wholly or chiefly on the side of employers; yet such is the impression servants are like to receive from reading this book. This is precisely one of those cases in which a half truth is a great lie, The whole truth should be told; and Miss Sedgwick, in our opinion, owes it to the cause of truth and virtue immediately to write and bind up with this volume another story, illustrating with equal force and clearness the failures of the other party "in the contract be tween employers and employed."

6. Elinor Fulton; by the Author of "Three Experiments of Living" Boston: Whipple & Damrell. New-York: Samuel Colman. 1837.

In our first number we expressed our great satisfaction with that excellent little book-the "Three Experiments of Living." We are glad to learn, from the preface of the present "Sequel" to it, that twenty thousand copies were called for in the course of two months. Many more have, doubtless, been sold since then. We rejoice that books of such excellent tendency are extensively circulated. Elinor Fulton is a continuation of the story of Dr. Fulton's family, in treading their way back from the distresses into which former extravagance had plunged them, purified by the discipline of suffering, emancipated from the slavery to false opinion, and fitted for the rational enjoy

ment of honourable independence. It contains many a graphic sketch of the faults and follies induced by a servile subjection to the unenlightened opinion of that very foolish thing called the "fashionable world." The design and the execution are alike admirable.

7. Rich Enough; a Tale of the Times; by the Author of "Three Experiments of Living." Boston: Whipple & Damrell. New-York: Samuel Colman. 1837.

THIS is another capital story. It is, indeed, a "Tale of the Times," and a faithful portrait it gives of recent times; but times, we hope, that have passed away never to return. It presents a lively picture of the insatiable thirst for wealth-the eager haste to be rich-and the mad spirit of speculation, which have pervaded and cursed the country. The boundless gains the reckless extravagance-the immense and continually-increasing stakes the selfishness-the hardening of the heart to all the domestic affections-the feverish anxieties-the turning of the wheel-the crash-the ruin-all are drawn. to the life.

8. The Harcourts; illustrating the Benefit of Retrenchment and Reform. By a Lady. New-York; S. Colman. Boston: Weeks, Jordan & Co. 1837.

THIS is another little work of the same class as the two last. The more such books we have, the better. It is well written, and calculated to do good. The Harcourt family-once very rich, but from the failure of speculators in their debt reduced in means through the weakness of the wife, still try for a long time to "keep up appearances." We have the story of the shifts, anxieties, and mortifications attendant on such a struggle. Then we have some choice glimpses at the heartless frivolity and essential vulgarity of the so-called "good society" which rests its pretensions solely on living in a certain " style." Here is a trait. The "Harcourts" go to call on their old friend, "Mrs. Stanley," a real lady, whom the " Winwoods" (the dashing family of a great commercial speculator) had invited to their house in order to attract thither certain persons of distinguished merit and unquestionable position, who would not seek their society on account of their splendid style of living:

"As soon as the Harcourts left the room with Mrs. Stanley, one of the Misses Winwoods' parvenu visitors asked, 'Who are the Harcourts? A young lady, whose satirical disposition made her as much feared as she was unpopular, replied, 'It is very natural that you should not know any thing of them; as a few years ago they were among the first in our fashionable circles. The Harcourts are, however, now quite passé among us; they belong to the nume. rous family of the has been.''

"When people become reduced in their circumstances,' said the elder Miss Winwood, 'they should not expect to mingle in the same society they did when they were wealthy, for they are no longer on an equality with their fashionable acquaintance.' ***

"Then followed a firing of the small shot of scandal from the platoon of fashionable gigglers, such as the fact of their hiring horses when they used their carriage of their not being able to give but one small party in a season-of their attempting to be their own mantua-makers and milliners. These truths were mixed up with many petty falsehoods too trifling to be repeated. The amount to be inferred from the whole evidence, veracious and mendacious, was, that the Harcourts were lawful game, and ought to be hunted out of good society;' because, although their circumstances had become restricted, they had the presumption to associate with those who were more wealthy, or whose superior magnanimity enabled them to incur debts without caring about discharging them."p. 25-27.

There is a grand ball and supper at the Winwoods'; and Sophia and Anna Harcourt go, but they can find no beaux to attend them into the drawing-room :

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George Colville came out of the drawing-room as if seeking for some one in the crowd, and just as Anna's heart began to feel light. ened, and she was preparing to give him one of her sweetest smiles, he looked towards them, and without even the slightest bow of recognition, hastily returned to the gay throng within. Sophia could not help noticing the rudely inquiring glances directed towards them from the foplings clustered in the hall, and the still ruder whispers and smiles of which she felt they were the subject. But upon her it had no other effect than that of inspiring contempt for the poor, silly triflers; and, elevating her head with a feeling of honest pride and independence, she passed through their ranks into the drawingroom. As soon as the two sisters had paid their, devoirs to Mrs. Winwood, Mrs. Stanley came towards them, and drawing an arm of each through hers, led them to an ottoman.

"The delightful conversation of Mrs. Stanley, and a few intelligent friends who had accepted their invitations out of compliment to her, was an unexpected enjoyment to Sophia, and the evening passed away quite pleasantly. But poor Anna, who had anticipated so much, and had spent so much time and so many thoughts upon

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this ball-the era of her 'first introduction into society,' was doomed to meet with repeated mortifications and disappointments.

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During the course of the evening, George Colville and Alfred Thomas bowed to Sophia and Anna at a respectful distance, but they were both too anxious to establish their standing as the most fashionable young men in society, to risk it, by claiming as their acquaintance young ladies who appeared to be as little known as the Misses Harcourt. The other coxcombs were not quite as culpable, for they had so recently sprung up into notice, that they had never heard of such people as the Harcourts, and, of course, even if they were introduced to them, could not be expected to treat them with any politeness or attention."-p. 34-36.

Then the Harcourts undertake to give a party, and infinite are the troubles and vexations of preparation, the mortifications of the evening, and the sneers and slanders that followed, when, not long after, losses in business compelled a suspension. At length the good sense of the husband and eldest daughter prevail to induce an abandonment of the vain attempt to keep up style. The family retire to a moderate comfortable house, and to the enjoyment of rational happiness-"cut," of course, by their mere fashionable friends, but cherished still more warmly by the truly distinguished and respectable. Among others they are visited by the wife and daughter of Judge Wentworth :—

"My dear Mrs. Harcourt,' said Mrs. Wentworth, warmly grasp. ing her hand, we have come to congratulate you on the change you have made. Your worthy husband has been giving the judge a full description of your pleasant abode and your present style of living, and he says he has not felt so much peace of mind for four years as he has done for the last few weeks. How enviable is your situation now, above that of many, who are still living in splendour, anxious for the present, and dreading the future when their real circumstances must become known. Would that such instances of integrity and independence, and of superiority to the silly opinions of fashionable people, as you and your husband have displayed, were more frequent among us; we should then have less reason to blush for our fellow-citizens. I honour you both, my dear madam, and hope you will permit us to cultivate a greater degree of intimacy between our families than we have hitherto had an opportunity of doing.' "Mrs. Harcourt felt this praise was undeserved, and her eyes filled as she replied, 'I am only a learner in the school of true dignity and independence of fashionable opinion; all the credit is due to my Sophia and her father.'-p. 109, 110.

"When Mrs. Wentworth and her daughter had taken leave of them, [after inviting Anna Harcourt to pass the summer with them at their country residence, The Uplands,'] Mrs. Harcourt said,

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