Love in the Nineteenth Century. By Harriet W. Preston. (Boston,
U.S., Roberts.)—Miss Preston, whose admirable translation of Mistral's poem of "Mireio" we had the pleasure of reviewing some little time ago, has given us an agreeable little volume, wherein on a very slender thread of story she hangs much sensible and acute discourse on topics moral, social, and literary. Julius May, a literary man, meets Clara. Benson, a young lady who increases a modest independence by the labour of teaching, at a country resort in New England. They spend much time together, after the independent fashion which our sensible relatives across the Atlantic have adopted. Finally Julius falls half in love, and makes a proposal which he but half means. Clara will have none of it, but she agrees to write to him. And so the two do write, and we have their letters for the staple of the volume, letters touching on many things, but chiefly on culture in its various aspects. Finally they marry, and set up a home, which for its taste and refinement is the envy of all beholders,—not being Philistines, Philistines, of course, looking down upon it because it is not in the best quarter. Meet novels end with a marriage and children in the future. We cannot. help feeling that children would be out of place here, would spoil this. wsthetic paradise. One perhaps might be endured, but half-a-dozen! But that is not the fashion in New England.
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