84 Critique on the October v.uinher. 



comparing the young beans to xEneases " shouldering their way into the 

 world with the old beans upon their backs ;" or, for the former, consider 

 the general morale of the story, and the calm, philosophical conduct of 

 Mr. S., upon discovery of his better half's carelessness. Instead of flvins: 

 oflF in tantrums, he manfully subdues his irritation and does all he can to 

 make the best of the bargain. And then the suggestion about drawing 

 aground plan of the garden to plant from, was doubtless new to many who 

 now will avail themselves of its advantages. Depend upon it, such plea- 

 santly-contrived lessons are productive of more real benefit than would 

 be volumes of heavy, wearisome homilies. 



Gothic Suburban Villa, from " Homes for the People." — Judging 

 from this extract, I entirely agree with your able reviewer in commend- 

 ing the style in which " Homes for the People" is written. It is finished, 

 graceful and decisive, and, to my ideas, not so susceptible of improvement 

 as is the design accompanying it. I say, in my estimation, for, '■'■ de r/us- 

 iihus non est disputandum^'' is a veritable axiom ; and what appears ob- 

 jectionable in my eyes, may constitute an essential beauty to the taste of 

 another. What I principally except to, in the design, is the projecting 

 oriel window above the verandah, and the pagoda-like cupola on top. If 

 the first were omitted altogether, and the other altered in form, the tout 

 enserahle of the building would be much improved, Next time let us have 

 the ground plan, to judge of the constructiou of the interior. 



Revieavs. — On reading the review of Mr. Kern's book, I was inclined 

 to believe your caustic reviewer diverged a little from the straight path 

 of truth, to disport in the fields of facetiousness. In this I proved wrong. 

 Upon taking the work from ray shelf and comparing it with the critique, 

 I had to acknowledge the justice as well as the humor of its strictures. 

 That frontispiece is hnny, funny is the word for it. But apart from its 

 illustrations, the book is a good book, and I am glad to find my brother 

 critic (who, after all, seems a good-tempered sort of fellow,) awards it its 

 just meed of praise. As I have read but the extract which I noticed above 

 from Mr. Wheeler's work, I must be content to criticise the critic. I 

 cannot help admiring the perfect impartiality with which the rod and the 

 reward, the censure and the praise, are distributed ; but when he talks of 

 Mr, W.'s opinions tending to the exclusion of Mr. Downing 's eflfocts of 

 rural adornment, he gets beyond the bounds of probability. Mr. W.'s or 

 any one else's predilections could no more accomplish that than you 



could 



" Phick its brii;htnc?s from the sun. 

 Or with polluted finger tarni--h it." 



