532 REVIEWS—HISTORICAL PICTURES RETOUCHED. 
REVIEWS. 
Historical Pictures retouched; a volume of Miscellanies. In two 
parts. Part l. Studies; part II, Fancies. By Mrs. Dall, author 
of “ Woman’s Right to Labor.’ Boston: Walker, Wise & Co. 
1860. 
Tn noticing the contents of a volume, confessedly a miscellany, we 
shall best satisfy the taste of that class of readers to whom a popular 
work chiefly appeals, by selecting one of its themes in illustration of 
the whole. Yet while speaking of this volume as one appealing to its 
readers by popular elements of incident and biographical narrative, as 
well as by inventive fancy, it would be a grievous misrepresentation of 
its author’s aim to convey the idea that it is written merely for the 
purpose of beguiling a passing hour. The authoress is one of that 
class of American ladies who believe that their sex is wronged by 
the present conventionalities, usages, and habits of thought, of our 
civilized social life. In her previous volume, ‘‘ Woman’s Right to 
Labor,” she has handled, with equal earnestness and delicacy, one of 
the most difficult subjects that can engage a woman’s pen; and the 
aim of the present volume is, chiefly by the example of distinguished 
women in other countries and ages, to show how much wider is the 
sphere of woman’s labour, than society is willing to allow. The 
subject is one of the great questions of the day, which meets us in 
many and very diverse forms. It suggested the theme of Elizabeth 
Barrett Browning’s, elder ‘“‘ Drama of Exile,” as well as of her later 
and better ‘‘ Aurora Leigh.’ It is the subject of Tennyson’s playful 
yet earnest and beautiful ‘Princess; ’’ and is begetting a host of works, 
from Miss Agnes Strickland’s “ Queens ”’ and Dr. Anderson’s “ Ladies 
of the Covenant,” to Mrs. Oliphant’s “ Women of the Times.” Like 
some other great questions of the day, this one of ‘‘ Woman’s Rights” 
does not owe its rise to the writings of its zealous phalanx of advo- 
cates. It is with it, as with slavery, intemperance, and other social 
evils. The current had silently set in the direction of reform, and 
public opinion, though undefined and ill-informed, was already striving 
to grapple with the complex difficulties of the question, before it was 
consciously presented as a subject of controversy, by skilful, earnest 
advocates ; and also by unskilled, one-sided, though not less earnest 
special pleaders. Into the broad question of woman’s rights, or her 
