"From her whom genius never yet inspired. Or virtue raised, or pulse heroic fired; From her who, in the grand historic page. Maintains one barren blank from age to age; From her, with insect life and insect buzz. Who, evermore unresting, nothing does; From her who, with the future and the past, No commerce holds--no structure rears to last. From streets where spies and jesters, side by side. Range the rank markets and their gains divide; Where faith in art, and art in sense is lost. And toys and gewgaws form a nation's boast; Where passion, from affection's bond cut loose, Revels in orgies of its own abuse; And appetite, from passion's portals thrust. Creeps on its belly to its grave in dust; Where vice her mask disdains, where fraud is loud. And naught but wisdom dumb, and justice cowed; Lastly, from her who planted here unawed, 'Mid heaven-topped hills and waters bright and broad, From these but nerves more swift to err has gained And the dread stamp of sanctities profaned; And, girt not less with ruin, lives to show That worse than wasted weal is wasted woe-- We part; forth issuing through her closing gate. With unreverting faces, not ingrate." Cannot this book speak better for itself than our good word? ---- Folks and Fairies. Stories for little children. By Lucy Randall Comfort. With engravings. New York: Harper & Brothers. 1868. Judging, not, however, from perusal, but from hearsay, we think the pleasure of Mrs. Comfort's juvenile readers would be increased if she had given them more "Folks" and less "Fairies." On the same high authority we also protest against some of the engravings, for example, "Otho returning home," as illustrations of the text. ---- Books Received. From Leypoldt & Holt, New York: Mozart. A Biographical Romance. From the German of Heribert Ran. By E. R. Sill, 1 vol. 12mo, pp. 323. Easy French Reading: Being selections of historical tales and anecdotes, arranged with copious foot-notes, containing translations of the principal words, a progressive development of the form of the verb, designations of the use of prepositions and particles, and the idioms of the language. By Professor Edward T. Fisher. To which is appended a brief French grammar. By C. J. Delille. 1 vol. 12mo, pp. 232. From Kelly & Piet, Baltimore: A Catechism of the Vows. For the use of persons consecrated to God in the religious state. By the Rev. Father Peter Cotel, S.J. From Samuel R. Wells, New York: Oratory, Sacred and Secular: or, The Extemporaneous Speaker. With sketches of the most eminent speakers of all ages. By William Pittenger, author of Daring and Suffering. Introduction by Hon. John A. Bingham, and appendix containing a Chairman's Guide for conducting public meetings according to the best parliamentary models, 1 vol. 12mo, pp. 220.