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542 TORU DUTT. In a note upon Charles Nodier she remarks that his prose stories are charming and remind her of Washington Irving. In another upon Baudelaire, she detects in one of his poems a plagiarism from Longfellow — a literal translation of a verse from the "Psalm of Life." Fortunately for the reading public, however, we have other standards by which to judge of Toru's talent. After her death her father found among her papers the com- plete French romance of " Mademoiselle d'Arvers," which was soon published under the editorial care of Mile. Bader, and a sufficient number of English poems to form the little volume lately issued under the title of " Ancient Songs and Ballads of Hindustan," and prefaced by Mr. Gosse with a memoir of the author. " Le Journal de Mademoiselle d'Arvers " is a novel of modern French society, treating of the love of two broth- ers for the same beautiful and noble girl. It is tragic, the unhappy passion leading finally to fratricide and madness. Yet, in dealing with these difficult matters, Tom never becomes melodramatic or ridiculous, and often displays true power, though she is not seldom unreal and fantas- tic. Of more interest to American readers is the collec- tion of her English poems — her chief claim to distinction. These, too, vary greatly. She had not yet completely conquered the language in which she wrote ; we are still surprised by occasional prosaic expressions in the midst of poetry, and the strange legends which she relates are often rendered stranger to our ears by the phrases in which she relates them. But they are interesting, strik- ing, and often beautiful. Under the heading " Miscel- laneous Poems " there occur at the end of the volume a few pages which having once read we should find it very hard to spare. Through them all breathes the bright and kindly spirit that made their young author so dear to all around her.