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Cheshire to London . More wonderful still , four grown-up men start in search of this child , and cannot find her . Some public conveyance , we are fife to suppose ( though the fact is not stated ) , must have earned her from Cheshire to Bedford-place ; and yet no trace of her can these four men , all taking different routes , discover . Only one confidant of her secret destination is chosen , and that one the most unlikely in the world to keep the secret—the weak , silly wife of the curate of the parish . The threat of suicide , on the part of the youthful eloper , is supposed to influence poor silly Mrs . Green in her determined silence , though she does venture ( after an interval ) , emboldened by the joy of her husband on the birth of their first child , to confess to him when it is too late . The young lady is traced to Bedford-place ; but all clue to her after that is lost , though she leaves very simple-hearted people to go away with very simple-hearted people . To explain the cause of this complication of elopement , misery , and mystery would spoil the interest of the book to young lady readers—for gentlemen readers we fear it may not suit . We cannot imagine a cigar in the mouth and " Zaidee" in the hand ; but we can fancy young ladies working littndseer ' s Bolton Abbey in Berlin wool , being much interested m the beautiful young ladies of the Grange and their , pretty room—in the stately brother Philip , and the clever brother Percy , who turns out a poet and a writer of startling novels , and has the usual quantity of clustering curls . The fairy godmother , as the mamma of these delightful young people is called , may also have her attractions , to say nothing of a sentimental staghound , with the wonderful name of " Sermonicus . " It seems hard , after the time that must have been consumed in writing these volumes , not to give them higher praise ; but the ladies' mania for novel-writing is spreading so widely , because there have been a few successful female writers of fiction , that it seems almost a dutv to repress the efforts of those who can only copy from what others have done before them . A tale that has appeared in Blackwood * s Magazine , when it comes out in three volumes , may be supposed to liave more than usual attractions ; and doubtless there are good things to be found in " Zaidee , " chiefly connected with descriptions of the interiors of rooms and of home scenery—though these last are burdened with endless repetitions about flying clouds anS gusty winds . The two most wearisome characters in the book are a crack-brained , rich old gentleman , named ** Mr . Cumberland , " and a Welsh nurse , " Jane Williams . " The personages most true to nature are the Bedford-place family—especially the matron at Its head , and her newly-married daughter . The father of this family offers an awful picture of local manners ; for he sits in his drawing-room in the evening actually in his dressing-gown ! The great attractions of the heroine consist in her stately beauty and her queen-like form—indeed , there are two young ladies answering to this magnificent description , one bearing a great resemblance to the other . They have neither of them powerfully attracted xis , because we have a long-standing prejudice against heroines with swelling throats , ^ curling lips , stately figures , and gracefully-sweeping movements . We hope the next time the authoress writes she may condense her materials , and study the probabilities . A happier end she can scarcely make to any future book ; for everybody in " Zaidee " is fitted to the light mate , ami Ive leave them al Tich and happy .
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1230 THE LEADER , [ No . 300 , Satu
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A BATCH OF BOOKS . Cross Purposes . By Catherine Sinclair . In Three Volumes . ( Bentley , London . )—The authoress of the dreary and foolish novel called Cross Purposes was brought to that condition , it appearsi in consequence of having incautiously " asked herself one day whether , before sitting down finally in the arm-chair of retirement , and before her pen had grown grey in the service of fiction , she might not attempt to weave a story , " in which no fewer than four gigantic evils should be " warningly portrayed . " With the queerest confusion of general and particular terms , Mrs . Sinclair begins by describing the four evils in question as " four kinds of slavery "—that is to sa y ^ " first , tne slavery of overdone education ; secondly , the slavery of overworked needlewomen ; thirdly , the slavery of intemperance ; and , fourthly , the slavery—worse than all united—of Romanism . " These several states and conditions of bondage are treated in a turgid and tearful style—something between Fanny Fern and the Reverend Mr . Spurgeon—and in the fona of a story , not intensely probable or exciting . A factitious interest is feebly snatched , towards the close of the tale , from recent events in the Crimea ; and " Fall op Sebastopol ! " is printed , in large capitals , ^ across one page . Some passages in this novel would have been more effective had they been written in the orthography of Mr . Jeames . For instance , the following : — 0 jr Richard stood for a moment aghast ! Where , in all that prodigious house , a perfeot labyrinth of room *} , should ho find Theresa ? Yot difficulties wore alyfays with him a , spur to action , and very seldom defeated him ; but the gong at tibia moment sounded ita loudest and most peremptory note for luncheon , and it gives' a summons that very few are inclined to dispute . " Somehow / said . Anne to ^ Captain Clifford , as she descended tho broad staircase of Toroheater Abbey , " o , gong olwuyB gives ono the idea of a particularly excellent repast . A oejl collects vulgar , hungry people to roaat mutton and apple-pie ; but ono always connects the idea of a man cook and turtle with a gong . " Now , let us read instead : — . ^ Srwhard atood for a momink agaat ! Ware , in hnll that purdjjus ow » , a pufflck Wwynktti ¦ <« Khflurae The gong at this horful momink gavo hout tta BpjvMd for Lunohun . .... " Summow , " bob Hann to tho Capting , as he umourted her down the brord etaref ) of this womrublo habby , " a Gong give one the ajdeor of a pertioklerjy hoxalink Rapaak . A bol summinHeB low and hilbreucl pepel to leggs of nautting and eeoh kind of corse phood , but wpn halwesH oormox t »© flavior of potash AllaU bisk , and eoopmim do pully ho trxxffH , with the sownd of a Gong . " Is it not more natural than the correctly -spelt voraion of tho incident ? Meftf Alderman Kelly . By the llcv . R . C . Foil . ( Groombridge , London . ) —The biographer of Alderman Kelly foresees the astonishment likely'to be « ¥ »" 4 % the publication of that worthy citizen ' s memoirs . " In an nge , " jftye Mr . Fell , " like the present , teeming with tho lives of men eminent for 1 » s ££ T ^ ? they have rendered their country , or distinguished for their uper ttry , and . scientific acquirements , it may , at first sight , occasion surprise
that an individual who was not strikingly remarkable for any of tl cations should be selected as the subject of a biographical memo question may not unreasonably be asked—Why " seek to perpe record of this kind , the memoirs of one who , however responsibl * situations he may have held , ' exemplary and faithful his mai charging their duties , was rather to be admired for his private tha virtues—for the Christian benevolence of his heart than the brillis of his mind ? " To inquirers who would be likely to put theque convenient way for answering , no answer could be more satis : Mr . Fell ' s . Let us hear . " It is replied , that histories of this tendency to elevate the feelings of the young- ; to serve as a industry and perseverance j and , above all , to indicate what man , < assisted by the grace of God , can accomplish even in this world we feel almost ashamed of having for a moment entertained a qu « Mr . Fell is so tolerant as to call " not unreasonable . " Not un Can there be reason or right in questioning " histories like these that elevate youthful feelings , prompt us to habits of industry , the utmost attainments of human power , divinely aided ? Aide : was an instance , not very uncommon , of successful , because straightforward ( and unobstructed ) , endeavour , directed simply on . " He was the son of a small , a very small farmer—one who shepherd , and had managed to save two hundred pounds—and h little—some very little—schooling before he came to London , subordinate situation in a brewery . From this place , on the fai firm , he went to a bookseller ' s in Paternoster-row , and stuck 1 Finally he became master in the house where he began as servant , that is to say , in the sense implying quite menial offices , all this to his honour ; and , that Mr . Fell may not charge us wil ing facts of importance to Alderman Kelly ' s fame , we will add Lord Mayor in 1836-7 , and had a letter from the Duke of Wellii his Grace ' s statue . A facsimile engraving of this letter e volume ; so does another facsimile of Alderman Kelly ' s own so , likewise , does a portrait of Alderman Kelly , which is the or thing about the biography , and wakes us up , any time in th perusing the book , by the startling contrast which it presents to ceived idea of an alderman . Adventures of the Caliph Haroun Alraschid . Recounted bv th " Mary Powell . " ( Hall , Yirtue , and Co ., London . )—This write in extraordinary force , the minor dramatic essentials of story-wi thoughts , as well as her phraseology , are always made to reflect t characteristics of her subject . Having assumed the position of a rian , she acts out the part in a manner than which nothing can be ir easy , and natural . Her latest effort was a bold one ; but the ei crowned the work , which will remain among the most enduring v skilful hand . She ^ has collected and carefully strung togeth < " scattered pearls , " the adventures of the Caliph Haroun Alra has given sequence to those adventures , newly arranging and much of the ^ —> --- ' - - - "» : » i ... wi ., « , ; ,,, » / M-Jwinai chanters distinguished , in the table of contents , by an asterisk . She ] sustained the local colour of her narrative with as complete an her tales of the Tudor age , and of other periods in English histoi
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CHRISTMAS LITERATURE AND PICTURES . Punch ' s Almanack for 1856 . Illustrated by John Leech and John Tennie Pi Foremost among the Christmas pictorial offerings , whether cheerfulness , or cheapness , stands *' Punch ' s Almanack . " We look as confident an anticipation of pleasure as the boy to his Christn the young gentleman or young lady to the Christmas party , th on" to his Christmas-box , and all to their Christmas pantoi perhaps the certainty and habitual continuance of the enjoyment as in more important matters—forget to be thankful to the provi for one ( if the plural pronoun can be mentioned in connection v cannot turn over the pages of this present Almanack without ex renewal of that feeling of gratitude—we can use no milder termwe regard the productions of that greatest of comic artists , » Mr . Leech , as it seems to us , has struck out a new style in cc shown what a really kind , genial , reverential , and lovable , amusing , thing it may he ; No nature will be depraved by tl Mr . Leech . Nay , we might even learn lessons of charity frc and honest view of life ; while his power of representing feminin < beauty is capable of moving our sense of religion deeper than 1 discourses . This may seem a very serious mood in which to regard a se pictures ; but the best kind of mirth has its meditative side , wb the test of tho excellency of the mirth . And so wo exhort all ( if the exhortation be not already fulfilled ) to get their thrcc ~ p < wit , wisdom , and humour , as soon as may be . The general i designs may not be very new—may even remind us of past otto quarrels with the returning buds of Spring because he has seen And allow us more particularly to commend the final illustratic mirth , beauty , and a certain gentle pathos , and exhibiting a con of life from the crowing infant , upwards through rouml-fuced girlhood , handsome young manhood and womanhood , to the papa , dancing Sir Roger dc Coverlcy . Tin : Cfiristmas Tree , and other Tales . Adapted from tlio Gormnn l » v Frf J . \ V . Pui In n Preface of six lines and a half we nre informed that th not translated for publication , but that , having given delight to friends , they arc now put forth for the amusement nnd cdificti nility in general . This egotistical modesty is so often the fo worthless book , that it diminshcs confidence before wo hayt but , in tho present instance , the work is not without some feat ' menriation . We must object , it is true , to a sanctimonious through it , which is in no respect necessary to true religions
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 22, 1855, page 1230, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2120/page/18/
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