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sharp pangs of indignant jealousy . Two children arc the fruit of the ill-assorted union : tlie boy is drowned—fortunately for his future career—as he had already proved himself while at school to be worthless and cruel ; indeed , his death was the result of an act of barbarity towards a younger sc hoolfellow , tlms indicating that -the calamity he e xperienced was a just retribution , ihe daughter elopes with a stranger , one Jasper Losely , a largelimbed , handsome-visaged , needy adventurer , who eventually is found associating as captain with a kind of Jonathan Wild ,- aud with a band of tuir
transported felons , and winding up with a burglary ¦ it Guy Darrel ' s mansion . A young girl , Caroline Iiyndsay , "beautiful exceedingly , " who was educated with his daughter , attracts Guy Darrel ' s attention . He falls desperately in love , he inspires reciprocal sentiments , not then developed in their ultimate fixity and intensity , because Caroline is much tod youthful at the time . Tins love ami prospective union arc nipped in the bud by Caroline ' s mother , aided by Jasper Losely and a clique of abandoned personages . with whom Jasper Losely had intimately connected himself . Jasper because he believes
Losely ' s co-operation is secured , if Guy Barrel ; married Caroline Lyndsay , the prospect of his wife , Darrel ' s daughter , inheriting her'father's prodigious wealth would be impaired . Caroline , beset on all sides , misled by false reports , Gndiug no one at hand to aid her with counselor solace , succumbs to the pressure brought to bear upon her resolution , consents to wed the young Marquis-of . ; - M <> utlbrd , her distant relativej and to exchange ' the love of a noble heart for the princely splcndour of station , coupled with the drawback o (' a narrow-minded , cokl-blpodcd husband , who early takes a rooted aversion to her on finding that she
had . been ailiauccd to another , and that an alliance with his noble self had not wiped out the recollection of ' her first love . Guy Dan-el , whose besetting siu is pride—personal ami ancestral—who wished to comply with . a father ' s dying request to perpetuate the name of Darrcl , wot-tInly finding all his prosperity summarily blighted , his family hopes utterly defeated , his heart aspirations ruthlessly mocked and laid hopelessly waste , withdraws from the world at the very moment when his name , fume , and wealth stand highest . He withdraws from , society , he becomes misanthropic ; but his noble qualities are onl y lying dormant , they arc not extinguished . Wl ' iile in this " mood , Lionel Haught on , his prote <^ J , is introduced to him at his " own desire . The
amiable qualities of Lionel win upon Guy Barrel , and partly succeed in drawing him from his recluse life and Habits . While these matters arc progressing , " Gentleman Waife , " who is Jasper Losely ' s father , and also a convict—he having taken upon himself the consequences and punishment of a robbery perpetrated by his son Jaspor , because anxious to screen that son from justice—after shaking himself loose from an engagement for himself and grandchild with one Ruggc , the manager of a company of strolling players , lirst cousin , at least , to Dickcns ' s " Qrurunuos , " is suddenly deprived of his grandchild by the rtid of one Arabella Crane , a kind of benignant female Mephistonhclcs to Jasper Losely , who in early youth altmnceu himself to her , but who in mature manhood falsified his vows aud married her
pupil , Matilda , Guy Darrel ' s daughter . We hnvc next some good political scenes iii . rcfcrenoo to the " House of Vipont ' s" political manoeuvres . Wo nro brought acquainted with Mr . Carr 'Vipont , who adroitly manages the family political influences , and Lady Scliha , his equally adroit wife . There is a cmsis in the affairs of the " Houso of Vipont , " a now Ministry having bocu formed without considering it necessary to its constitution to have a " Yiponl . " in it . Plans arc laid to avert tho nusis , aud as DiutcI is also a distaut branch of the " House , " lures nro held out to ontfoo him back into tho aroua of politicul lifts and parly warfare . Guy Darrel resists those overtures , and continues in his resolution to abstain from
senatorial life , but ho changes his original plan of living unniarriod and secluded , and in deference to the wishes of his departed pnront , ho determines to marry again . Ho looks out for a wife , but after inspecting and rejecting many an eligible parti , he finally gives up his idea , on finding that h is love for Carolino Lyndsay , now Marchioness of Moutford , was as strong as evo ' n After a lapse' of . soyenu years , and various adventures und changes of situation , Sophy , sometimes entrapped by hor unscrupulous father Jasper Losoly , again rooovored by nor grandfather Waifo , is at lust tukon into tho family of Lady Montforu , who is informed that she is
Barrel ' s daughter , but that Guy Darrel , in consequence of his indomitable pride of name and ¦ ancestry , has refused to see or assist her—she being , as he then believes , the daughter of a swindler , and the granddaughter of-a . convicted felon . Lionel and Sophy , with Lady Mohtford ' s sanction , renew their acquaiutauce when they have arrived at man ' s and woman ' s estate , and become irrevocably attached to each other . Guy Darrcl is appealed to , and he peremptorily refuses Iu 3 assent to the union . After some further adventures , in which Jasper Losely and Arabella Crane play the most conspicuous part , Guy Darrel , through the assistance of his old friend Colonel Morley , finds Out that Lady Montford , now a widow , has never forgotten
her first and only love , aud that Sophy is not his daughter ' s child , but the child of an artist , a brother of Frederick Vance , of whom we had a glimpse in the opening chapters . Explanations are given ; mysteries and misapprehensions cleared up on all sides . Lionel and Sophy are eventually made one flesh . So are Guy Darrel and Lady Montford . There are many other minor personages introduced : —Fairthorne , a humble and devoted follower of Guy Barrel ; Mr . Hartopp , a worthy mayor of a county town ; Mrs . Haughton * Lionel ' s i mother ; Cutts , a compound of thief and thief-taker—and though they agreeably relieve the reader ' s attention , they have no very forcible or necessary action on the . main incidents .
" It will be seen from this brief sketch of the incidents aud leading actors in the four volumes that the plan and . personages will not present any very startling novelty to the ordinary novel reader ; that much of the action is extravagant and . improbable , and many of the incidents and ¦ situations arc . rather too melodramatic for real life . Even the principal character , Guy Barrel , which is finished with the most care by the author , contains much that is improbable ; liis Trigh-mindcdncss . is , to some extent , but arrant selfishness in disguise , and his wrongs ,
when we come impartially to analyse them , arc too feeble and petty to warrant the ¦' heavy ¦ sacrifices which he voluntarily imposes on himself . So with Lionel Haughtou and Sophy Vance , the amiabilities of the work ; they are somewhat , common-place , and moulded after the stereotyped pattern of heroes and heroines of modern romance writers . Arabella Crane is also a character rather out of nature , and Jasper Losely has nothing , tijat we can see , to redeem his character from thorough-paced scoundrelism , certainly nothing to justify an educated lady like Arabella Crane in following him so perseveringly , and shielding him with such undying affection from the couscqueuocs of his own vices and villanies . ' ¦
The materials , then , of which this long story is composed , arc of a common" order ; but it must not be inferred that , the work is of a common kind . No greater mistake could possibly be made . It is the masterly manner in which , these materials have been worked up by the author which stamps the novel with an impress of genius that will always place it in the first rank of English novels , and will secure it , if not the first plaoe among the productions of
the writer , certainly one of the first placos in public estimation . There is so much profound philosophy in the garb of playful episode , so much fine aud manly feeling quietl y developed in tho dialogue , so much tlmt is truo in life , domestic and political , soattcrcd throughout the pages , so much that is tender , true , and b . oauliful n \ character , thai , in spito of faults—and they are many—the reader will become fascinated at the very outset , and will read on , spell-bound , to the very end .
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A SOLDIER'S LIFE IN INDIA . Twelve Yearn of a Soldier ' s Life in India ; bc ' tuo Extract * from tho Letters of the late Afajor II ' . « S \ It . IJodaon , H . A ., Commandant of // tuition's // o / w . Kill tod by his lirotlior , tho Kov . Georgo II . Iloilsou , M . A ., Follow of Trinity College , Cambridge . » F . W . I ' arkor and Son . The career of William Hodson , who perished in the ( lower of his ago beforo Luckuow , is so pregnant with instruction aa well as interest , that the excellent
record of if . before us , oompiled from lus own papers , desorvos immediate and somowhal . serious notice . A )» athlete at school and oollcgo ; jjriftod as a num with heart of lion , eye of oaglo , will of iron ; an educated gentleman ^ and a sagacious man of business ; Hodsou bid fair—nay , was certain- —had his lil ' o been . spared him , to Imvo iiohiovod , sooner or later , tho highest of earthly honours a gratoful country oqultl bestow . Ho was one of those- raro and unrivalled squadron leaders that our Indian
service occasionally develops , and who are seized upon by the native intelligence as the impersonation of British . character and British power . His adventurous and chequered progress seems iri truth , "to transport one back from the prosaic nineteenth , century to the ages of romance and chivalry ,- and to show a glimpse , now . of paladin of old ; now of a knightly hero sans peur- et sans reproche ; now of a Northern chieftain , ' riding on border foray ; ' now of a captain of iree lances , —yet all dissolving- into a Christian soldier of our own day . " ¦ There is , perhaps , something contagious in the loving enthusiasm oi * him whose words we have just quoted ; but , truly , tlie letters of and about Hodson
go far to justif y the language used . On this head none way decide but those who , peruse them in exlenso ; no extracts we could make would be sufficient material for judgment . But we , who have devoured them , are prepared . to say that Twelve Years of aSoldier ' s Life contains matter so engaging , so spirit-stirring , and withal so instructive , that in some form or other it should take a place ainong our classics . If it be still desirable to spread among our youth the renown of true British worthies , ana to foster admiration of their gallant deeds , Hodson's Life—somewhat abridged , perhaps—should , to our thinking , rank upon the shelf .. with Southey ' s Nelson in every school-house in the land .
After , an education at Rugby and Cambridge , and two years of nominal soldiering in the Guernsey Militia , our hero preceded as a Company ' s cadet to Agra , where he found a family friend in Mi \ Thomason , -Lieutenant-Governor . . ' of the -North-West Provinces . He joined the 2 nd Grenadiers without delay , and within six weeks was engaged in four of the great Scinde actions . He threw himself with such ardour into his profession , that we find him within a week or two writing seriously about the want of discipline among the Sepoys ' . " After Sobraon , he recrossed the S . utlej ,
having made , acquaintance with Major ( since Sir Hi ) Lawrence , then the new Resident at Lahore . This connexion proved invaluable , and within a few months he was . adopted by Lawrence into his service as friend and resident protege , an . adoption which stood him . in irood stead while the patron lived . ' That ' admirable ' man taught his pupil the " political" business , languages , and surveying , made him Secretary of the Lawrence Asylum ,, and at last , towards " the end of 1 S 47 , started him before , by strict rule of service , he was entitled , to take charge of a company of Sepoys , as second in
command to Lieutenant Lumsden in the " Corps-of Guides , " then recently organised for service in the Punjab . In May , lsiS , he joined Lumsden and the dust-coloured swarthy levy , and for months earned the thanks he received from the Governor-General for his activity , energy , and intelligence in the peculiar military ' warfare aud civil functions with which he was invested upon the frontier . In 1 S 49 the Punjab became a British province , and Hodson ' s connexion with the civil department naturally terminated . lie had been two years in Dolif . ieal clianre of an immense tract of country ;
held a detached command , and cleared it of the enemy with but 120 men at his back '; collected the revenues , of the disturbed districts ; and paid 15 , 000 / . into tho treasury , the proceeds of property taken from the rebels . Ho , as naturally , therefore , disliked what he termed the notion'of dropping from Minister to Surjeant-Mnjor , and we accordingly find that his untiring backer , Lawrence , procured him full soon an assistaut-commissionprship , ana took him on a long tour of inspection into Cashmere and Thibet . After some interesting travel , he returned to Simla , whero he was warmly received aud much honoured by Lovd Dalhousio and Sir Charlos Napier , and ho was shortly attached to Air . Edmonstouc ' s Cis-Sutlei district . He was very
rapidIv growing into favour , advancement , and income Vs a political agent , when two remarkable incidents occurred to him : his marriago , in January , 1 S 52 , and his appointment : in tho autumn to tho command of the " Guides , " vacant by tho departure oi' Luiusdcu for England . This ho accounted good fortune—" a most honourable and arduous command — mi nlmosi . unprecedented position after only seven years' service . " His corps numbered SCO , aud at its head ho spent two years in froutior warfare . Ho became estoomed by lhn most oompetcnt of' his superiors as a bold and ablo soldier and as rt worthy gentleman . By many a deed of daring ni tho Punjab , by many a successful stratagem ana midnight , surprise , by many a dospcjmto oontost ; , ho taught tho Sikhs first to ' drcad him as an onomy ,
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Nn . 459 . Jahuaky 8 , 1859-j THE LEADER . 43
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 8, 1859, page 43, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2276/page/11/
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