On this page
- Departments (2)
-
Text (6)
-
Untitled Article
-
Untitled Article
-
ORNAMENTAL LITERATURE,*
-
Untitled Article
-
WHAT IS LONDON ? t
-
Untitled Article
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Untitled Article
delineated , without any attempt at exaggeration , and suggest , moreover , considerable acquaintance on the part of the author with human nature in general . There are few inconsistencies throughout the . work , except , perhaps , in the opening- chapters , where the reader cannot suppress a feeling that "Cousin Grace , " the evil genius of the piece , has not been quite openly dealt with by the hero of the drama . This might be advanced as some excuse ( if any excuse under the circumstances could be admissible ) for her subsequent conduct . Murder , however , cannot be justified , or even extenuated , by any amount of injury , real or imaginary , inflicted upon the perpetrator ; the author therefore wisely does not attempt to invest his criminal with any undue share of morbid interest . The story is soon told . Miss Grace Addersley , after the death of her father , is invited , together with her mother , by her cousin , Mr . Dell * of liletchworth-hall , to seek the protection of his roof . At the commencement of the story there has for some time existed betweeiijthe cousins a tacit understanding that they should cement their good feeling and fellowship by contracting a matrimonial alliance . Mr . Dell , however , in one of his numerous peregrinations , tfneets with a young lady , Miss Winniired Thorn , who causes him to change his resolution in favour of Grace , and whom he privately marries , unknown to the latter , and introduces , unexpectedly , without any previous preparation , as mistress of J 31 etchworth-hall . The discarded beauty , bitterly disappointed , and not feeling herself quite honourably dealt with by her weak and precrastinating cousin , attempts first to contaminate the mind of the young wife , failing in Which she ultimately procures her destruction by means of a slow poison . The murderess , however , at the last moment , overtaken by remorse , acknowledges her guilt , but not in time to save the victim of her diabolical vengeance , who , after extending divine forgiveness to the destroyer of her life and happiness , expires calmly and heroically in the arms of her infuriated husband . Perhaps one of the best drawn characters in the book is that of Jean , Miss Addersley ' s maid , and a sort of upper servant at Bletchworth-hall . This upright and conscientious woman denies herself all luxuries , and even common necessaries , at the same time submitting to all kinds of misapprehensions on the part of her neighbours , by whom her name is stigmatised with the epithet of miser , in order that by her savings she may help to support the mother of a reprobate sweetheart , to whom ' she faithfully adheres , although in our opinion , and we think in the opinion of most readers , he turns out in the end to be utterly unworthy the poor girl ' s devotedness and esteem . In fact , this little episode of a suffering and self-sacrificing nature is one of the most affecting and interesting portions of the story , and induces us to hold Mr . Saunders ' s powers of delineating the human passions and emotions in considerable estimation ; and we think we may safely predict that if his succeeding efforts are only equal to this , his first production , he is destined ere long to assume a high and honourable position among the novelists of the day . " Valentine Duval , " by th " e author of " Mary Powell , " though it can scarcely be called a novel , being -written in the form of an autobiography , yet possesses a peculiar kind of interest , which entitles it to bo treated of in this place . Valentine Duval , ' the hero of the book , is a man , who , sprung from the lowest grades of French socioty by inero dint of unfailing perseverance and indomitable energy of will , wins his way to a high position among the celebrities of his country . Left an orphan at . ten years of age , he finds himself thrown entirely upon his own resources , having no means of livelihood or education , save those afforded by his own extraordinary exertions nud ingenious devices . In an cai * ly part of the volume an affecting account is given of his being overtakou , when reduced to a particularly destitute and unprotected condition , by a violent attack of small-pox . In this pitiable plight ho excites tho oompassion of a labouring farmer ; but whoso poverty is suoh that ho can onty ofl ' or to the stricken wayfarer tho shelter of a sheopfold . Hero the good Samaritan , not exactly knowing what lo do with his putiont , rolls him in some old linen , whioh ho luckily has at hand , and thon resorts to a singular expedient for a bod , which tho hero himself describes in tho following quniut mannor : " Ho then , romovod several layers from , tho sheepfold dung-heap , and oovorcd tho spaco thus loft with a quantity of chaff , in tho midst of whioh he left mo . Ho then strowed a good cloal moro oho ft * over me , in liou of a deuso quilt , and finally depo ^ itod over it all tho manuro ho had romoved . Having thus truly dopositod mo in a hot-bed , ho devoutly made tho sign of tho oross over mo , and eommondi'd 1110 to God und tho Saints , nsHuring mo as ho departed , thnt if 1 over uroHO from that place it would bo nn ovidont uiiraolo wrought in my favour . '' Being 1 providentially rencnod from this position , and recovering his health , ho finds refuge with a hermit of JLorrninc , Urothcr Pnlession , by whom ho is engaged as u kind of domestic worvant , and in wIioho coll ho cIovjhos all ninnnor of schemes for procuring- himself tho means of developing 1 hit * montiil faculties . Valentino , howover , meotn with a powerful patron in tho person of tho Baron Plutohucr , by whom he is introduced to Duke Leopold of Lorraine , nnd receive * lVom the latter a liberal education at tho Jesuitical Collog-o of Mont-a-Muuason . Sulwequontly ho is appointed Jibrariau to tho duke , and fronted Professor of History at the Royal Academy nt Lunoville , and from this lime , to the period of hiu death in 1775 , tho fortunes of Valentino Duval oontinuo unintor * niptcdly iu the nsoondunt . This work , tho language of which is both poworfUl nnd exciting 1 , possesses all tho boautios which peculiarly , belong to this lady ' s productions ; and tho moral of aolf-help and Belt"reliance whioh it is intondod to convoy , is brought out with n . forco and distinctness which cannot fail to oxoito tho admiration of all elftusoH of renders .
i *™ n Cey * on ' ' by Wiffiain Dalton , is a first-rate work of its kind . We are here made acquainted with a boy and girl ' s adveii * tures m Ceylon ; their miraculous doings , hairbreadth escapes , and incredible disasters . There is much in this book to charm the youthful and intelligent reader , to eleva te his mind , and lead him on to the contemplation of subjects with which he was hitherto perhaps , but little familiar . The language is spirited throughout , and without degenerating into mere common-place phraseology , which is too often the case with works of the kind , is yet sufficientl y clear and intelligible to be easily apprehensible to the immature intellects of youth and childhood . " Lost in Ceylon " may be pronounced equal to any of the author ' s preceding efforts , and , doubtless , like them , it will achieve considerable popularity . The second volume of " Kingston ' s Annual for Boys , " will indeed prove a treasure to the juvenile community . It consists of a series of amusing and instructive compositions , among which are several stories , all ably written , and constructed in such a manner as cannot fail to give satisfaction to their readers . We must particularly recommend to the youthful supporters of this work , not to skip the preface , but to con the advice therein given , which , if followed , will contribute much to their future success , in whatever path of life either duty or inclination may induce them to adopt .
Untitled Article
Nov . 17 , 1860 ] The Saturday Analyst and Leader , 945
Ornamental Literature,*
ORNAMENTAL LITERATURE , *
Untitled Article
WHAT we may call ornamental literature is an extensive branch of modern literary commercial enterprise . Christmas comes but , once a . year it is true , but the birthday of somebody or other comes everyday , all the year round . So that gift books , resplendent in gold * and brilliant with illuminations , are sure to be in constant requisition . The first Of the works mentioned below is extremely handsome in binding and getting up . It consists of interleaved pages of vellum , richly illuminated . Each page contains an appro- . priate extract or more , in poetry or prose , judiciously selected from some standard and , favourite author . It opens with Moore ' s favourite verses , of which the following is the initial stanza .- — " My birthday ; what a different sound That word had in my-youthful years . And how each time the day cornea round , I / ess and less wliite its mark appears !" It is in every respect well-suited for the boudoir and drawingroom table , is suitable , as the reader may have inferred from the lines we have quoted , to children of a larger growth than schoolboys home for the holidays . The next work mentioned below , is emphatically a book for little men and little women . It comprises five suitable stories . It is neatly bound , excellently illustrated , and printed in good legible type . It is all about Christmas-eve , and pic-nics , and playing at Robinson Crusoe , and other topics that . possess . special interest for little folks . Similar remarks apply to the last of the three mentioned , except that it is a larger book . The tales and anecdotes introduced are interesting and instructive , and of all the three , we may say that we heartily recommend them to our readers .
What Is London ? T
WHAT IS LONDON ? t
Untitled Article
, ; j i < t i 3 c c £ J a ti T ONDOJST is the world ' s metropolis for one thing—that we all know . I 4 What it is in many other respects the work mentioned below will assist those consulting it in finding out . Byron , in his primitive times , speaks of " this enormous city ' s spreading spawn , " when vast districts now mapped out into streets and squares , constituting largo " neighbourhoods" and " localities" in themselves , each with a now church , or even several new churches , and its various " interests , " its organized system of publio vehicles for puseonger and goods trafllo , its lit * rary institution , its savings bank , its schools , its charities , and its beggars , and being part and parcel of London , were wiles out of town , and existed in the snape of greon fields full of cows and buttercups . And oven long since the period alluded to , suoh places as Oakloysquaro , and ICvorsholt-strcet Camden-town , or the tract of ground stretching from Stockwoll to tho Thames , wore open country , market gardens , pastures , and farm ? . Look at them now . But these are only some of the inmost-lying districts . London has actually spread its spawn milos beyond the radius of which Ihoso are points ; while virtually , since thowob of railways was constructed , it may bo said to bo when it likes as far on" ae Qravosend , not to say Brighton and Harasgut o . But botween thoso oxtromos there is a grout bolt of districts , semi-rural and domi-urban , whero the town and country seeui to shako linndc This belt consists of thnt ; v « 3 t tract which is comprisod botwoon the boundary lino where the " London Dircotory " coaaes to oast its light , and leaved us lo gropo our way in outer darkness , often with conaiduviblu wailing and gnashing of tooth , und tho rudius to whioh tho London powtul district extends . Of this large tract wo have but hitherto been in ignorance tho moat profound , and of a description whiuh is not of that blissful sort that makes it folly to bo wise . Of tho ox tent of our ignorance hitherto , some notion muy bo formed from Ilio fuel ; that the " useful knowledge" now afforded by tho "Suburban Directory , " fills nbout 700 pages of tho sumo sizo and print « a tJio " London Directory . " It is really painful to find that tho more knowledge we got only serves to show us what a dreadful state of noaoionoo and non-infor- , mntion wo have boon in . This vust mass of particulars about ( lie niuno and residence of a most respectable and oetnnublo portion ol' our fellow-countrymen and countrywomen is divided about oqunlly into tho northorn und nouthern * 'Jt'lio Iltrthday Souvenir ; III . niliiulQil Dy Hlnnouby . London : Urlnlili und Knrriui , St . l ' mil ' s Cliurulivurd , 1 UU 1 . < Lau \ i tiu < mma < i i or , titor / en for my lAltle Jri'ienut , Jiy KmIIIn Wurryul ( iLuiwlHor of tho Inla OijUiiln MiUTj-Ht ) . lluBtmtod ly Aueoloa London i Qrlinth and Furrnn , JH <» . UaUdaya among the > Mountain * i , or , Scene * and siprttis of \\\ ih , i Jiy llotliiiiu Eitwin-Uw , with llluBlriUioiia by BUIll . London i drlfllih nnil I'lirnin . . , , ,, . , , t The Pout Ojficti London Suburban , D ( raotory , \\ l \\\ Map omemvod oxproiisly for t ) i < i vnrlt . London 1 Kolly mid Co ., 18 to 21 , Old Jlouwoll-Qourl , W . C . 1 H 00 .
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 17, 1860, page 945, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2374/page/9/
-