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    without t at and Lost bWilliam Dalton No...

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    ORNAMENTAL LITERATURE.* WHAT we may call...

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    WHAT IS LONDON? t T" ONDON is the world'...

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  • 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.

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    Itecent Novels.* A New Novel, By Mr. Joh...

    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 ojiening chapterS i 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 . _ ^ . 1 j ¦* . ' j , li j .. 1 ¦ '«• ' ' " ¦ ' i

    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 Bletchworth-hall , to seek the protection of his roof . At the commencement of the story there has for some time existed betweenjthe cousins a tacit understanding that they should cement their good feeling and fellowship by contractinga matrimonial alliance . Mr . Dell , ; however , in one of his numerous peregrinations , meets with a young lady , Miss Winnifred 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 Bletchvvorth-hall . The discarded beauty , bitterly disappointed , arid not feeling herself quite honourably dealt with by her weak arid procrastinating cousin , attempts first to contaminate : , the rriind 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 nbt in time to save the victim of her diabolical vengeance , who , after extending divine forgiveness to the destroyer oi" 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 eflbrts 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 . ' _ ¦ __ ¦¦ ¦ ¦ .... , h

    " Valentine DuTal , " by the author of " Mary Powell , " thoug 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 be treated of in . this place . Valentine Duval , the hero of the book , is a man , who , sprung- from the lowest grades of French society by mere dint of unfailing perseverance and indomitable energy of will , wins lug 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 bv his own extraordinary exertions and ingenious devices . In an

    early part of the volume an affecting- acoount is given of his being overtakon , when reduced to a particularly destitute and xinprotected condition , by a violent attack of small-pox . 'In-this pitiable plight he exoites the oompassion of a labouring farmer ; Wt whoso poverty is such that ho oan only offer to the strioken . -wayfarer the shelter of a shoopfold . Horo the good Samaritan , not exactly knowing what to do with his pationt , rolls him in somo old linen , whioh ho luckily has at hand , and then resorts to a wagular expedient fox * a bed , whioh the horo himself describes m the following quaint manner : " Ho then removed severaUayoi ^ from the sheepfold duug-hoap , and oovorcd the ppaoo tmia lett with a quantity of ohaff , in tho midst of which ho loft mo . Ho then strowed a good deal Jnoro phaff ovor me , in lieu of a donso quilt , and Hnally deposited ** ovor it all . tho manure ho had removed . Having thus truly deposited mo in a hot-bed , ho devoutly made tho sign of tho cross ovor mo , and qoramendod me to God and the Saints , assuring mo as ho deported , that it I ovor in

    aroso from that plaoo it would bo an ovideut miracle wrouguc nay favour . ' Being providentially roseuod from this position , « nd recovering hi « health , ho finds rofiigo with u hermit of Lorraine , Brother Pulcssion , by whom ho is engaged as a kind of domestic servant , and in whoso coll he devisos nil lhnnnor of schemes for procuring ' himself tho moans of developing hia mental fuoultios . . Valentino , however , meets with a powerful patron in tho person of the Baron Plutehnor , by whom ho is introduced to Duko Leopold of Lorraine , and . receives from tho latter a liberal education at the Josuitical College of Mont-u-Maus » on , Subsequently ho is appointed librarian to tho duko , and created Pijofossor of History at tho Royal Academy at Lunoviljo , and from this timo , to thopowod ot His death in 1775 , tUo fortunes of Valentino Duval continue umntorninfAdlv in thn asuondant . This work , the language of which w

    both powgvM and exciting , possesses all tho beauties wluch poculiarJy belong to this lady ' s productions ; and tho moral of self-help and self-reliance which it ia intended to convey , > s brought oiit with a force and distinctness whioh cannot full to oxoito tho admiration of » U cIrhhqs of rondorw .

    " Lost m Ceylon , " by William Dalton , is a first-rate work Of its kind . We are here made acquainted with a boy and girl ' s adventures in Ceylon ; their miraculous doings , hairbreadth escapes , and incredible disasters . There is much in this book to charm the youthful and intelligent reader , to elevate 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 sufficiently clear and intelligible to be easily apprehensible to the immature intellects of youth and childhood . " Lost in Ceylon " may be proft "W A _'__ j r > i _ ^ _ 1 f 1 . " ' TTT'll * . ¦¦ - * . . ¦ ¦• ft i ¦ t ¦ ' . ^ : *»» J

    nounced 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 stpries , 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 .

    Without T At And Lost Bwilliam Dalton No...

    Nov . 17 , 1860 ] The Saturday Analyst and Leader , 945 ¦

    Ornamental Literature.* What We May Call...

    ORNAMENTAL LITERATURE . * WHAT we may call ornamental literature ! is an extensive branch of modern literary commercial enterprise . Christmas comes but , once a year it is true , butthe birthday of somebody or other comes every day : 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 appropriate 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 : —r . " My birthday ; what a different sound That word had in my youtuful years . And how each time the day comes round , Less and less white its inark appears !" It is hi 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 Booinson 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 T" Ondon Is The World'...

    WHAT IS LONDON ? t T" ONDON is the world ' s metropolis for ono thing- —that we ajl know . I A What it is in many other respects the wprk mentioned below will assist those consulting it in finding out . Byron , in hie primitive times , speaks of " this enormous city ' s spreading spawn / ' when vaat districts now mapped out into streets and squares , constituting large " neighbourhoods" and " localities " in themselves , each with a new church , or even several new churches , and its various " interests , " its organized system of publio vehicles for passenger and goods traffic , its littVarv institution , its savings bank , its schools , its charities , and its

    beggars , and being part and parcel of London , were miles out ot town , anlfexiated in the shape of green fiolds full of cows and buttercups . And even long since the period alluded to , such places as Oakleysquare and Eversholt-street Cauiden-town , or tho tract of ground fltretehing from Stookwoll to the Thames , wore open country , market gardens , pastures , and farms . Look at them now . But those aro only aoma of the inmost-lying districts . London has aotually spread its spawn miles boyorid tho radius of which these aro points ; while virtually sinoe the wob of railways was oonstruoted , it may be said to be when it likes as far off a » Qravesend , not to say Brighton and Ramscat o But between thpso oxbromoa there ie a great belt of distrusts , semi-rural and demi-urban , where tho town and country soem to shako

    This belt ; consists of that vaat tract whioh is comprised between the boundary lino where the " London Directory " ceases to oast itB light , and leaves us to grope our way in outer darkness , often with oon-8 idr * Mblo wailing and gnashing of tooth , and tho radius to which tho London postal district extends . Of this largo tract wo have but hitherto been inignorapoe tho moafc profound , and ofadesonptaon which is not of that blissful sorfc that makes it fotyy to bo wise . Of tho extent of our ignorunoo hitherto , somo notion may be formed from tho lnot that tho " useful knowledge" now afforded by tho "Suburban Directory , fills about 700 pages of tho same siko and print us tho bonaon Directory . " It isreally painful to find that the more knowledge wegofc only sorves to show ue what a dreadful state of nosoienooond non-information have been Jn ' X i

    wo . _ , _ ..., > . Tl 5 ; ^ t maes of particulars about tho name and residence of a most respootable 3 ostltnttble portion of our fellow-countrymen and Suntrywomen ia divided about equally into the northern and southern

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• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 17, 1860, page 9, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17111860/page/9/