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Leader (1850-1860), 19th August 1854, Edition 2 of 2, Page 19, FASHION AND FAMINE. ¦FasTiionandiFamine ...

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      A Russian Pamphlet.* 0 The Russian Quest...

      themew organic jlaw . trf ithe JSTausimat , with . certaia modifications , was . introdueedanto J 3 gypt . . fl-he 'writer mow returns irom .-his digression to the period 1833— . 1840 , ¦ whioh inaugurated -the ipresent ; poliey < of England in . the . East , ; and from which larose all : the . present complications . Meliemet Ali , . aware of . the designs of England , had devoted all his sympathies rto'Erance . England never . pordoneddb . is : attempts to consolidate the material . and : moral development -o £ Egypt , and jpursaed the . Pasha , with . that concentrated ,-and implacable political ihartred , which is the distinctive trait of the / nation . It was thus that England ' changed her . policy in the East , ( and inflamed the dominant passion of the ^ Sultan Mjxhmoud—the hatred of'Mehemet Ali . ^ On the death of Ahe Sultan Mahmoud , circumstances . favoured , the designs of England , to -punishithe ^ French predilections of Mehemet Ali , to humiliate

      France in expiation of jher political ascendancy in Egypt and in Syria , to supplant Russia iru her predominant influence :. at Constantinople , and to Jay down the lawonthe 3 $ Ue ; and on the iBosphqrus . After . the ifamous note in-eixJines , of July 37 , il 8 * 0 , that first , act of collective intervention , lvhieh wasia decree of deposition for Turkey , the English Ministry rushed into negotiations ; at Vienna , Paris , Berlin , and : St . Petersburg , resulting in the treaty of July . 15 , 1 S 40 , and in "the expulsion of France irom ; ihe European , concert . HJhus ,-after Jiaving been-the ally . of the monarchy of July rfbr ten years , Rafter dragging JSranee into 'her-policyJn ; rSpain , ^ Belgium * . Greece , and the iEast , { England . abandoned her to . isolation ., and betrayed the King to tie -passions , of > a jealous people . The crisis of il 840 cost France useless joullions ,-while with eight ihah " manned , ships-of-the-line . and 1500 marmes ^ ngland . expellee ] i the Egyptians : frbm "Syria , . and dlairated

      her ; flaga : t : theJiead . ofitheEuropean alliance . ; Riissia ; had only one motive in all theseApr 6 c 6 e 3 ings— -tne pacification of-the OSast . "She had even disr suadetJ ; the Stilfcaii . from attempting -to icoerceMehemet Ali , at the risk of being accused-. of ^ seekingito divide Turkey ' : it Was England alone that excited . the furious obstinacy : of 'the . Forte . If Russia ! had ; subordinated : t ! he rights of Turkey iochervowft ^ would shei not -have espoused ithe quarrelof Mehemet ^ Allr ? ; JBut ; she trussed to thegood fKith ^ of England and - torthe . gratitude of 3 ? urkey , whioh riadotvfid , to her , again iarid . again-the preservationof the empire : anxi ? the dynast y- * It-wasby this abhegation , in theib-Qpe ofirestoring the repose of iihe tEast , that Russia ; : thre- \ v open tocher rival TthatVeareerof 'pdlitical iactivityy the firetfruits of . which have so little justifiedthe generosity ofthetEmperpr '" of liussia . ( To be concluded in : ou ? -inexL ^ ¦ .

      Av&Usr-Lb 9'1854.] ' The Il^Adeil. 7^7

      Av & usr-lB 9 ' 1854 . ] ' THE iL ^ ADEil . 7 ^ 7

      Fashion And Famine. ¦Fastiionandifamine ...

      FASHION AND FAMINE . ¦ FasTiionandiFamine ; or , Contrasts in . Society .. A Novel . By Mrs . Ana . S . Stephens . * We donot kno i vy--whethqr'we are committing a moraloffence'in recommending ; our public to purchase thisnovel—^ a bopk by an American authoress , who , under the--new version of the copyright law , is-perhaps being -hereby deprived by-energetic Mr .. ' Bentley ' -of profit out of British readers . But -we Enipire * cLty , 1

      stillthe charactersare all -French , and the treatenent is very English , in the next place , the-plot is-grotesquely :-impossible , the leading motives of ; the action are grandly incredible ; and the nvpvel , from first to last , is spoiled by an obtrusion of-the flimsy 'p hilosophy in which 'some "' females' * indulge when , having ¦ g'ot'pen in hand ,-they begin to < ponvtout how much 'betterit is to be good than bad . These are startling 'faults- ; and yet the novel is far- above the average , and is read with engrossing-interest . This , we believe , is because Mrs . Stephens'lifts got a decided geniasfor tolling and developing ^ story . CFhere'is power—dramatic power—here ; and ns it is , as she states inher preface ,-her fh'st novel ,-we . are inclined to anticipate a series of successes for her .

      Tlie herovis a . wholesale villain ; a polished Yankee gentleman , who does Jill the men > and undoes all the women ; who commits forgeries , connives at embezzlement , occasionally crosses his mind with murder , deserts his wife in order to leave . room for a friendly debauchee , who has bought his right in her , . leaves his child to starve , commits bigamy , n . nd dresses singularly well-He iauvmixture of . Bon Juan and lago , with JDumas' view of life ; and . he looks to us rcniarkably out of place donned in the Aston 'House and'immersed indollars . The'heroine is the deserted wife of tliis bold gentleman , who is incurably attached to him , but who . allows tho ifciericlly debauchee to complete the bargain : who ernes with . the , debauchee to JEurone , where , ho dies , 1

      w \ q obtaimng'oll ihisweaUhf-wlnclvia boundless , ' t « nd , accomplishes Monte-Clurasfco results ; < n . nd who , retui'ning to New York'when iher husband is arranging his bigamy , appeals to him for a redintcgratio without disclosing her ttiiluenee , and ; beinsirqjected , ipuniahos ilrim , , a / tar \\ vi h « s bigftmiaed , by blwflsi « g on . him . in : ull mv tsplendour ^ at , a . d ^ 'nmfi ^ tic ball , whiclx -ahe . tlwows opewjto the whole Uppor , Ten . Thousand . JtoauU—auicido . qn ^ ns . part , « nd etorual miseryian : hei ? a ; ; b « t a . dulightful cndingiin the , seciu * e < lihap » y future ofhei * xostoredichild , who is lanswxgel—m . ailfaenohwa . y—aillow . er « gU l who aillg " ^ r-iJ ? risb , ) X * rTOses"in the-stveots .

      . ( lihis < is itlic ( plot , which , i « s . wo have said , issranderediendurable by tho vivid , . and vvigorous way dn which the story is told and the charactox-s are awr » nge . d . * And , of > course , : npnrt ilVom the unreality of'the bi'oad sketch , thoxo imo , \ iivdcfcail 3 , what wo concoivo to be true and intevesfcing dcliiieatioja » , of nctualjNQw Xork life . Tlie extracts .-we mnkowiU suggest that , porluips , thevoiiainothing unfairly . imitative in theuiovol , if in New York , as in European cnpitala , " fashion and funiino" so closely connected and so hideously contrasted ; if , likewise , 'Mushio . n" is in tho ltopublio as vulgar ivnaJ , » ft-hunting an ailair aa . it is among ourselves . Hero is a scene , strongly p ainted , which is'represented to ocouv in tl » o city from whoso port gooa out liaU' < tlio coriv-we ^ inEnglflnd , live on ; nndtho nctora , observe , arc not tho poor'Irish ; whom a New Englandor cursoa us the disfiguvoinent of his prosperity , ; but " ralo Amorioau boyn , " ' * 'Riohnra Uontloy , N < w i ) wi-lington-alro « t . I ' rico Is . Qd .

      t " j basement of a rear ; buildingin , one of those . cross streets that grow more and-mor ? squalid as they stretch downdo tbe ^ w ateK ' 8 < edge ,. safcan aged ;« ouple , at nightfiill onth ^ day . when our humble . heroine . was . presented to . the reader . The room was damp law and dark : a couple of-rude . chairs , ia , deal table , andaulong wooden chest , w « re iall-the furniture it contained . A rough shelf ran over tie mantelpieee , on which - were rarranged : a half-dozen unmatclied cups aud saucers , and a broken plate or two , .-aiuLa'feeapot-mious half its spout all scrupulously washed , andpiled together with some ; appearance of ostentation . ' A brown platter , whickstood on \ the table , contained the only . approach to food that the humble dwelling afforded- . A bone of baeon thriee picked , and preserved probably from a wretched desire to possess something in the shape of food , though that something was bnt a mockery , —this ,, and a fragment of bread lay . upon a platter , covered . with a neat crash towel . A straw bed madeup on onu corner of the floor ipartook of the general neatness everywhere visible in the wretched dwelling ; the sheets were of homespun Jinen , such as our dovm iast housewives loved to . manufacture years : ago ; . and the covering a patch-work quUt , ormed of rich , old-fashioued chintz , was neatly turned : under the edges . One ^ might-have known how more than precious was that fine old quilt , by the great care taken-to preserve it . Ihe-whole apartakfintrbespoke , « xti-eme poverty in its . most respectable form . Perfect destitution and'scrupulous neatness were so blended , that it made the heart ache ^ with com-> assion . ¦ ¦ . ¦ .

      The old couple drew-their seats ^ bsser together on the hearthstone ,. and looked -wistfully m each others Jacesasthedarkness of coming night gathered around -them . Tie brighfc morning iiad been succeeded by a cliilL , uncomfortable rain , and this increased tenfold the gloomy a-nd dark atmosphere of the basement . Thus they sat-gazing . at each-other and listening moodily to . the rain as it beat heavier and heavier upon the sidewalks . "' Come , come ! ' said the old woman with a smile that she intended to be cheerful bufc which was ouly a . wan reflection of wliat she wished . ' This is all very wro . ng ; onee to-day the Lord has sent ; us food , and here we are desponding again . Julia will be cold and wet , poor thing ; don't let her Jind : us looking so hungry vrhen she comes in . ' ¦ . " ' J was . thinking of her , ' muttered the old man , ia a sad-voice . * Tes , the poor thing will be cold and wet and wretebsd- enough , but that ; is nothing to tke disappointment ; she liadbuilfc up such hopes this morning . '

      AVeJl , who , knows . after all ; sometliing may liave happened I' said -the old ¦ woman , , wita anejfort . at hopefulness . " 'Mo , ! Jib , '; replied . tliein ) an ^ . in-a voice of toucliing . despondency-, 'if . she had done anythiqgf the . child would have ; been / home long ago . She has no heaxb to come back- ' " The old man passed his ^ hand over ' bis eye ' s , and then flung ;¦ ¦ '& handful . bf . cbips aiiidsnavings on the fire from ^ scantpile that lay in a . corner . TJie bliize flamed up , reraalmg the desolate rooinfor-Ji . moment , . arid ; then died away , flashing : aer 6 sstbe pale andhag ^ ardfe . ces that bent overM , vfith a--wan brilliancy that made ^ ^ them look absolutely corpse-like . " TliDse , . two . wrinkled feces ^ wereriieagre arid wrmkled .-from lack of sustenance | still , in tha faded . lia « aments-. there was ; notbing ; tovrevoltrtlieneart- : Patience , sweet ! and troubled aflEection , were blended > vitli , every ; grief- \ vr ? tten line . Bat the . wants of the body-had stamped themselves sharply , there . The thin lips were pale and fixed in an expression of habitual endurance ; . Their , eyes ^^ were sharp and eage r , dark arches layaroundthem , and these ; wera broken ^ bj wrinkles , that'were not allof age . . -

      * SAs the flaine blazei up , the . old' man turned and looked earnestly on his wife ; a look of keen want , newly whetted hunger broke from / her eyes ; naturally so meek and tranquil , and tlie ^ oor old niah turned . his .-glance another Tray -with a-faint groan . Jt was apicture of terrible famine . Yet patience and ^ affection flung ; a ' t ^ hrilh ' ng beauty over it . KOne-more furtive , slaabethatoldnaancast on hiswife , ; as the-ilanie went down , ' and theii he clasped his witherea fingers , wringing them-together . " ' Ion . are . starviQg— -ypu ; arei more hungry than ever , ' be said , ' and I have nothing to g ive you . ' ¦' . ¦ / . /¦ ; ' .. . .. . ; . ' v , ¦ . .. ¦" . ¦ ¦ . , : /¦ ¦ . . . " . ¦ . - . , ¦¦ -. " The ^ poor wonian lifted up her head and tried to smile , but the effort- was heart-rending . "' It is-strange , ' slie said ,. ' but the . food we had this morning only seemsjto make memora hungry ^ Is it so with you , Benjamia ? . 1 keep thinking of it all the time . Theaain as . ib plashes oh the pavement « seems like . that warm , coffee boiling over on the heactb , ; those & havuigsas theylieinthe comer are constantly shifting beforemy eyes , and seem like rolls and twists of bread , which I have only-to stoop forward and take . ' _ " The old man siniki vyanly , anda . tear started to his eyes , gliding down his cheek hi the dim light . ... " VLet . us try the , bone once more , Mie said , aftexa brief silqnce-, ' there may be a morsel left yet . *

      " Vies , the bone ! , there , may besarnething on the bpne . yet ! Jn our good fortune this morning we must have fovgottcn to serape it quite clean ! ' cried the old woman , starting ' up with eager haste , and bringing . the . pla . tterfrom the table . " The husband took it from her Jia . nds , and setting it down before the fire knelt . on one knee , and began to scrape the : bpne oagerly with a knife . 'SSeo , * see V he said , ¦ vvithfa painful efforb nt clieerfulness ,: as somerstrips and fragments fell on-the platter , leaving tieibone white and glistening , like ivoiy . ' Thisis bqtter . than I expected 1 Witli . a cruat and a . cup of clear cold water , it will ^ goagood way . ' " ' Np , no , ' said . the . woman ,, turning her eyes resolutely away , ' we hail forgotten . Julia . Shescarcely-ate-aimoutliful . this morning ! ' ' . il . Iki \ ow , ' said . tlieoldl'njan ,. drQppinghis ; knifo . with . a sigh . ' > ' "Hut it , aside , and let us try . and . look as if w « hadibeeu eating ^ all day . Site would not toucjiit if—tif— ' Here . tbo . good , old womau ' s ? eyes fell . upon the little heap of . food—those precious fragments which her husband had scraped together with his knife . Tho animal ; rew strong within Her at the sight , ; she drew a long breath , and reaching forth her bonyhand , clutched them like a bird of prey ; her thin lips quivered and worked with a sort of ferocious joy ,, as she devoured tho little morsel ; then , as if ashamed of her voracity , she lifted her . glowing eyes , to hw husband , aud -cost tho fragment of food still bctwoen her nngera back tue

      upon . punier . " 1 could , not . he ) p it ! Oh , Benjamin I coukl » or : hclp it ! ' Big , tears starUd . in her eyes , and rolled penitently doAvn her check . ' Take It away 1 tiiko it away . ! ' she . said , covering her faocvwith both hands . ' You seo-3 iow ravenous tho taste of food makes mo !' " ' Tjibe it ! ' said , the old man . thrusting the plotter into her lap . '" No ! no ! You . haven ' t . huu . n . tastQ : you—you—I am better now , much , hotter V " For one instanWJIio old man '« , iinRei' 3 quivered over tho morsel still left , upon the platter , for ho-w « s famished ^ and crftvh ) gimoro foo d , oven as Jus wife had been ; but hia hotter nature prevailed , and , dashing his . bund ; away , , bo Uirust the platemoro deculedly into her lap . '" Katl'hesuid . VJEkul X oau , wait , and GJoil will tuko euro of the child r " Bufc : the'poQr woman waved thoifood away , atill keoping one . hand jrosolntoly over , hoc eyes . * iNo—nol ' -sho said fiaintly , Swo—nol ' " Hoi husband lifted tho , pluto sofily from her lap : she started , loolcfid .. oag <} rly . « xound ,. an . ijl sunk bnek in her elnur with a hystorical laugh , " ' Tlio strawbemes I tho stnuvborries , Rohjaiiiin ! Oiily think , if Julia could not sell tha atrawberiit-s , she will oat them , you know ,, all—all . Only think what a foaut tho child will have wlien she hus all those stmwberrios ! Bring buck tho moat ; what will eho caro foe that )?

      " 't'ho old man brought back tho [) l « to , but with a sorrowful look . Ho rcynembered that tho struwbmiea entrusted to his gmmlchild woro tho property of another , ; but ho could not find the hoatt to si | ggcst this to tho poor fuinishodcroaturo before , him , and ho r

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 19, 1854, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_19081854/page/19/