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Leader (1850-1860), 21st November 1857, Edition 2 of 2, Page 20, We should do our utmost to encourage the...

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      1124 The 1ead1!B. __ [No. 400, Itovember...

      1124 THE 1 EAD 1 ! B . __ [ No . 400 , ITovember 21 . 1857 .

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      We Should Do Our Utmost To Encourage The...

      We should do our utmost to encourage the Beautiful , for the Useful encourages itself . —Goethe .

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      isa & is' ^^^ sara & s-sr ® - ^& x ^ ssk ^ - ¦ . \ : v- ¦/ ¦ ¦ ' ' .. ii ¦ ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ¦ ¦¦¦¦ .: From Joseph Andrews Wilson , Esq ., to G . Andretcs Wilson , Esq ., Woodsprhy Somersetshire . Weymouth-street , November 19 , 1857 . My dear George , —I write to jou individually , because what I have to tell you this time cannot be communicated to the rest , except to Aunt Eugenia , and-1 leave it to your discretion when to -telLher , You will hid ^ e for yourself . ¦ °

      Imagine tay surprise this morning , when , just as I was setting Out to Lawford s . . to know if he had heard anything about the papers" or the shares ,- . or- the bank , —a natural question you will allow in these trying times , even after what . he : had said , —a young man was brought into my room with a packet . I recognized him as one of the young men in Lawfords counting-house . He said he had been told to delive ? it immediately into my own hands . J "By Mr . Lawford ? " I asked . " By Mr . Edward Soiuerset , " he said . " And who thedevilis \ -ker -r " r *? > sir j - Edward Somerset Lawford , —Mr . John Somerset Lawtord s brother . There is , I believe , no answer . " And the messeno-er backed rather hurriedly out of the room , as if he did not wish an answer . . The _ bank ! I ' thought I tore open the envelope , and tliere were Aunt Eugenia s papers as she signed them , but none to represent shares . Of course I was completely mystified . It was evident that ' something was

      WTOnc . and T t . hniicrhfc nf nnnr Amit 'Pnironin ' r l l nn / Y 7 .,. !* 1 . / .,,..: „! ... Ti ' :. i wrong , and I thought of poor Aunt Eugenia ' s 11 , 0007 . with anxiety . It } s true that the dear old girl will never want a . home and all it offers so long as a Wilson has a roof over his head ; but I could at least sympathize with those who indignantly denounce the reckless speculation of these days , which indiscriminately sacrifices the widow and the orphan . However , indignation would neither solve the mystery nor settle the business , so I persevered in what I was going to do , and went straight to Lawford ' s , without even calling at Polwhele ' s , who is still very ill . I was admitted to the half cabinet , half ¦ counting-house which the great man inhabits , and he received me with more than his usual frank cordiality . I am afraid I said in my last letter some things which will mislead you about the man . He is no petit / iiattre , hut a . real gentlemanas you will see by his

      , conduct . He looked , I cannot call it embarrassed , at seeing me , for John Somerset Lawford is one of those men who never can be embarrassed . He falls back upon his birth , his wealth , his knowledge of the world , and , above all , upon his want of pretension . Tor if he has a pretension about him it is that he wants to make you understand that he meets you as man to man , and his heart , sir , is in the cordial grasp of the hand which speaks so much more tliaii the tongue . That is his expression j but , if it is true , I can only say that he must chatter very fast with his hands . Sordid he chatter less than usual this morning . My own health ; Polwhele ' s—he knows him by repute and by meeting him at some great houses in the West ; my letters from home—he is becoming quite a Somersetshire man ; and it was pretty

      well twenty minutes before I could edge a word in . How he can disengage his mind for such small talk I cannot conceive ; for he was incessantly interrupted by men coming in for instructions , signatures , and messages . At last 1 managed to mention the packet , and then he looked , I thought , in spite of his self-possession , slightly annoyed . However , lie altered his free and easy tone and came seriously to business when I spoke of the bank ; but when I mentioned having had jv packet he looked surprised and puzzled . " A packet ! what packet ?" " It was brought me just now . " " Not from me ?"

      * ' No ; the young man who brought it said that it was sent by Mr . Edward Somerset Lawford , your brother , 1 think . " "My brother ! 1 )—— my brother ! I beg your pardon Mr . Andrews Wilson , uiy brother is no man of business , and does not understand the usual course on these occasions . However , no harm is done . I will explsiin . " And he did explain . I can yive the substance of it in a tenth part of his words , though not of the time . It all amounted to this , that on reflection he thought that , with a view to the long run , Aunt Eugenia ' s little sum ' would be better bestowed in some other investment ; for , excellent as property in the London and Empire Bank may be , still a woman cannot attend the meetings . And he said ^ v great deal besides , of which I did not see the force ; I learned more before X came away . Not at the moment though ; for while he was talking with nil his energy to convince me how undesirable an investment it was , the porter announced Mr . John Leicester . "

      " Show him in , " cried Lawford , with an air of satisfaction ; and at the word in came Mr . Leicester himself , with hand outstretched in the most affectionate manner to ' my dear Lawford . ' I don't remember what passed between them at first . Indeed I did not understand it ; for it related to Leicester ' s movements over night , his difficulty in meeting Lawford at some friend's , and his scheme tor going to his , ' or one of his boxes , somewhere near town . But they spoke of things so incompletely , and so spoke together , that I had no difacuity in repaying the new visitor ' s blindness to my existence , by a moral deafness to their welfare in its discussion by themselves . And I lind , on coining back to town life , that if half of bionseance consists in regard for others , the other half consists in a total disregard for them—a complete indifference to their existence , welfare , or adventures . At last , when plans were all over , and Leicester was turning to some other subject , Lawford remembered me , and introduced me . 1 had the honour of a moat graceful bow . 1 do not say it ' with sneers , ' for really Mr . John Leicester is one of the most graceful men I over saw . I never met a more

      perfect gentlemen at all his ' points' You could see 'birth' in all h ; H Ti SLT V IW 1 S . ° , ? 6 SCribe him t 0 y ° > for * am immense ! , aken SwEil ^ IgUr M ? UrSe - \ yOUn e S ^ tleman , about the middle hetht rather tall than otherwise , with a light figure , tliough the shoulders \™ rather square and firmly set , but tapering down to hips singularly SW , 1 W w « th limbs that would look long and loosely hung , but for tffe extreme Se and grace nvtieir movement . On those same ° officer-like' shoulders is ^ finely formed head with regularly shaped features , eyes as large and lust ous as romance could desire , hair fallfng in easy curls , that minglf w ^ h ^ iS W Th c " - . * l TV 1 0 fayou ^ 8 irl - I can't remember the S ? but r should say it is black , or it must be a very dark brown . Them [ s something about the fellow that looks slightly raiish , yet his quiet dress his bright complexion , with roses on his cheek such as a woman mi <* lit euvv and a manner as frank , simple , and good-natured as I ever saw , aff seem to proclaim an unspoilt nature . M : (< A very rising man , " said Lawford , after he had gone . " ¦ Iho richest man of his age , in the City , " whispered one of the clerks to nie—the man who brought me the parcel , after askin" me if I hid noticed him . Shall I have up Polly to set her at him ? '

      cap But before he went , another person broke in upon us . This was a num like Lawford , only taller and younger , less carefully dressed , and altoo-ether less of the finished gentleman ' than either . In answer to an impatient I might almost say an angry , look froiri this new-comer , Leicester held out his hand to Lawford to say good-by , but a 'Don ' t go , ' detained him ; and while the man I guessed to be Edward Lawford ' s brother plunged into business with the head of the firm , Leicester turned to me . Somehow , our conversation , through a mention of Lawford ' s property I think , o-ot upon Somersetshire , and even into the dear old house . He is a Norfolk ' , but his family did not originally belong to that county . His ' box' is a newly built place at lloehampton , and he invited me to join Lawford on Saturday . 1 shall certainly go to see how a young merchant lives . FinuW that Lawford was detained by his brother , Leicester interrupted them for an instant , by crying to the great man , " Well , you'll join us On Saturday , " and disappeared .

      One instant of dead silence , then Lawford said to me , "My brother has been explaining—Mr . Joseph Andrews Wilson , Mr . Edward Somerset Lawford—my brother has been explaining to me , Mr . Andrews Wilson , how the packet was sent to you , and I am very much obliged to him for the trouble he has taken . The fact-is , that on reflection we think i \ liss Andrews Wilson had better wait . " He said agood deal more , but nothing material .. I told him how awkward 1 felt with the papers . in my own possession , for fear I should lose them ; and I asked hitri if he would take care of them . I am sureuhe would have agreed , if Mr . Edward had not interrupted us rather rudely by saying , " XS ' o , we have nothing to do with the ' papers . " - It

      is impossible to describe the tone with which this was said , it betrayed both pride and temper . Lawford evidently felt for my position , but the presence of his brother hampered him . I was half inclined to show how I resented this interference , for , after all , it was no business of Edward Lawford ' s . However it was at last agreed that I could not do better than buy Consols with Aunt Eugenia ' s little money . Consols are low , you can always wait , ' -or tyiko out your money if it is worth while , and it is perfectly safe . I dare say you understand tue details of this better than I do . i asked if Mr . Monson could assist me , but again the younger Lawford interfered , and said Monson was not a stockbroker ; and when John Lawford named one stockbroker Edward named another , whose address his more good-humoured brother gav . e me , with clear instructions how ' to act .

      I wa 3 , of course , very obliged to both of them , for , after all , even the brother seemed anxious to get the thing done ; so I went to the stockbroker , Mr . Colman , and put the atlair into his hands , and then hastened to Pol whole ' s . The last mail has done him no good . Altogether I am beginning to feel what an anxious thing London life is , and i have discovered a reason that is not , 1 think , sulliciently noticed . It is the coining together of so many anxieties and objects of interest all within a narrow time and space , hx the , country such things only come in succession—you are at least free from outer anxieties except once a day at post time ; hut here the whole business of life is anxiety . If you have money you don ' t know . 'where to place it safely ; if you have none , your anxiety is infinitely worse ; and , wherever you go , you come across other people ' s troubles . Doctors say that it is want of light and ventilation , which makes most Londoners so livid and so worn , but I think it is this atmosphere of moral anxiety which does it ; for society itself fails to afford the relief—the moral light and ventilation—that you get from it anywhere else . Yours affectionately , J . A . W .

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      The Drama Run Mad. Two Pieces Unfolding ...

      THE DRAMA RUN MAD . Two pieces unfolding stories of a very wild kind Lave been produced during the present week at the Ai > ici-i > m and tho Princkss ' . s , respectively . That at tho former is culled Tim Lvycnd of the IlvwUuss Man , and is an offspring of u Frondi drainsi with the same title , by MAI . Ei > ouAUt > Biuskjjakhe and JiuouNK Mca , which achieved n doubtful success when produced last August at the Anibigu-Comiquc . Tho hero of the story is one Curl J . ititzeu , a Heidelberg student jui . lii robber chief , who bus such a fulness of 11 Ib in liis robust constitution , that he cut also such

      seems to liavo as many holds on existence us a . Ho possesses singular mesmeric powers that lie makes a certain C / trintiue , tho betrothed of u Count , hia very slave . Iu due course , Curl is arrested , tried , condemned to death , mill beheaded : but ho has alreudy nmdo a compact with a necromantic doctor , . mil ho very shortly reappears on the scene with hia head on his BhouUlere , ' mid everything handsome about him , ' as old Dot / berry says . Ho interrupts tho marriage of the Count , runs him through tho body , and carries off Chrhtinc . Hut ho is now incontinently haunted by the ghost of tho defrauded and murdered bridegroom , and , ia a frantic attempt to Btab tho spectre , he passes hia sword through Christine instead . Despair and madness succeed , and finally Carl dies

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 21, 1857, page 20, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_21111857/page/20/