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Leader (1850-1860), 13th August 1859, Edition 1 of 2, Page 943, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      ing them closer together . She thinks it would be better if some arrangement could be made by which our countrymen in India could escape tor a time to their native air , without losing by the ^ indulgence ; and that the Government would thereby be benefited . She proposes to give every officer every seventh year to himself . V ?™ many prematurely old men , " she exclaims , ' with cadaverous faces , sunken eyes , and hollow cheeks , have we seen to whom the sabbatical year would have been a boon indeed . " The suggestion is undoubtedly . good . ¦ . _ . __ ,,: _ - __ is made b ladauthor

      Another good remark y our y . « As for civilising , and educating , and converting the natives of India , we must first , " she rightly states , " set an example of consistent Christianity ourselves . We must show them that Englishmen , being Christians , cannot lie , deceive , bully , or oppress . And when we throw-our Christianity , and consequent superiority , in their teeth on every occasion , we must recollect that we are dealing with a people whose religious faith actuates them every hour of the day . " Mrs . Duberly is a sensible writer , as well as a heroine . She thinks of the Crimea , however , while in Bombay . The recollection , also , served to sustain her during severe trials . Here is an example : — '

      he came . Poor thirsty dog ! How he panted and lapped , and then laid down close to the water , and made . himself quite at home till evening , when he wagged his tail to me , and wandered forth again . It is a mistaken feeling of affection which brings English dogs into this fierce climate . They suffer cruelly , and are rarely long-lived . Even ' Jim , ' the dog of many fights , who has been with the 8 th Hussars ever since they landed in Bulgaria in 1854 , who went through the Danubian expedition , arid was present at Alma and Balaklava , and was wounded at Inkermann—who wore a Crimean medal for

      twelve months at Dundalk , and accompanied the regiment on its voyage to Bombay , and on its march to Kotah— -even he , although " held up bravely by the brave heart within , " begins to show the effects pjf heat and thirst . When leg-weary on the march , lie will fall back until he . recognises one of his particular friends amongst the men , when he puts his fore-paws on the stirrup-iron , and gets a ride on the front of the saddle . Great will be the grief , universal the mourning , whenever death claims ' Jims' sturdy and quick is the vengeance wreaked upon man or dog who presumes to molest this regimental

      favourite , " With this extract we must close our account of an entertaining book of travelling experiences .

      "We marched into Deesa on Sunday morning , the 28 th February , at about eight o ' clock . With the exception of a few days' halt at Blipoj , we had lost no time , upon the road , never marching less than nine miles , and generally doing from twelve to sixteen miles a day . Deesa being the first English station on our march , we naturally approached it with feelings of curiosity and excitement ; it was moreover-the extreme frontier of the quiet districts , and its cantonments once passed , tents can no longer

      be sent on overnight , and no messmau will be ready to greet us with tea and coffee on our arrival in camp . We were prepared after leaving Deesa to renounce all the luxuries of the campaign ; but ^ ye hardly anticipated the fatigue and discomfort that lay before us . The stern schooling of the Crimea had taught us to make light of difficulties , and although , even at this early stage of the march , w . e were glad to halt for , two or three days , we nevertheless looked forward to the future without fear or

      anxiety . " There is a proverb in India , that " the birds have no song , the Tvomen no beauty , and the flowers no perfume ; " yet of the first the plumage is exceedingly brilliant and beautiful . Mrs . Duberly frequently saw fifteen or twenty peacocks at a time , either roosting on the trees or coming down in clusters to feed . " Then there is the Saras , * of a French grey and white colour , with red near the bill : this bird is nearly as tall as a man , and of ten , in the morning light , appears of gigantic proportions . The white egrets , and paddy-birds , Brahmin kites and hawks ,

      are amongst the larger birds , as well as several others , apparently of the flamingo and bittern tribes , which my ignorance does not enable me to name . Parrots , orioles , jays , mainas , f mango-birds , and others , small but brilliant , d . through the sunshine like flashes of light . Every sort of cluck can be shot upon the tanks ; and a day or two before we reached this place Major Chetwodo killed an alligator which lie saw basking on the bank . It moved towards the water directly it perceived him , but

      having a rifle , he fired instantly : the ball entered behind the shoulder , a second shot was quickly given , but the creature , although mortally wounded , took to the water . None of the beaters cared to go in and bring Mm out . There was no time to lose : so Major Chotwodo , whose promptness and decision are well known among sportsmen , sprang after him , and dragged him on shore . Although the creature measured only about eight feet in length , I looked with wonder Into his enormous mouth , the jaws of which , if roughly closed , sounded as though made of hard wood . "

      Hero follows an interesting fact in natural history : — " Tho 95 tb , 10 th Native Infantry , and the artillery , with their doolieB , camols , gbarrys , grass-cutters , and camp-folio w $ fra , marched by our tent-door before eight o ' clock . Amongst the camp-followers was a handsome dumber spaniel which had lost eight of his master . Ho camo for a moment to the shado of my tent , and then left it in search of his owner , I fetched a glndy full of fresh wator , and had it wait " ing for him , for I fojt sure I should see his foolish , honest faco again , and after about half an hour back

      Untitled Article

      THE FOOL OF QUALITY ; OK , THE HISTORY OF HENRY EARL OF BIOKELALD . By Henry Brooke , Esq . Anew and Wc-ised edition . With a biographical preface , by the Rev- Charles Kingsley , Rector of Eversley . In Two rols . —Smith , Elder and Co . 1859 . It is rather difficult to conceive why Mr . Kingsley has taken upon himself the responsibility of bringing out a new edition of the " Fool of Quality , " unless it be to revive a school of fiction that has not been popular in England since Brooke ' s time , and which assuredly we could do withoui . If so , Mr . Kingsley will defeat his own object by the reckless way in which he advocates its cause . The preface to the " Pool of Quality " is written in such , fulsome and extrayagent , terms of praise of Brooke and his novel , that it will have the very reverse effect intended by Mr . Kingsley . __ __ __ -. ¦ ~

      in the ranks of the standard English novelists . The fact is that the " JFodl of Quality , " viewed simply as a novel , falls far short of our idea of what a work of fiction should be ; the characters are certainly not true to life , and the hero can scarcely be said to be a model on which to bring up , our sons . Then the story has not unity ; and if the characters are bad , the story bad , the novel is useless . This being the case , the " grand ethics and philosophical discussions on theology and political economy" would have been better in any other form than the novel .

      „ The only ground on which the " Fool of Quality " has any claim to notice , is the originel design o f the work , and of which it should be said that Brooke was incapable of carrying put . It is certrinly not a good story , and the hero is meant to be the soul of honour and the embodiment of every accomplishment one could mention , " besides being a thorough Christian , " will appear in the eyes of most readers of the present day what Brooke has really called Mma fool . We hope Mr . Brooke did not mean that his

      hero was a fool , or Trhat becomes of the " good ethics and theological doctrines " that his lordship is so fond of discussing , and which Mr . Kingsley is so fond of parading as one of his reasons for undertaking the sponsorship of his offspring ? Again , that constant asking for admiration for the hero , and dragging forwards all the miseries that flesh is heir to so that Henry shall act the good Samaritan , is exceedingly distasteful ; effect and sentiment , instead of truth , are-the leading features of the book . about the

      The fact is the ideal school of novel was first kind of fiction published in England , and Richardson and Brooke were the founders . Then came the real , with Fielding and Smollett at its head , and although the former was l ) y far the most popular at the time , the latter was most endurable . Wo arc told by Macaulay , that at the time Richardson published his novels they were exhibited from the windows of private dwelling-houses , and were considered as marks of learning j and not to have read them was to be considered far behind the time in polite literature . It was a much similar case with Henry Brooke , according to Mr . Kingsley . We hoar of no such . popularity vouchsafed to Fielding

      and Smollett ; wo hoar of no dissenting minister " purging" or ' ' weeding" Fielding ' s works then , as John Wesley did the " Fool of Quality . " Perhaps tliis was one of the reasons why the work became so popular among the Methodists and the " loss thinking portion of the people , who formed that school to which Mr . Thackeray is the great ornament , and of which Mr . Kingaleyis to somo extent a follower . It is not oasy . to give an answer to this , except it bo that the ago then was more artificial than . this . If the " Fool of Quality " is reprinted to revivo

      the ideal school of fiction , then it is surely time we found a better model ; and who is more able or fitting to write it than the Rector of Evorsloy ? It would have been bettor' than publishing an edition of a book that will never be oxtonslvofy road . It will appear strango to most people that Mr . Kingsloy should advooato the Brooke ana Richardson sohools , while ho writes the more modern . Nor oan wo agree with Mr . IClngsloy , when ho says tlio ago in which the Fool of Quality" was written was more enlightened than the present , and that in tho next generation Henry Brooke will find Ms real position

      Untitled Article

      THE DENNES OF DACNDELYOSN . In 3 vols . By Mrs ; Charles J . Trbby . —Smith , Elder , and Co . The " Dennes of Daundelyonn" is a peculiar novel , and one rather difficult to describe . It is a capitally written work , and we have no . doubt that had Mrs . Proby selected better people as materials that we should have had a novel that few would have been able to compete with , for original thought and vigorous descriptions . As it is , one and masculine languages tter

      admires the terse —ra coarse and " blue" here and there , it should be said—while one feels regret that it should be bestowed on such an idiotic set of people . We do not say the characters are not true to life—we-are not up in the history of the Dennes sufficiently to say that ; but we ask , were they worth writing about ? These Dennes flourished in Essex m the last century , and were remarkable for nothing but snnp . rstition and errowins hops . In which latter

      capacity Edward Denne Tost a fortune , the . family estate and plate—nay , his life . , But Squire Denne was « t good-natured , simpleminded country squire , and on the death of his brother , a colonel , who falls in battle with the opening of the story , he becomes the guardian ot three girls , two of whom marry off soon , learaig the eldest but one to keep house for him . With this young lady ,, Sophia , and Eric Denne , her cousin , there is a little quiet courtship running throughout the book . Owing , however , to the reduced circumstances of his father , Eric does not declare his loye , because lie is uncertain how he

      could provide Sop hie a home , and in the meantime he -would not like to deprive her of the offer of marriage from Col . Arden or my Lord . Donaghadee . However , good fortune comes ? Eric turns artist ( of course ) , and soon realises enough by painting portraits to provide a home for " Soph , " who has , of course , —been in love with him from their first meeting . Now this " Soph " is a very peculiar personage to have in one ' house , and not at all the sort of woman an artist would select for his wife . She holds very strong opinions in favour of mesmerism , electric biology , &c , &c , so that one is hardly prepared for her being superstitious . Yet she is so , and in a remarkable degree There are no less than seven deaths , all of which are made

      a great deal too much of . Of these seven deaths four of the persons dying appear to Sophia—who is from home—just before or after they die . ISTow , putting aside the questionableness of such incidents at all , the repetition is absurd in . the extreme . There are several other things that we had marked as being , to say the least , bad taste . Mrs . Hurst ' s " vegeatable" child is one , the twins are bad enough . Again , why do all the tradespeople talk one ridiculous jargon t We have said the work is written with great vigour and freshness , and wo have only to add that the person who can write so admirably , eon , and we hope will , write better things than tho " Dennes of Daundelyonn . "

      Untitled Article

      HEPKINTS . THli ! CONVALESCENT : HIS RAMBLES A JjP ADVISNTUKKS . By N . Parker Willis , Author of J onciUlngs by tho Way , " &c—Low and Son , and H . G . AFTHiT ' dABK . « y Wllkio Colllne ,. Authorof " IWOe ivnd Book , " and " TheDoadScorot . " Anon cdiUon .-Smlth , Elder nnd Co . THE DIAMOND AND TII 13 FKAUL . A novol . By Mm Gore Anew odltlon Rovtaoa by ^ bo Aulupr .-Knlght and Sou ..

      „ TEMPTATION AND ATONEMENT . A taU » . By Mr 8 . Gore—Knlffht and Son . " Tub Convalescent" is a series of very remarkable lottera , contributed by Mr . . Willis to . tho " Home Journal , " of America , during his leisure hours and while visiting ihenda . They arci remarkable , not for tho subjects generally on which they are written , but as compositions exhibiting tno peculiar mind of a man who has gained a position as writer— -not because ho ever wrote anything

      Untitled Article

      * A orano , Ctrtta antloonc . iTho mania la n ntuno npplied to several birds of tue starling family .

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      Ko . 490 . ADS . 11 L 18 M . T THE LEAPEB 943

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 13, 1859, page 943, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2307/page/19/