The Press. — London, England, 1853-12-17 00:00:00

DECEMBER 17, 1853. littraturt. The Twin Sisters. A Novel. By Lucy Field. London : John Chapman. Ora fair readers, we are afraid, will be pre judiced against this novel when we inform them that the authoress endeavours to extract pathos from the miseries of a governess and a drawing-mistress ! Spiritualised uiggers, and sentimental professors of birch and backboards. have certainly had a full share of literary sym pathy. When Byron published his verses on matrimonial unhappiness it was wittily said by Curran, " His lordship weeps for his wife, and wipes his eyes with the newspapers." In a similar manner it would appear that the tears of governesses are to be dried in the circu lating libraries. The Twin Sisters " is a good novel of its particular class, and the talents of the writer would appear to much greater advantage on a less hackneyed theme. But in justice to the authoress we must record that she has woven together a strong plot, with contrasts of character and considerable variety of incident. Her twin sisters she has baptised with the romantic names of " Amy and Inez Courtney." Our readers will not expect to be told which is the dark sister with the impassioned nature, and which is the gentle one with the softer style of beauty. These pretty twins fidl under the dominion of a stepmother who realises all the traditional harshness so unjustly ascribed to that relationship. Pecuniary difficulties overtake the family, and the sisters have to separate and encounter the hard struggle for bread. The authoress does not offend us with any dreary descriptions of long physical suf ferings, nor does she, like some hedonists, seek to produce pathos by heartrending details of what we may cull the agonies of impecuniosity. She has good sense enough to know that these coarser appeals to feeling are offensive in a class of works written to amuse and please The vicissitudes of her heroines fire made to arise from hearts too full rather than from purses too empty. Sought after by various suitors, both of them make mistakes in placing their affections, one of them (we will not say which) iu a manner that cannot be remedied. Their fortunes are related with some skill in the art of storytelling ; the various personages of the tale arc well described ; and there is an unex aggerated view of life taken throughout. But these merits are not enough to make a brilliant novel. " The Twin Sisters " is a story that should be told with passion ; its scenes should be tinted with the lienuine tumult of a poetical titney; its descriptions should be vivi fied with more intensity than can come from a correct rhetoric that never falters and never fitseinates, never stumbles and never soars. The strong story should be supported by a stirring style. "The Twin Sisters" has many incidents requiring sensibility in the reader. and the authoress, with all her good sense and talent, is too calm and rational to be carried away by her conceptions of character, for as yet she has not given us creations. But we will allow our readers to judge for themselves. Before her pecuniary difficulties begin Inez. Courtney meets a gentleman at a concert-room, in the manner thus described : They conid find. however, but one vacant seat, in which Aunt Maggie would tain have placed her niece, but Inez would not hear of it. and, leaving it to the elder lady, she herself remained standing with her uncle. Her figure was l'OnSideriallY above the common height, which circum stance, together with her remarkable beauty, made her very conspicuous as she stood thus ; nud her aunt was more than once i., , ratitied by overbearing Malay whispered ewe). hams and inquiries among her neighbours as the name of her young relative. Some of these remarks. she was con vinced, must have also readied the ear of their object, as indeed they bail, yet without eonveying any of the pleasure which her simple-minden chaperon conceived they moat impart. 'l'he►e are. probably. few very liana some people who are not awa►e of the tact, though an equal share of clear-sightedness re►iaiul)• does not always belong to the larger class of those who have no personal charms to boast. Yet, though Inez knew she was cery lovely, the knowledge of it gave her little gratification. Tiers was not a character to value or &aim pnimiscuotts admiration : her deep and passionate ►nature rather thirsted to meet with its like than sought or valued the adulation of the crowd. Conseions of and annoyed by the many observing and tolmirint: looks she now everywhere encountered, her rhea tln.hesl ever deeper and deeper as she sought in stint Jo: s•:m►i• place where she might take refuge, and i►► THE PRESS. her search she met the eye of a gentleman seated at a little distance before them. His intellectual bniw and fine expressive features caught and fixed her wandering anvil tion, and something in his whole tare wonderfully im pressed her imagination, even in that fleeting glance. As she was quickly withdrawing her gaze, however, her notice was reedited by his rising from his seat and tittering it. a polite gesture. to her acceptanec. The obliging gentleman now stand , . Mark what follows, described ns taking place in a public concert-room : When I trial came forward. struck l' her air and appear. ance, she turned to inquire of her uncle if this was the great singer ; but he could give her no informal lOU Her neighbour, however, seemed to divine the drift of het question : and, git Mg her his concert bill, hr pMinted h. the celebrated name. 'hinting to thaiik him, Inez felt again the indescribable charm of the countenance on which she looked. Nor With the charm lessened by the expression of earnest and respectful attention mid admiration it won as he addressed her. Orisi sang, and for the time there WRS p 5.111 for in. ot 01101 it )11 1111111 delight. The NOW was pill het ie. 1.4 M to touch many listeners even whose hearts were used to no melting mood. and over whose feelings years had 111 M their sober hues ; lint, to the musical taste, and sensitiic. impassioned, hid till. of Inez, this delight ted to ecstasy so intense that it strangely resembled The strain ceased, 10111t1 plaudits shook the room ; AS they died away, Inez drew her breath with It q uivering sigh, which was almost a S4lll. lier emotion did nu t pass t uudiserVed by her attentive neighbour; but he did not obtrude upon her at the moment : and as 4110111cl' Wail uluthrr singer came forward the young listemr . s hits again grew calm. 111 all interval of silence the stranger iilwe noire oil dressed her. " Did you ever hear liri.i before. " ti ht., in a %Viet' Mil manner which curit-spoioled w.ll o ith his high-bred air. " Never," replied she. again looking lip. " 1 do nut lirik you how yost like her singing," he 4.4 u• tin liedsm ili ng ly : " 1 saw how much you were pleased." " I was, indeed' It is ! ' answered Inez ; mid the enthusiasm (oilier own %vim. called a deep blush to her cheek. The unknown made no immediate mph •; a n d Klee prt , sently ventured to expresa her teur that he would lie tired of standing. Not in the least ; pray do not give it a thought," re. plied he, with eager politenems. " It is exquisite—divine !" rather strong language for a young English gentlewoman to have uttered to a stranger of the mule sex in a concert-room. We could cite other mistakes of a similar kind which show that this au thoress, like other female writers, knows inure of the world than of " life." But these and similar passages do not very often occur, and on the whole a tone of reality is maintained. Wewill allow the authoress, through the lips of the harsh stepmother—Mrs. Courtney—to describe " what governesses have to expect " Governesses very seldom do marry ; and, at all events, they have no business to be thinking of it. 101 l Will tout it WCelliiiitly to very OriginOillVet, I ran tell you. and no to launch out in the strain you adopted just now. Talk of finding a husband awl you are turned out of the lams* at once : no mother would bear it, of course not, nor ought she ; she pays you to teach her children, and if you do not give yourself up to thut it is just the same as cheating her of her money—just the seine. Then remember that governesses should 1 very realest and careful in their dress : as a general rule, I should soy straw bonnets, high dresses, and washing gloves, form the fitting style tier their Is smart, of (*UMW. AD to manners, 1 always required my girls' governesses to rise and place chairs when any of the family came into the room. You will 110 Well to minember these hints. Neva begin a subject yourselves. As a general rule, it is best to answer when you are spoken to, and to keep quiet mostly at other times. Governesses are always in the may, except in the schoolroom ; but yet holies like to show they hurt a governess; so you will, of course, have to appear web. »lousily in the drawing-room. liut as a general ntle pat will do well to bear in mind that goverricsiasi are always ill the was', and shape you behaviour accordingly. After Inez goes out as a governess slits meets Mr. Willoughby, her acquaintance of the con cert-room. After some more raptures about music Inez retires to her schoolroom, awl the state of her feelings arc thus described in one of the best passages in the novel : Inez meanwhile bad sought refuge in the schoolroom. ritually it wore a dull enough aspect in her eyes, and, like most of such apartment devoted in pnvate houses to the studies of the gar members of the family, it was fur. Dished in the plainest and must unattractive mt)le. Now, however, a flisid of glory seemed before her eyes whichever say she turned ; and she located herself mechanically in her accustomed place, unconscious of the holm of her pupil's absence, of everything besides the indefinable but exquisite sensations of her own heart. Thus she sat, heedless of how li•tag, till Pont flew breath• less in. Dear Miss Courtney !" said she, pleadingly, when she saw her governess apparently awaiting her anital, " I alit very late, but, nuked, I quite forgot." to this confession the governess herself tuieht 1.. have responded; but she only gathered n .i i n i nes% from the little girl's words. which ittuinded open the books, and lemons began. Dora was seldom inattentive, and for some time Ilho now worlic.l away diligently, to make up for the lost time ; but, perhaps influenced iniconseionsly by the ileteeptien that %Its, t sourtneys mind was not in their emplo)itiet.t, her aat tent ion relaxed, end, sudden!) %tallying in the. initial. of a sentence, she fixed her eye% on the feet , of %WI eons. paui u, and remarked abruptly, I do so love Mr. Willoughby ! " Well, !to On with your lesson now," said Iner, unable to repress it smile, Wilidt Clleaturaged little pupil to di so bey her injunctions. " Ile likes me to call him' Charles; pursued the child ; •• ,Inlia chooses 1044111 him • Mr. Willoughby ; but he lik e s to he called • i hark... best—lie told we so.- Inez listened Milt' nu engetilesti unite tlimproportiortatte to the ttitlitn.: nature ..t the co nautinietttion : •Ito ‘‘lt% teaming by that nothing t% it n hleh eon venom the vise 1)11'8111011111 111101'1.ra of the 10111. SllO MO* A 1101101" i'lioll 10 Et` , olllll` 111t.11'14.011,111 but et %atllt• out ~trees I hnd slot milotitoleitell her mind or ,iimething 1.111111 ..he t.:.. 11111( alma of tni,llllf. et 4 , 0041 not keep In ltt•rtielf. AVltot pnt think 311 . . \Villotighby %mil of tiott, •• t•%er timid, replied liter, It, no: to foot it owl to look iitiliticreut. Hut the 1 . .”'o f kt, oi.tl I 'orift tow she Might proct•cit. kit' says you 111 . 1 . ti l 4 l putty t4l I. agm 4 . 111c,•s " Thigtiuu i h rfrii%%ll kits guitiiiio• enough. atoll the eon• tumid riti• Ilthrlitiiill Very seriiiii* 1.4,5% , 11. • halo 0111) Whiled uuarcl.isi . l% to lire, and wen t till . 1 141141 I 11441- , eery chuff 1 11111 tun it..• my ginel• u.... 1 that ore pllll' ~ 1* the tuigul iii the thou tug room ; owl 1 full h im h a m ham 1 MU uutt 'Mt or,. licit, MO ho t% kind butt use ; and ;ts , kisstol sue, anti Kohl I kit. a hteky 111114 girl. tot mu Ilut atigTy with 1111', 11111 414111 \111.04 I s oktitilry " I 11111 %.ery gliml I Intike itiippier, lily hi‘s . , " 411 , 411Verrill !WV, with a 1•111111• 111141 n sigh ; thrn , in tillIt • for eVelVillili.:. 'till lillist inure tom." glooved to pre •-• Il kI tot the little. tiler %Ml+ lI~IL el :fit‘itttisly IT 111 Iwo. nun : owl Ihirm,tlititrivant.itieti timrk 44111141.1 t on •Itt• teal ittti ttilt rreesir Mont Itt.t. pain„ goicrocss, .it ICU% to the task Isolisre In her next novel we hope that thin deer %%Titer will introduce us to newer ammeter% ihan are to he found in " The Twi n Sisters." .1 Norratire of Trarehe •iH the .lesia:em find Rio Negro. By A. 1:. IValbleo. London: Item.. and co. THY. public hits been (overdone with tr a vels, but not with travels of this class. Mr. SVal. lace is it natuntlist, and, after four years spent in collecting specimens and infiormation on the banks of the Amazon, he hots a fair right to report his experience of a country in which he has invested so much time and labour. His wanderings extended from Pa-it to Mu cirri, On the ltio Negro, in long. I west, it dist(tnee of more than two thousand miles, when the windings of the river are taken into account, some part of the voyage being through territory wholly unvisited by Europeans. The narrative is simple, and generally concise, though imperfect from loss of materials in a shipwreck which the author underwent on his homeward route. Mr. Wallace stands, We think, alone among travellers in depreciating the beauty of a trol►i eal climate. The forests were lefts green, the vegetation less luxuriant, than glowing de seription►l hail taught him to expect. He argues that under all equatorial !Mil the change of seasons is unfelt, Whence a mono tonous aspect prevail, ; that " green meadows and rich pastures " are %yawing, which in the Amazonian forests is d►'►llltless true enough ; and that the modeiate warmth and frequent showers of temperate regions are more favour able to vegetalde developments than excess of heat and moisture : Humboldt, in Irls " Aspects of Nature," repeatedly rPIIIIIIIIII on the contrast between the steppes of Tartary auti the Ilanov of the orinooko. The former, in the temperate :cone, are gay with the moat brilliant Mitten ; while the hitter, in the tropics, raluee little but grassiest and sedges, Hll4l bill few 111141 1114 - 44114.1,i4•114411.4 floweri rig plants. Mr. I tonsils mein' the lirillimney of the flowers adornin^ the plains of Monte Video, winch, with the luxuriant thistles of the Pampas, helms hardly equalled in the rampos of tropical Brazil, where, with some exeeptiine4, the earth iv blown rind sterile. 'floe countless beautiful gerisliii3lis 14 is4l livntles of the ('al e relthe on entering the 114.1.ie,. and we lune no account lor any plants equally willow. runt I rilliatrt •iippl)ing their Anil once again Mr. ‘Vafleiet! eutititittes the rt.ntilist more elaborat► ly. doing justice, never theleNs. to the countries in which he was so long a wanderer : It is on ruatisidu and i u the river~' banks that n• 'an the. le•Hoity ..1 oupical tegvistion. There se lied a on WIN of im.lies and elinilet and trees 1 1f evel7