The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-16 00:00:00

THE PRESS, OCTOBER 16, 1858.
rather slow to take a hint, and either effect is that we have the cream of many excel- husband ; a benevolent lord, and the usual
'sr and remarkable courtesy have lent books in a portable and still readable form. number of malleable poor people and intractable
to Albemarle-street the right of The method pursued is to give a full description tradesmen. It is scarcely necessary to say that
sr the habitable globe, or have of each locality as it appears at present, and L. H. B. falls into the common mistake of sup.
equal to command the varied having as it were transferred the reader to the scene posing that to describe tedious or vulgar peg le
s
Tst-rate talent which Mr. itself, a resume of the history is then appended. you have simply to write down a quantitypof
s enabled hint to bring into These sketches are ably executed, and, though tedious or vulgar nonsense, and we have, accord-
+e, they have left him to necessarily short, omit no interesting particulars. ingly, such conversations as the following (we
r the most part, without We may refer, for instance, to that of Masada, must premise that " Constance " is a cousin of
insignificant sort ; and the Numantia of Palestine, which, on its almost Mrs. Parley who has come to stay with her, and
cases increasing—ex- impregnable rock overhanging the Dead Sea, who is intended for a perfect young lady, perhaps
lws that he does not made so heroic a resistance to a Roman army a thought too fond of horseflesh, but beautiful,
Ito induce him to after the fall of Jerusalem. Mr. Porter is hardly
graceful, and dignified, without a flaw in either
'tide that can be correct, however, in saying that the first person her appearance or her manners ):
to revive its history was Dr. Robinson. lie Mrs. Durnford waived ceremony and met us in the
would have found an account of the siege, con- hall, expressing just sufficient admiration fur Constance's
-e on a former carriage and. thorough-breds to please me.
densed like his own from Josephus, in Dean
the last to Your driving, too, dear Miss Stapleton, is perfect, and
Milman's " History of the Jews; ' a work which
ithed the your graceful horsemanship is the admiration of the gentle-
With we are surprised not to find referred to in his men, and the envy of the ladies of I)—. In fact 1 envy
It Mr.
you myself, and would give all I possess to manage my-
list of authorities. Mr. Porter has, perhaps,
,efe. never visited Mr. Albert Smith's entertainment. fiery steed with your coolness, grace, and tact,"
`tr. If he had heard the parody of Macaulay with " Which simply means boldness, dear Mrs. Durnford,"
replied Constance, smiling, " if you were not inclined to
e which the lecturer used latterly to commence, we flatter me. But how lovely the river looks to-day from
are inclined to think he would have let down his ! I declare, Berne, this is the most charming
own opening paragraph—in which the first five spot in the neighbourhood. Ah ! that garden to the
'ententes begin with " I shall," and the sixth right, with its many-coloured flowers and sloping lawn,
Ihowi it remindsd me of Stapleton and my garden, which
th "My remarks,"—from the high epic pitch
of mine."
myself! What delight a garden is ! I never tire
hich it is at present wound up. We do not,
'oubt his Oriental scholarship, but we should " I wish I could say the same," said Mrs. Durnford,
'eferred to see the plural of " dragoman" languidly ;" I tire of looking at it, and long for seven-
the plural of "Mussulnian," instead of leagued boots to carry me far away to some more congenial
element than this place—the society is so mixed."
'nglish and rather barbarous terming- " Ah, yes !so it is," said Constance, laughing quizzically;
here employed. These, however, are " bright geraniums, modest roses, vulgar sweet-williams
The whole work is interesting to elegant fuschias, and gaudy tulips—but the variety is
useful for its professed purpose, charming after all, Mrs. Durnford."
'I have the effect not only of " What a darling quiz you are ! Oh, we shall become
ley of those who have made icsapaietalilgfhritefunidls, seienatgheatis;
qaouitammucyhfoettsepriatnodf character
pilgrimage, but of suggest- dear Miss Stapleton ; but how few excel iu it, yoursor under-
4. it to those who have not. stand it."
" A dangerous gift, Mrs. Durnford," I said abruptly ;
" people often like to display their wit at the expense of
VELS. others, and 1 think satitical badinage the lowest kind of
wit—next to a pun."
in her Husband's "And some one has said—Dr. Johnson, was it not?—
London : James that he who could make a pun would pick a pocket; so
you and I, Mrs. Durnford, in future may consider our-
selves one remove only from the fraternity of light-
'3. London : finger/. Thank you, cousin mine, for the suggestion;'
said Constance, turning to me and curtsying with mock
gravity.
`lf you are really fond of flowers, Miss Stapleton,"
''.4ndon : said Mrs. Durnford, " for their own sake, and not merely
as an adjunct to beauty in the salon, which I fancy is the
secret of moat Indies' floral admiration, we will take a turn
,res through the gardens and greenhouses before luncheon—
'4:l they are in excellent order just now, Jones, the head-
gardener, informed me yesterday, and there are some rare
plants of which he is very proud."
" I must plead guilty to an excessive love of flowers, and
think I may say I love them for their own sake; in fact,
'ways think they look sadly out of their element in a hot
ag ball-room, or adorning the macassared locks of
"air belle, drooping their pretty beads as though they
their degradation and our folly. No, I love tc do
their loveliness," said Constance smiling, as she
arm through mine and prepared for our walk ;
n•itable slave to them at Stapleton, nursing,
"uning them daily with my own fair hands,
laud Mr. Montague, Berne, termed wy
•dmiration for Constance appeared un•
her conversation, her manner, she
sotto eves to me ; whilst 1, being
a in for her patronage.
'ill see but little to choose
lsh and Mrs. Durnford's
actual life ever say
•trming young ladies
prose about floral
le manner ? We
herself talks so
with the story.
some slight
-tan if pos-
I herself.
to the
4' Mr.
-ing
TI