The Express.
London, England, 1857-08-01 00:00:00

LITER ATURE.

A Woman*. Story. By Mrs. 8. C. Haw— Loudon
Hurst and blaekett.
This " Woman's Story" of Mts. Hall is a novel in
form, being published in the orthodox, time-ho-
noured, three volumes; but for that it would stand
very. well for the " Memoirs of Miss H —," or any
gompping, observant old lady, who had moved in
the literary sad artistic society of the early part of
the present century. Of all the bores that fiction
introduce us to—msd their name is legion—there
are few so intolerable as the known celebrities—the
great men—who move upon the scene in obedience
to the command of the author for the time beim/ ;Ad
who endeavour—painful struggle as it is—to
thernee:ves with becoming dignity, mad not took the
selaseholy marionettes which they really are, Mrs.
Hall, with a want of her usual tact and skill, please.
before us many of those assemblies which We ea
livened by the wit of Thomas Moore, the TOW
talent of Braham, graced by the artistic reuses 011
Sir Thomas Lawrence, dignified by the company if
Sir Walter Scott, and bored to death br the
of Wordsworth. All this, if it had any Tit:kW;
it, would be very readable in the pages of Weary
history, bat in fiction it is out of place; it alwayebm
been a failure, and it always will. The design which
Mn. Hall baa chosen is not favourable in other re-
spects. To create a character that shall be the per-
fection of literary genius, to write whole chapters of
enthusiasm about this shadowy wonder, to give rap-
turous critical accounts of works that never saw the
begrimed bands of the printer's devil, and to endea-
vour to work up the reader of all this to a kindred
pitch of reverence with the writer, is a task of no
common magnitude, and it is not to be wondered at
that so many fail in it. There is generally a tone of
insincerity to such writing—a sign of want of faith
in the idol of the minute, that communicates its
contagion to the reader. The specimens of litera-
ture usually given to justify the faith in the shadowy
genies—the play within a play—are amongst the
weakest things that authors lay before us. Mrs.
Hall's story is not without action and interest, and
if the characters are not very vigorously drawn, the
style is my sod plowing ; there is an interest run-
ning tam* the bosh, although delayed at times
by long ef =re description, which, how-
ever in emodites, interfere with the curtest
of the story. We iteselstie by quoting a couple of
passages:

1111 DRAWING-ROOM.
U the kall-Isser Wert dither is provethay elvepid, the
boar—cirois 'am) used to be in the death' dqs
the hees--efler, were, in mirth very veal •
sons. Yew thow lathe; young or old, thaw who pet co
eth "ceethey sic
se they do their conthey isms
—he a corpse, meth take the trouble toeeth in their
hilew-wiessa in the drawler room. Easconcei in sob
thews, re teethed to a way that would spud the rat of
Ask 'reed without the aid do efsee-serchse
—they Ind in the eery jar neerd* to their bouts' cenioth
led will y take the trouble to notice the meat intheseing
"driestexerit, or dome the moot lovely draperies. Thee
who on sing will nutty sing until the "cathode came up,
End a EthODT like who bee Salast MY eer 11•110•11%
to•rery, insatiably Ws aegis time far the " wriesig,"
newt than rtheithe which Moth those in the dewy
itheire of the lanarkies withdrisith' reue U the lady
de of louse be very good-naturedthe will "he es • asd, or
biewilie •kW hen the tips of tingle's', same the room;
nog se matter ear dull Hook the will my, " Alt I I es,
renting yawed' es weal, we never mind you."

The wasigaterower are. If a penes der.* be
...3eritit his eau fry znittsr-10 Yr pie
• ; it is gas awful to Mar the parts
ewer by the pespla, la west askaprelowed awl era
=cram arra; le ere thew (is we stampbol•
with dr tt sod sewlissed wore impure by the
Elwin tem tr t ell. at Oa sdll more peraidess ipe) wry
gietre past eight, baskreltag their Wog& dir the
tret in le ere : Ire the tottering eswasy, lytag
bm.grig se *aging eat of its aka la es es-
stelkkaleg r.alrpielitsown,retrlithe
thitherl War, whirl al sight it showeley.
Meg a war reels imbst it iota! ropes ks
a eight& wheat a away skylight permits to
sna-bisms Is winder se ths wire awe ; a ire, besides es
it s.ly seep by the inews et ths perkerer awl mews&
with " swig Is a baps Priori
hire*
• biteW- with bush* wessi& Onia MN a sore et
wrirlihr Ite which, at wlght, rum who wirrairee see-
sisijklb le ear piewer DPI ospooil WIND way pore is
egret lg imes whkl try actor knew.
It was awareing to me hew well they resweetered that,
per% errihsing the short tire they had radar ter; and
dell are se. hew they coda rod them with so ads ',al.
pay ; sad I re prier to lad that ail the earreg OD
and grin el, "WWI lard* dictated by lb.lsMna
d tbe ressio, vas Ined and laid ".Lou briare"—yot
hew arra it slew seard whir era Imo the anew of
Priviselbe boa; 'while the rem*, arpod nomealt ;
wog sod are *Mir table wadi—. eying re er. I fir
washer gtermariel li—eshis I whilst *Mk wr at all
what stir& sr as the west singehr rig ot
ell,wsilrirtre
particakir eist=ll=eektrilysossaltdiaillimully tris72
so ibrighing r reseyed by their new drama
Ths mover Irk we hi what he called "a wig," and
alt Mat erre et sore slily diatoms Pawl=
mil NM Debra% he hared that Wardwg
bit," es disimiligily wslll.y at. so kindly WINK tr the
bag, Egg orgy am es‘ am Madams would net elm ap-
pm 'Mau ibe deg% wore abed ID my
sarerbet I reed is te wpm
" If lasenite abgested,"l strwed, nein riagele. "blies
Dread* anti taw hr Part, le wield he 11 mach
brke."
ISM be petwhis it a ribbed grams le dem the
rarger id are at re. "I her jest got Ihe goilsrmirs
bits soh res lewpw," le lei/ • .• and now Ms ell pot as
:TIAI bow smilsnid elnedy, for whir Maier boat
as .
she ilhererte ea alt."
" Bihar ban eat," I prided.
" Yea erre rander the pahlie," he said; "no play
wfil go ebbed ban Obi law Krug es whit she has
kw. dish Is lam* hirer *ea what she Y Attar •
arra pried, we Ira ear nwitistires ; she toe
ere • saikagr hoe by lir
ire Is hiss mart Ilk•• pretty
ehilitt rim trot; nay yew west essaibir her
ildly, you ere."
I;lm:swirls ; only let the stsge-ressager Mks oat
Mir ape t
o
" 14~ r I BAK Ibriy.si TM maw bard er.
" Tliss prole the der dew le be cheesed. Let her speak
to ewes is. de• se that i red not ear i ths da*ligiste
at the roe roe r Maier
win ersolt the arra " I grind.
"15 "be I wanyou, es • frier that
era theyiirpipYrt
xiair et the play would not miry it
ems\ velmut

Lif. a. Ching. By the Bee. WILLIAM C. KM"
M.A. Lades: 0. Roetledge and Co.
After the personal sensitive' of flue and Partunk
any 'bock a bowie In China geode at an imam,
disadvantage, only in some measure countertuLuised
by the attention which is Jae now being directed
towards that peculiar country. Mr. Milne, ens et
the enisaionaries of the London Society—bee the
merit of being • conscientious writer, who ean be
relied upon as never describing any habits or cus-
toms except those he has seen, and taking nothing
upon hearsay. This is a quality rare amongst tra-
vellers, and especially valuable when applied to the
teak of removing many absurd delomons about •
people who are held up to horror and ridicule be-
cause we know so little about them. No
doubt many persona consider the Chinese
very infatuated and self-aufticicnt peopls in
their rigid exclusiveness, and their pallid-
ence in refusing the "civilisation" of the yentern
nations ; but we ought to feel less contempt fw their
assumed ignorance when we reheat that they bars
before them, in the adjacent esdretry at Ms, •
specimen of what English "a'en• ma=
tint, beginning as peaceful seerebnis spa the
coast, and afterwards is the whelp serniehy ladle
t rule of si,v= hag l'ido
thei the Chireme—se &n die
not such shut all. lfr. Nam& book is well
worth reading. bet ear apse se only allow us to
epritet_. purr shrift hew generally the feeling
sr ravasy first]facia is spread over the
esentry. Ms. Mane wen travelling with a carded
angsise:
thaiswww, the Isal at my Massa disguise isitsd ar it
Pftimus. whisk we maid at this. p.m. MyMsss wan
hued Let, ash Asa I sit shoat awmag ssyssW la the
ebb la the minima aim attY ceentry,—•
issail-hirit rim it, • smith& jail* aim
imam Wieser are, gay as pink light isw
ism • pen to asis Iragoa raeiasia ia the sear, awl •
risk lsairechist wp Ma ism. Thus soossid I bail
DM I hi se crag, Ist wq hat as the teak wham • tie
assr no shoats& sat la is psis snits slam,. His.*
sa ustia.ar Oat item Amer • mere Ism ths
tits la ths 'aims, habis ban, Or% sad ~rim;
It the Warier. Tortiststy 1 bed preames of vial St
Mks as spice attires. awl Ist ts tit wq
pcs, awl &tag ivies le sermals mai atells
wldealariutaraw Masima ism illsMirllsola.
Ms Is ibis is sem We es
* wee trial the Ord at Mimi
luggage MI WIMP glebe Si the egailt 111 i it
the tries Masai pisity pat se Is melt sr.

nointois Om yeenerbilheirjearry. I weakling*
killenall nil Ode Difoleil the vale% "II" vw lam'
three tweets al • idle in Wen; bet, tit se, Lled
awn difficulty la eseestag deer el the rosy of
Mame sat at their deem finning nenselme their days
tog. Althea& in ph mid swagger I Wed Chinamen
peen will, at least as well as I weld, yet many sa eye era
sat at ins si It 1 soma ism nit specimen of • W
Inn, end ad seibelaaft kart* eta a lank Wlllll7
Dr lorkinnepielling len • lbebmerwager, which he re-
mised with essiseleniewastory.
Triaewp
thea aseend Wel at Pfkkwan, ended a
my IBM Wargonnen elnpoian where my ese.
yens IMO Inonlig in an I went a ushered into an
nem is indi Wee IWO user Inn the cans to make
- irkr • weep he fibmiesking. TM innkeeper
k lee, and pipes, be. There were several otber
lemellwe in the as sperineeM, wee lying asleep on the
Makers; while evade, the Ma as etunning—what with
prengers swift Se and fese, the lamikird shouting and
willen emsnieg Ms ert mil • awl of idlers winter-
ing enweeleeming et Illei. g. Herr Meekly] did I feel
Wl* skis le leis mew b • quiet huh new i Per the hat
bait-hear I bed beim newebet set ellen el enehre =
d
knew net bat emnisien bed been criewerli--peneeps
lire atit arm, then delenaion try the pollee, sait par
melien Nara WWI ley wish kill of ear-
Mem and an them I seend waif aside
the ems ef timberline ewe, bag.* that I might,
by • short net end •liille Ida mew new the
am-
end isle isle wadi I hal hen aims es lastad. Os Wet-
ing the yew, I heft my slew Int en sey ha. sad, la ere
gay me idea era idea re, I ales
thew ray air over =VP =ass a rearthiary
nommee—theadvmdege whisk willipmemily wpm. I bed
not entom wren miwynimeeitennekliewersibedin I
sumetranthemilweemieneigbeinimetolthe
The intruder Isobel sear* se ms, and in in we
asked me einem is WIN& " Who is that there r The
am replied, " I nay tilseltimiew. He has jog dweller
Ninon NA semi be • .salient lanued for the faawar.,"
The-boar thin as. up, end, pledge himself Were as.
demanded, " Take Minn list al rms." I nods so reply.
He repeated Ms Homed. I ea i ask Magee keep Mew
ad inemeed, " Dat yead+ry Mend, tint I an very
warm • ad menth is UM, I met take it
off till% ma • little sealer I you IA hamar. buiallyill,
down ad WM my yierere, I shed as ft a by sod
I wee $ rise dierread at his iseleetty agassay open
the had. Ilea he arweerri a wain aea
the ipfewles pekile:—. When year seisemet Newer
Wire de yea mere dent What ere yea idea aria
Whoa re yw irk. te r floe quakes he ameba Is
rain ea adalearres. Perceiving this, I nimeneell the
reel rift ride aria by his countrymen In their
inisemense Min ieeywa, and taking courage Mr
I la me et vaplekfm6 him by politeness and eti-
quette), I sepia to his successive wins is the *l.
towns wassisr:—. My vulgar aulllnnhe is —" Webf
the earn I la area fa ray travels). -4. lay
wiling new is —. The low and harabiej=
whisk I lam amee is be
biennia inseesepinries'emi Omni that I could gint lilt
=eV eiviimely Mon I. kel. rather maw
M learnisil lima Detecting the Mew
lees I hid Pal as a, apelike inquisitor, ned,
r= le maw Sew wry as. as to arra" I
la dr ermatisastisa areeday et the wow
fey:—"Alippm dr, whel inery Ise yaw enedient mis
meet hmenieW name/ anew as visor 110.; le ell
win& tin Maw pas Tear la a Sew setaida whirl
ea la rectialae baba He Sahel UMW, sin se I
ir Wei be raw Tery asupla. Ila eberied
that, Sea is et hie aeries, he intelied my . sar
.1,11 &all dandle; esi, pas* eraspaetreg it to be
Wee or early la es aeries /rides a la Oa het, he
bed, with a view et ryas
eat sesoles• we to
take a the ha. Haft prei le atli kis ael.
wia I di eau, ad aswpwaskthe that the athisrtualty
at essikwaikaphim bad sump I petty relsed-this straw
arse athe a weed, ad with a heriketaiet
wiped die aay ham& But the tit is
q rat feeanawl " Paul Per, new the
end enkwined. Ile he as from hie chair, lewd haw
bly, ward ef eel se are appeared. Than meek he my
tWd to l k this aka
The iterating diresd, in Europe, Asia, and Ana.
trahh. A min of Letters. Ily GEORGS FRANCIS
TRAIN. Laudon: Sampson Low and Co. New
York : 0. P. Putnam and Co.
The counting-house tourist is either a very maw
stag and instructive companion when he commits the
account of his travels to paper or he is a self-snM.-
cient tedious bore. He has not the art of the trained I
writer in choosing his materials and skilfully ar-
ranging them; but, on the other hand, we get a
new of interesting details upon business and sta-
tistical matters which a professional author would
either pass over, or treat in an incomplete and tal ltd.
tisfaetory manner. The attempts at fun and bril-
liant writing in the books of the business man arc,
we admit, frequently painful in the extreme; but
where he has the courage to be easy and natural, re-
cording his experiences, without aiming at undue
etre, his productions are always something more than
readable. The author of the book before as is a
business man, and an American to boot, and his tone
is flippant sometimes, and confident throughout.
He went from Boston to Australia in 1833, and es-
tablished a Imams of business, with which he is still
connected. His observation is not confined to the
southern continent, for he extended his travels to
Java, Singapore, China, Egypt, the Holy Land, the
Crimea, &c., about all of which places he has some-
thing to say of more or less value. His remarks
upon China arc interesting, as showing the American
point of view:
The feet is, the Western nations think bat preoloos little
el Chimney way. They drink the to and rase the silks,
sad aware' read the neerepaper intelligence, bit aside
tam them taereitail la the persona welfare and in the
him et the taw hap= est has, England and the
Vast Slaw wee la Me whether the country is opened
's SA gel ling nis ow, esiterprics, of tour-e. is
relay peenlyea; Ma &pa of electric wire, net a foot
etniwy, net um • amen marine telegraph at Hong
Siam or any of the wenlimparts to toll you of the arrival
de skip ; most of the lbw have a largo itpy glass, and the
meneet a sail heaves in dila, each is competition an I the
dean S. sOlnlenhing new, then • doses telsopes ere at
ewe *WI at the sew arrival, and clipper boats rest on
their as. le weave the perm Hsatitul bongs or hows
Inn boa bellti, kW a Mime bad, and some of the places
hies a • bOWIIm any or billiard trusts, bet,
sew a atees st Misidpa se Meagher, foreigners
can trerhem• aMe enterprise of the owe. Can
abates's* _
_lied radar set. If the government
deal eilk Minna nee nine Se ley • band at .t. One Or
$110111.10.84111 MN a 1611 MIES, and dm owners are
Irma teat esselhad a the laird rivers. let an one'
get lad diessally rid NOM al right. Chinamen like
our me Illieeftet are brought in contact with us
mirth setlenn this those in the interior, who have
warsll aeltisigenesellis am
a"
tat the not far off when
ameba all he a ea dean the canal.
and new. weir
to the delight of the
Chiseenno sear the P. and 0. steamers from
Hoeg SI
Mil an nernandl with Chineme weangen,
when I Oinelen dyer full of living freight,
an la Ilia ghee a taste for ouch travel
WI imillippirIlls Mee fin seaboats in the interior, and
what • SE
Istt RSZOINSIFT:Seine effherivers and email. in the
,flows.what I hay° been in-
of lesdinx merchants that rite silk ran
he nenstimared by British workmen, and
Sl/4
ipintria
the Chinamen on their
eins As ter the
it done with our ret-
ina% lefe Si IRV inonbillialivenrea. cheep
beer, ad catilLsow tee writ gar se ; and if too much
kg us, Chios'tile Meaty. The some thing loss been
E
la lade. sada elestearmaassaie win mbus!,
railietasaiss lir Salm wersee. we email wen to
maid &MN the _ emafeely if demi sni genius
Mgt illei in* nereesi4 et sake rata
Asa itsdass of his desthiptive style, we quote a
I pled= a tat Cesree-- the rlyule-park and Rotten-
er, deans :
Os wirsailhiessh sae of the military male, I found
as erialie seeriel with atagant equipages, and evening
dm maim I as elm along the Brim, watching the
akeselleg eperesta—sew Isaias in long rows, and now
Is Matta)leratrMatta) earks, carriage behind au-
ompois east as he • bell. Yon we all
trine BM in the spiel' ad wry are the romantic
dries el lea ate; lima while see told you, if your
=the a ad of shaft adventure and hair- 1
am it das ether is. Way • eriamity
=l_lll se wetalits he.4444......1741.1 at the
llear"se_ . awe art t
be Emmy Wawa I
peas-
sasewil et Ihe veriree al wawa a Isla life. awe
a dee
airrklarra wait set blest te he era in Haw
pa. may a the Ara !war es the wadi ,
alert again la liakeraw. The hed
Nee a the eta& eaure la ear le
=thelr ad arra wraps te the
ef ate see i r time
es dry
as Nadia The derreeiniewe is Ind deli
dee arastare t_ . _ . prbertheare make their war
eseilid the MalesSw4 .a-Mast the army, the may
bre Ow Onsill._slie maim dry Sawa dear
presaisad! am hddi ahead alien of the da w-
as Neale= lease via the leseeleat ealwaspme
el Mae vie lead lien well Id lessi:Ce.
D'ollit. bh Ili It dakedi -Ile hos bier
he lutes theswas a lapel ale a e matere,
ear le he ao maths Is Dermil ado ease a war
Oda hat yeah, a hie Mere ma pilaity. These as
he ails Idea is he vela de likrisa is lia, as
lie as tee sederbie fee air .
_The Bare
lailids re she tote link spina ea I are es-
saw saw "flay' a a dew York baggy; ad are is
Gaeta Mehra a a liesetiki Salk reseig- , as Mr
by te the hie et Waft the bretileiltir the
Las dile Ms etas the ear der bar ark, ma the
lake tha !eve apisled am tad llama ea i Maglllg
a her lagali has Mahan a hlsh teak, Sawa la
their atiestre sal a new edema Mil limairs don