The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-19 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Firs Mel Friends and a Inang Priner, By
Author of " The Story of laiiralmAia." 3.44,11.
Eldt.r. mud Co.

%nether the popular series of sketchestolled
appeared sonic time since in Kr. Dickens's you',
veriodital suggested the idea of the. book 4,,
imbit know, but perhaps no title could be Nut l
it .moro suggestive of its soope and clam.
Est these " old stories " satinet merely retold. L
are L sised to a dignity which they never on;••;.1
beg'. They are oonverted from nues.wy t 4,4
into 'hones of every-day life for grown pavt„.,
mesas ; and this with so much ingenuity, end wity
such as abundance of genuine humour sat de
[irate isik 're, as not only to make them entirely ate
, bui to form on the whole one, of ti 11.,,,:
or al h ooks win.* have appeared fur a 1,,„
time.
The pow Old Friend. whom Mies TFir
(for it is Bon cret that this volume is from the per
of r of the great novelist) has isle
are ao ootWhrrrrsa than our early favourite:,
Bleeping Bank • in the Wood," i•
" Beauty and tbk Reset:" " Red Riding 11, A
and " Jack the Oi nit Killer." Her treatrurni.a.l
there old favourites • of the Nursery is peciihar utl
novel. The stories into which they are, a: it
translated, aresteelsof modern life with nil Bees
scones sad chareetea a, sometimes bearing
faintly recalling thus ' in the original tote,: 1,4
as a rule, having so a, allemblanco to thew. 'l',ol
are, indeed, mole like parallel itor.e..l of aL
and more prosaic woek I. They might le• l„:•4
for real histories, of irk 'ch the old
konindtheofilebergornadof
gianfoltiautuahadowing -the 1i1y..,
facts of the legends • frequently repre.
iu Miss Thaerily'a ires by in "r"
analocies.
Take the case of the oath or'l V..r'i''nof"
the Giant Killer." This pr •1 hi a di,•
which still prowl about this, re ,thu d',v
dretroying in the shape of plea rty, •j.. „,
bad laws, and unwise social sin ,

is something which will jar, p
mind of the imaginativo reader wli.,
opened the book expecting to find in it
fancy of the old story with its. go ,•.'i
probabilities when he discovers that tin•
of the flourishing existence of those m
sented to the writer's mind by a cop v of * !A,
ing newspaper. It is, as she tells la •My
morning in the year 1867 that aka to • lf, •
strange record and medley of the thing'
in this world together. Jocks and giants,.
champion belts and testimonials; kap
queens, knights and oastles and
annum' of horror, and shouts or Lin
and of encouragement or anger ; fe,ling. ..,1
prejudices and events—all vibrating, urginz,
tarding, influencing each other. " Meatiwilii.. ../
the author) people are lying dying in heini•
victims of ono or more of the cruel monsters W. 11
ill dads we all Lave witnessed. In St. Barth
mew's wards, for instan co, aro rocorded t wonty- - •
cases of victims dying from what doctors c.a.'
trcnnne. Which Jack is there anion.;
strong enough to overcome this giant wi:h
cruel lion* fangs and force him to alandut ,
prey
All this forms the prelude to Mimi Thisclo.r•; .
story of " Jack the Giant Killer," her Jack
a certain Join Trevithic, whom she thus
duces :

Certainly it was through no fancy world that pAr I
Trevitkuc'r path led him wandering in life, but amid r- ...-
tee so stern and No pitiful at tunes that oven hut .) rt;
failed him now and than. Ile NM no colehrsted
though I have ventured to christen him after the
type of our childhood , he was an outopok.n
with a stubborn tempo:. and a tenderheart,
to outer things, although from within it was not
that anjthing Hemmed to affect his even moods and ch .7
fill temper. lie was a bright-faced, broad-sot rem?,
fellow, about six end twenty. with thick light h..cr
eagleish eyes. and lire and white teeth like a girl. II:.
hands were like himself, broad and strong. with wi
competent fingers, that could fight and hold fait d
be ; and yet they were so clever and gentle withal. t...'
children felt safe in his grasp, and did not think dery
and people in Double would clutch at them when hie
than out. Perhaps Jack did not always understand
extent of the griets fur which his cheerful sympathy w
better medicine after itAl than any inure morbid investi4.
thins into their depths could have proved to most of us.
This reverend wrestler with modern giants-- •
evils which afflict society—is traced
various adventures, from the time when
Moineaux and Miss Triguett first introduce th,•::.•
selves to the writer at tlundres to solicit sub,..-:: •
tions towards purchasing a teapot to be prei,
to that renowned local slayer of personified
in " grateful remembrance of his exertioub
the cholera season," down to the titue ied• TI
young pari,on having slain his " •-•
settles down in " married felicity," a t.-rrer t..
social monsters to the end of his days.
. .

.
Intarmin gled with these stories are n:1••.. •
clever sketches of characters, humorous aid •
wise. The authoress wields casily the z.
natured and wise, kind humour which cct •
and turn to account even the failings of r •
cause. The style throughout is easy and prr
and entirely free from everything like -Aram:- _
affectation. The book forms a handsome v.,. :
for the talc, and contains fear illuAri.l-1,
Mr. Frederick Walker.

Eiklayd CA Men and Manners. By WILLIAM slt- •
ATONE. BratibUry and Evans.

In an age when such oollectiotui of essays
The Gentle Life" are found to sell. no apolog•
can be required fur a reprint of Shenstone's eg,b• •
upon '• Men and Manners." We are indeed ...
dined to think that the essays of the gt utle
sopher of The Leasuwes have been ut
neglected. There are frequently more Lau
ingenious thoughts in a page of them ttri
whole volume of the more modern protti, •
this way which Lave recently become 1..
in the revolutions of literary fashion ess
men and manners arc once more in deli ti
even critical and political jountals are now
without one or inure essays on sociAl
But this is a department of literature in
there has deeitledly been little improveniiii:
modern essay is, at a rule. weak, and, te
extressitn which has lately become 1:
" twaddling."
6henatime's essays pt1.4.1e,3 111024 of tae et:
whist the old school of etiticisiu dra
that folio of composition. They at.,
nyberiatie, ingenion+. To.y
easily into detaelati thoughts. 'fhi,y
small amount of wise retteotott and
eistu upon human weakites.s. But. ilk,
aphoristic writing, their thou hr. are eft,qi
ingenious than true, anti reso:to
coniideratkat into mete
stance, his remark
Evil' Joe Miller in his j.•• ti Liu In ..i•• t.,
tics. He generally give+ t!.e victor. or !ia-it.
on the ..ids et tui.i it :so inu‘.ll couilitun
mankind.

-----
The ides of this remark is pleasing.
evident that this fact alone was father
thought. It is easy, as anyone who
turned over the pages of a jest-book most
to find Joe Millerisms in which the very
is the ease. As in Oriental stories the gres
tics of the eadi, who orders both roliis
robbed to be bestinadoed, and pockets the
himself, has always a humorous effect, so
be observed that the narration of a &grail
of roguery in a jest-book will general')
people laugh. The drollery of oeurtie
moongruity of the fact with received anti
right doing--the oddity and unexioeto.b
the act and of the effrontery which bears i
For the same reason, cheating a creditor—ti
him with cool impudence of the kinet WIM
Charles Mathews makes so effective in thn
rooter of Affable Hawk- -or playing a earl
disagreeable joke, is one of the meet popith
venerable of stage witticisms. The tart i
few think of the morality of the matter.
even creditors in pit. gallery, and boxes.
heartily at the scene.
Again take his remark :
Very few srutimenia are proper to be put in a ,
mouth during the tirAt attack of gnot. Evers
diegtude except mere sisaptieity this. kis'
brother.

it the giutle 1•1,.. - ; r.
sve been utilu.-...
ly more liam.y s.-; ' L,
0i Ihlill III• 13 I!! . E
Bern pr&i, • • ..t• '• , it
.
y become 1.- . , 0
r fashion .-, 1,, • • 61
ore in drum:! 1 . • AJ
Cti
mils are rt,v.: ....• • , B
on social ~.', • ' I.i
literature in ; , . ci
ititerovenirti:. E
eiik, and, to it
beconte CI i ' V!
1 L.
at of th•• .; I'
io' c.
Icistu .le.L. • . i I
They 1/1.1• ;' 14
ir.g. T. • . • Li
They on A . C,
tzi
,ii tind •Itr.•%. i .• la
i. lint. Ilk, zn
lvs azo oft 1i
,i 13
,i thetio...l%.- • P.
ei..... '1'.1:.,.. 1.., .• • 1
let
et
in ..v.• t., 1.,•' • dm
r.. or ~.rat. th. . ; Is-
ur:ril :v11'341411, '1 1.-
it
pitligilig .
1)31 :'
'•
•
was gather t , : • 1
.'.no who ii3r. ...," Inc
• 3
-hulk must kr.'" • ml
:h the very r.• 1•, a
ries the gr 0..... nip.-
Tri tie
t both robber irl
Ire
pi)ekets the !,.." lIU
US effect, s.. C %.• •
i of a &grout 1 .
ill generally tr.,,.'' en
in
eouree tier 111 t'i':
In
('rived n,)ti,,n, ', to
uttexp-cte.ble•• ' a 3
blob bears it :".' of
I cresiitor—t IV-Illit: VI
'RI
he kiwi whieh Nlc•
eetive in the eil3' 114
CCI
eying /3 croilitor ' 14.1
111001 1101101 a 1" Ft
. The fa.t is 014
the matter. a h'•!:' NI
and bozo*. INIA'h all
Ine
01
is
a be put in a ra't'a` el
If gnot Everything rvi
-as thill. Mat e 'lll IN