The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-18 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

In the Silver Age : Essays, that is, Dispersed Me-
ditations. By Holme Lee, author of " Maude
&c. Two vole. Smith and Elder.
Novel readers have been indebted to Holme Lee
for many pleasant stories, cleverly told, but the
happiest effort of this charming authoress is the
very delightful collection of essays and meditations
on men and things now issued in two elegant
volumes, entitled " The Silver Age." Often, says

,he authoress in her preface, while writing fict4+iou!
.ales, she has felt an inward prompting to do some

thing better ; and here, in the " Silver Age," this
" better" achievement is before us. It contains (adds
the introductory comment) the experiences of a
working woman's life, and let us add, also, the ex-
periences of a thoughtful mind and tenderly sensi-
tive nature. By the way of example, let us quote
the following very observant remark—
" Did we profit genuinely by the experience of other per-
sons, or even by our own, thought I, we should very early
in life give up rejoicing or disquieting our hearts about
what is unsure. But, as it is universal, no doubt that it is
best that, like children, we should be driven to our imper-
fectly-conned lesson again and again ; that we should have
our smiles and our tears continually diverted by sudden
chocks of surprise, and that still, like children, we should
have courage left to make for ever new starts to repair
false starts; while our capacity for hoping and fearing stays
by us to the last throb of the pulse. Half our life is lived
in the vain expectation or dread of what never comes to
pass. Young, we lay out long before us a pleasant story
sunny-bright and flowery-gay with love, sympathy, and
tenderness, which is to be our life-story ; later, we toil and
vaguely trouble in prospect of a dreary volume of labour
and care which we believe ourselves doomed to travel
through ; and when we least dream it God writes an inexor-
ablefiuid on the glowing page, and in a moment takes away
the volume that we thought too hard, and gives us quite
another task and leaves us to it, By this time we might
have learnt that all our planning and all our shying aro less
than nothing to Him who disposes—but have we ? I can-
not remember that I ever yet met man or woman so old,
dull, or world-weary that ho or she had not some ray of
forlorn hope gill held in front that the faint breath of life
kept stirring; and beyond its doubtful attainment a
scheme."
One of the most charming chapters in the work is
filled with tender reminiscences of the writer's
mother, of whom the following touching little
glimpse is given—
"' By great sorrows the heart is protected against small
ones, by the waterfall against the rain,' It must have been
in this wise with my mother. She was not a woman of
many words or of any complaints. What came was by
God's permission, what went was by God's will. Ido not
think she ever philosophised over the hardships of her life
save in this simpls Christian fashion; and though to the
narrow world outside her home she might seem not to have
so many causes of thankfulness, yet she was always thank-
ful. It is only ourselves that know what we have been
spared. Happiness, she taught us, was not the main pur-
suit of life, but duty ; and her example wont even beyond
her precept. To do her best and trust Gad for the result
was her visible effort no less than it was her constant coun-
sel and consolation ; and to the very last God redeemed
the promises made to those who put their confidence in
Him by maintaining in her a quiet heart,"
The revelation of the treasured hoards of the poor
mother—little reminiscences of her children's lives,
their early endeavours at letter writing,
very naturally and tenderly described. Full of
feeling and full of wisdom, too, are the thoughtful
recollections and fanciful imaginings of Holm Lee.
Q.d the " Silver Age" will give pleasnre to many
readers.

Holiday Papers. By harry Jones, M,A, One Vol

Pp. 431. Hardwicke.
It was holiday work for the author to pen these
very delightful essays, and it is assuredly holiday
work to the reader to peruse them. They are con-
spicuous especially for the sound common sense by
which every opinion is dictated, and by the quiet
fund of humour by which every chapter is enlivened.
As an example of both qualifications combined let
us select at hazard the following happy descrip-

ion :--