The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-24 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Not Dead Yet. By J. C. Jesffreson, author of
"Live it Down," (3,:z. Three Vols. Hurst and
Blackett.

Un wearying perseverance and undying hope are
virtues which the author of " Live it Down" and
"Not Dead Yet" dearly loves to inculcate. If dis.
appointment dishearten you, if misfortune over.
whelm you—no matter, endure and you will
conquer. Whatever the evil, " Time works
wonders," Patience overcomes all things—live ii
down. Such is Mr. Jeaffreson's philosophy, and
very powerfully, by precept, and example does his
eloquent pen enforce the lesson. Mr. Jeaffreson's
very brilliant powers as a novel writer arc very
abandently manifested in this new work. His
sketches of character are same of them most fed.
citous, his descriptions are very charming and hie
mysteries very intricate ; nevertheless, there are
some very serious flaws in the now novel now
before us. The story is, to say the least of
it, most improbable. The two heroes are
two half-brothers, who, ignorant of their rela-
tionship, have become sworn friends, each having
for different reasons assumed the name cf Smith !
These brothers, Rupert and Edward, may be brieflj
elesigaateo as a "knave," a clever, unscrupulous,
nypocritical knave, and a "fool," whose credalous
goodness is certainly incredible. Edward Smith,
the good hero, is so wonderfully end quixotically
good as to be raised almost beyond the reach of
unman syrup, thies, he is apparently so little dis-
lathed by the ordinary weaknesses of humanity.
A good man struggling with the ills of fate" is an
object of intense interest to beholders, but Edward
Smith can sacrifice himself without a struggle.
We could justify our assertion by an enumeration
of his heroic actions, but we are reluctant to betray
the mysteries of the story. In these days of scnsa-
tion writing the critic's hands are tied, he is upon
-ionour with the author who has entertained him,
not to reveal What he has learned. We must con-
ant ourselves, therefore, with a superficial allusion
to the narrative, into the details of which we shall
out enter. The story is very elaborate, and we are
tnclined to regard the construction as faulty.
there is too much preiiruivary prep..ratiun (and ye.
hat preiminary portion is so charmingly described
we are loath to quarrel with it), while the more
important business has to be crowded into a brief
space towards the conclusion, just as our 1«-gislatore
exercise their eloquence by flowery discussions at
he beginning or the ses::ion and overwork
Themselves to make up for lost time at the close
The story opens in the year 1846, the principle
vents of which are thus vividly enumerated-
-1846.
It was a year when men who liked to talk about politics
had an abundant supply of topics in events, foreign and
domestic. The French had their brilliant affairs in Al-
geria; Portugal was carrying on a grim contest with in-
surrection in her northern provinces; Spain was in a
ferment about matrimonial projects which by no means met
with universal satisfaction; in Poland there was a sharp
contest between Liberty and General Collin ; and California
joined hands with the United States, whilst that happy
family made war upon the Mexicans. England, too, had
her peculiar causes of disquiet and fear, her particular
sources of mirth and gratulation. In Ireland, poor people died
of hunger, whilst rich men were removed by assassination ;
in India, Sir Harry Smith won the battle of Aliwall, and
Sir Hugh Gough the battle of Sobraon. In London, Lady
Blessington received, at Gore House, a distinguished visitor
from the fortress of Ham; and King Hudson still entertained
his worshippers at Albert Gate, although the railway panic,
following close on the railway mania, had wrung a wail of
agony from the land, and hurled down thousands of fami•
lies from effluence to want. In populous towns and rural
villages the discontent of indigent workmen inspired
Chartist leaders with courage, and struck terror into the
timid ; and amidst the confusion, consequent on commer-
cial distress and famine, with angry menaces and denuncia-
tions, the misconceptions and misconstructions, which
always attend the confi cts of great parties, at heart
thoroughly honest anc desperately earnest, the grand battle
between Free Trade and Protection terminated suddenly in
the abolition of the corn laws, By these events and other
occurrences scarcely less momentous was marked the yera
15a6, the year in which this tale begins.
At the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1846, Edward
Smith, the artist-hero of the tale, has two pictures
and he here makes acquliutance with one of :In
most conspicuous characters of the story, and out
evidently a favourite with the author, John Harri-
son Newbolt, the Radical member for Hurling.
Phis self-made men with his wealth and his
presumption, his egotistical gtn4osity and his
overbearing tyranny, is very happily and
powerfully described. Very charming is the
sketch of his pet daughter Ro', one of the
most guileless, and fa,,cinating, and natural
of heroines. Her sister Ida is very delightful in
her way, but why is she a hunchback and a
cripple ? It is quite paintul to be continually told
of her "limping" here and "limping" there in pur-
suance of some benevolent intention. We must now
say a word about the other hero, the evil geniue t)
tne tale,