The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-21 00:00:00

LITERATURE.
IHE BATTLE OP LIFE. A Love Story.
Charles Dickens.

Those who have latterly seemed to rejoice in cavil-
ling at the Christmas books of Mr. Dickens will find
some difficulty in discovering any theme for ridicule
or reprehension in this exquisite "Love Story." It
contains to description of a race between a kettle
and a cricket, as did the " Cricket on the Hearth ;"
neither are its pages peculiarised by a dissertation
upon tripe, as were those of the " Chimes." Among,
its characters we can discover no William Fern, talk-
ing revolutionary sentiments in words of rustic elo-
quence ; among its incidents there is no narrative
,n a Lilian hurrying to the river to commit suicide.
Altogether, there is not here a single peg upon which
the most churlish reviewer could, with any degree of
plausibility, hang up his scarecrow objections.
'There is no opportunity, in critscising the present
publication, for any one to vituperate upon the
author for what might be construed into an affecta-
tion of drollery or the indulgence of a spurious phi-
lanthropy. If ever Mr. Dickens wrote without
ostentation, he has so written in this little volume.
It is the most graceful composition he has yet penned.
ihere is less mannerism about it than about anything
he has ever produced. The author has written upon
the simplest plot imaginable, has introduced the
most natural characters, and has told his tale of the
human affections with the most delightful volubility
and the most genial pensiveness. As to the pur-
nose of the narrative, it is noble and unaffet ted
en 'ugh. It is so condensed into a single sentence
uttered by the hero, that we shall transcribe that
sentence entire. " I believe," he says, speaking of
the battle of life, "I believe there are quiet victo-
ries and struggles, great sacrifices of self and noble
acts of heroism, in it—even in many of its apparent
lightnesses and contradictions—not the less difficult
to achieve, because they have no earthly chronicle or
audience • done every day in nooks and corners, and
in little households, and in men's and women's hearts
—any one of which might reconcile the sternest man
to such a world, and fill him with belief and hope in
it, though two-fourths of its people were at war, and
another fourth at law; and that's a bold word."
Beautifully are these grand and elevating principles
expressed by the deeds recorded in this little book:
beautifully are these " quiet victories," these " great
sacrifices of self," and these " noble acts of heroism"
in men's and women's hearts, exemplified in its occur-
rences : beautifully are merriment and melancholy
combined in the materials of this simple fiction.
Scrooge was shown the foolishness of his misanthropy
by the visions of the " Carol.:" Trotty Yeck was ren-
dered contented even with his miserable existence by the
nightmares of the " Chimes :" John Peerybingle was
convinced of the faithfulness of little Dot by the dreams
of the " Cricket on the Hearth." In the "Battle of Life"
a transformation is effected in one of the principle
characters, not however through the agency of gob-
lins, or fairies, or spirits, or other supernatural visi-
tors, but by the purity, the valour, the self-denial,
and the magnanimity of virgin hearts. Doctor Jed-
dler, at the commencement of the story, is described
as a great philosopher, the heart and mystery of whose
philosophy was " to look upon the world as a gigantic
practical joke ; as something too absurd to be con-
sidered by any rational man." Before the conclusion
of the book this same Doctor Jeddler is forced to ac-
knowledge that " it's a world full of hearts, and a
serious world, with all its folly ;" that "it's a world
on which the sun never rises but it looks upon a
thousand bloodless battles that are some set-off against
the miseries and wickedness of battle-fields ;" that, in
fine, " it's a world we need be careful how we libel."
So genial and purifying is the effect produced by the
perusal of this volume; so generously is the mind
impressed by the nature of the truths embodied in it;
so vivid and so beautiful is the sentiment by which its
every passage is pervaded, that we close the leaves
with that golden sentence ringing in our ears—
" Heaven forgive us, for it is a world of
.sacred mysteries, and its Creator only knows what lies
beneath the surface of his lightest Image!" In saying
this, we are uttering no idle panegyric on the book ;
the justice of our commendations may be settled in a
couple of hours by the perusal of the " three parts."
First as to the plot : —The story occurs " once upon a
time," about a hundred years ago, and opens upon a
spot where, long before, a tierce battle had been
fought. "It was fought," says the historian, "upon
a long, summer day, when tha waving grass was
green. " Many a wild flower," he continues,
"many a wild flower, formed by the Almighty hand
to be a perfumed goblet for the dew, felt its enamelled
cup fill high with blood that day, and shrinking
dropped." The description of the battle-field is a
ghastly but instructive picture, even in the grim
fertility which is described as having followed the
carnage. Here, however, the author abruptly
changes his theme by pourtraying a pastoral land-
scape in autumn, and by especially directing the
reader's attention to one particular orchard where
two young girls are dancing merrily together on the
grass, while peasants arc gathering apples in the sur-
rounding trees :
" If there were no such thing as display in the world,
my private (Tinier; is, and I Ii pe you agree with roe,
that we might get on a great deal better than we do,
and might be infinitely more agreeable comp'iny than
we are. It was charming to sec how these girls danced.
They bad no spectators but the apple-pickers on the
ladders. They were very glad to please them, but they
danced to pleaze themselves (or at least you would have
supposed so); and yen could no more help admiring,
than they co&d help dancing. How they did fiance!
" Not like opera dancers. Not at all. And not like
Madame Anybody's finished pupils. Not the least. It
was not quadrille dancing, ncr minuet dancing, nor even
country-dance dancing. It was neither in the old style,
rior the new style, nor the French style, nor the English
style, though it may have been, by accident, a trifle in
the Spanish style, which is a free and joyous one, I am
told, deriving a delightful air of off-hand inspiration,
from the chirping little castanets. As they danced
among the orchard trees, and down the groves of stems
and back again, and twirled each other lightly round
and round, the influence of their airy motion seemed to
spread and spread, in the sun lighted scene, like an ex-
panding circle in the water. Their streaming hair and
fluttering skirts, the elastic grass beneath their feet, the
boughs that rustled in the morning air—the flashing
leaves, their speckled shadows on the soft green ground
—the balmy wind that swept along the landscape, glad
to turn the distant windmill, cheerily—everything be-
tween the two girls, and the man and team at plough
upon the ridge of land, where they showed against the
sky as if they were the last things in the world—seemed
dancing too.
These are the daughters of Dr. Jeddler, already men-
tioned, the elder named Grace, the younger named
Marion. And admirable creations are Grace and Ma-
rion. :Excepting Little Nell, they are the most exqui-
site female characters yet conceived by Mr. Dickens.
Making certain allowances fort the brevity of the
"Battle of Life" when compared with the " Pirate,"
Grace and Marion are quite equal to Minna and
Brenda, the most charming of the heroines of Sir
Walter Scott. Both these maidens are in love with
Alfred, Jeddler's ward, who, on attaining his ma-
jority, leaves his guardian to seek his fortune. Marion,
the younger
--
sister, is affianced to Alfred—Grace,
with a noble self-forgetfulness, concealing her own
passion for him, enl fostering by every means the
affection of the lovers. The first part closes with the
departure of the hero from the house of his guardian
and his separation from his betrothed. Exquisitely is
the conquest of Grace over the impulses of her own
heart pourtrayed with those honest eyes of hers
beaming upon her,'sister, "so calm, serene, and cheer-
ful!" Exquisite is that little incident related where
Marion gazes for a moment after the retreating figure
of her affianced, and " then turning back again, and
meeting for the first time those calm eyes, fell
sobbing on her neck Oh, Grace ; God bless you!
But I cannot bear to see it, Grace ! It breaks my
heart.' " Three years have rolled by when the story is
resumed in the second part. One Michael Warden
a half-ruined squire is then introduced ; he is de-
scribed as wonderfully reduced in circumstances and
as desperately in love with Marion. They meet
clandestinely, and everything indicates a reciprocal
affection, when a letter arrives from Alfred Heath-
field, announcing his intention of returning home. A
grand party is given by Dr. Jeddler at Christmas
time in honour of his nephew, who is expected to
arrive that night. During the height of the festivi-
ties Marion steals out of the banquet room and
elopes, as the reader imagines, with Michael Warden.
Alfred reach his home only to find his betrothed
has become a fugitive under the most unfavourable
circumstances. Six years have elapsed, when the
personages of the fiction are again introduced in the
third part. Grace has married Alfred, but mystery
still envelopes the fate of Marion. One evening, a
favourite anniversary, the elder sister is promised
that before the sun has set she shall know all particu-
lars about the younger. The day-god is slowly
sinking below the horizon, a figure is perceptible on
the threshold of the orchard, a rustle of a
white garment is visible in the evening air. " Oh,
God ! Was it a vision that came bursting from the
old man's arms, and with a cry, and with a waving
of its hands, and with a wild precipitation of itself
upon her in its boundless love, sank down in her em-
brace !" Marion has returned, still a maiden, still
unmarried, still unbetrothed. During the six past
years she has been secluded with her aunt Martha—
aving resolved, in the greatness and nobleness of her
nature, to conquer her own selfish feelings, and by
this retirement to enable Grace to be united to the
man they both loved so truthfully. So is demon-
strated the heroisln
of those battles of life fought " in
little households:' So is effected the conversion of
Dr. Jeddler to a knowledgee of the grandeur, and the
invstri
pathos, and themysteries, the magnanimity
in God's
which are discernible
creation.o Michael
Warden, meanwhile,
again, with his
has tuned
evity.somewhat and hish. fortunesl some
what way,
what imprpved,and the author, in
Tivae-7-rr''th Nvh9in
1 he
a tdhethe pleasurelatter poafr ta
observeS; "
with whom I have of this story, and w
me five and • personal' acquaintance of so thirty years'
ily upon his scythe,
duration, inthrtued