The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-28 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

One Maiden Only. By Edward Tainsh, Author of
" St. Alice." Three Vols. Hurst and Blackett.

Very vividly does this story open upon us. It
is a wild night on the Cornish coast, and an
anxious group are watching the struggles of a
shipwrecked crew. Among the watchers are Mr-
Spenser, the old clergyman of the village, and his
daughter Beata and his two foster sons, Geoffrey
and Hartley Leighton, who have been educated
under his care since the death of their father. The
two young men are regarded as brothers at the
vicarage, and to Beata they are very dear brothers.
A. boat is despatched to the rescue of the drowning
men, and Hartley volunteers to be of the party
In the moment of danger, when his life trembles ill
the balance, Beata Spenser, in the agony of her
emotion, discovers that Hartley is mere to her than
a broth€r. The scene is very effective throughout,
►nd it is the prelude to a very enthralling atoly
The autlan's meaning with regard to the title of the
work is not explained to us ; it may mean that one
maiden only could act like the unselfish and devoted
Beata, but more probably, we arc inclined to think
he title has referenca to the conduct of Hartley
in offering to more than one fair damsel the devo-
tion of his fickle heart. When absent from the
more perfect Beata Hartley amuses himself with
Etta, and every reader of his history considers the
hero rightly served, when (both ladies being en-
lightened by the gossipping letters of a common
friend) he is refused by the one and the other ! This
occurs at the very beginning of the story. The
first volume is a very eventful one, and is for that
reason perhaps the most interesting. We shall not
reveal the ultimate issue of Hartley's courtship, or
explain the different effects which disappointed
love produces upon the hearts and lives of Beats
and Etta. The different development of their
characters is very cleverly and effectively pour-
trayed. The names of the heroines of this tale are
indeed somewhat eccentric. We have not only Beata
and Etta, but Elia and Ailleen, assuredly four
as peculiar appellations as were ever bestowed upon
four fair ladies. The love story of Geoffrey and
Elia is very tenderly and delicately touched upon ;
it is more of a dream than a reality. We are, how-
ever, inclined to smile at the indignation with which
Geoffrey, and the author also, regard the conduct of
Elia's uncle. It is true that every teacher is not a
GeoffreyLeightou. Elia's guardian was certainly defi-
cient in discrimination, but the fierce denunciations
of his " reptile" nature are, to say the least of it,
extravagant to a degree. The two brothers,
Geoffrey and Hartley, are as dissimilar as two
brothers could well be. The vicissitudes of Hart-
ley's character and career are very skilfully
described ; 'we follow him with interest throughout,
and close the third volume of the story with regret.
" One Maiden Only " will find favour with many
novel leaders, and that Maiden will assuredly be
no other than Beata Spenser.

Misunderstood. By Florence Montgomery, Author
of " A very Simple Story." One Vol. Richard

Bentley.

Few who have read " The very Simple Story,"
so charming in its simplicity and so pathetic in its
truthfulness, will ivery readily forget the picture
of little May, in ber night-dress, standing 011
tiptoe at her mother's chamber door,- or that other
picture,when she has gained access to the forbidden
room, of the living child asleep on the bosoin
of the dead mother. The pictures and the nar-
rative of " The Simple Story " were worthy of
each other. The same authoress in this new book
now before us:describes to us with tender, loving
touches the trials and emotions of another mother-
less darling. Florence Montgomery is, indeed,
gifted with a wonderful appreciation for the joys
and sorrows of childhood, and marvellous in-
sight into the workings of little hearts. The hero
of this tale, the child who is " misunderstood" even
by those who love him best, is Humphrey Dun-
combe, the elder of the two sons of Sir Everard
Duncombe. The mother has been dead a
'few years before the opening of the tale,
and the bright impetuous Humphrey and the
gentle, timid Miles are left to the care of Virginie,
their French nurse, at their father's country seat.
Sir Everard, who is much engaged with Parliamen-
tary duties,spendsasrnuch time as he possibly can with
his beloved children. He is a most tender and devoted
father, but the object of the story is to show how easily
some children may be misunderstood by hasty,
superficial observation, even of an affectionate
parent. Little Humphrey Duncombe is outwardly
gay and vivacious, ready to yield to the
impression of the moment, but is gifted with a ten-
derly susceptible heart. To his father he always
appears thoughtless and possessed of little feeling,
but his mother had been well acquainted with the
depths of his affectionate heart. Her memory lingers
lovingly in his thoughts, and her picture in the ne-
glected drawing-room is his favourite place of re-
fuge in the troubles of his childish life. The little
story is narrated with the same charming natural-
ness of style and tenderness of feeling so conspi-
cuous in the former writings of Florence Mont"
gomery.