The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-23 00:00:00

-
no danger in life that can be avoided by good luck,
i
or fortunate coincidences. The only sure safeguard s
within the armour of proof, must be the mot s eonsa.
recti, and this poor Maggie did not possess. With
all her kind nature, her generous devotion, her im-
passioned earnestness, she had not that self-control,
that self denial, and that high principle which
would have prevented things taking the course
they did. This is the victory which overcometh
the world, even our faith. Now Maggie
lacked
this needful gift, she did not feel that if she put
away all evil suggestions the day would come whe-
ther it waited till the glare and turmoil of life 0
meridian was past, and arose in its sacred beauty to
shine in the far-off twilight of its years, when peace,
must eventually be hers ; not the deadening 0'
worn-out endurance, but the fulness of the joy that
passes understanding, in the bright realisation
of works not done in vain. The conduct of Steplie.°
does not seem to concern one, as it is with Maggie
that our interest is necessarily entwined, and her
dereliction alone has power to depress us. Thongs
to casual observers the scenes in the last interview
between her and Stephen may seem unlikely, such
is not the case. Uncommon natures must not he
measured by a common standard, and here we have
to deal with one who is not often to be met with,
thsugh not an impossible creation. When the
harm was done in the eyes of others, she awoke t°
consciousness, but the struggle 'yaw; fearful wale?'
she returned to her home. An excellent picture Is
drawn of the cruel, partial-viewing world, wh°
Care little for justice and nothing for misery, be"
delight to run down reputations, and revel in sill
fallen victims. The closing scene is most admirably
described, beginning in the sombre gloom of th,°
watcher's chamber, with no sound to break t?
stillness of midnight silence, and having 1:4-,
sue in the fearful but sublime spectacle °'
the overwhelming flood. It was a more fit-
ting end for one like Maggie to die, when
facing death, than sit and wait in calm decay fora
gradual dissolution of the vital powers ; she passed
away in her youth, strength, and beauty : she ays°
taken when sorrowing over the prospect of the log
years that must pass before time had quenched the
.
fire of her spirit, and blighted the force of her frame'
She knew not that she must go hence with her
spirit burning in the zeal of a glorious work With
her powers in full vigour nerving her to a flespe-
rate encounter with raging elements. As the last
night approached sbe was so wrapt up in reading
letter received from Stephen that she lingered e,
" with no image of rest coming across her rain'
except of that far far off rest from which there
would be no more waking
.for her into this
struggling earthly life." Prophetic vision, since
she closed not her eyes till in the sleep that knouts
no waking ! It is satis?actory to notice her last
act was a righteous one, and that she had begeu,
to fight the valorous fight in rejecting the offers 0'
Stephen, who was certainly devoted to her. The
thoughts of childhood came across her in the dark
hour of peril, and having secured a boat, She
sought her old home. She succeeded in rescuing
her-brother, and together those who had been (Iv
vided by angry feelings met to die. As they We
approaching safety, as they thought, some hugi
masses of detached machinery floated along, su
came in fatal contact with them, and all trace'
were hidden. " The boat re-appeared, but brother
and sister had gone down in an embrace ne've,. 0
to be parted—living through again in one suprero..
moment the days when they had clasped thet
little hands in love, and roamed the daisied fig'
together." Apart from these chief characters►
there is much to mention with apt:a-0100
tion in regard to the secondary personageli
Mrs. Tulliver's family is remarkably we
delineated in its several branches. The sisters
the Dodson family carried with them into the Wl' t
all the peculiarities that distinguished them
home, and certainly when they met in concls1::
they presented a formidable phalanx to the unilll
tate& It was better to face an armed host "
expect victory than to hope to controvert s:
opinion or remove a prejudice belonging to io
female whose proud privilege and most euvisb't
distinction was to remember herself, and not le,
others forget, that she was nee Dodson. Ma
such persons exist in the various ramifications °t
society, alike its plague and its ridicule, too lute!,
on self to note how their selfishness is
mented on, and too wrapt up in the conceit
to
their partial and superficial knowledge ever 4
arrive at the consciousness of how ignorant ,0
are. Bob Jakin is a very good specimen of 09t
class, and really we here meet with a sketch 131°i•
true to nature, neither too highly polished for. bit;
sphere, as is so often the case when low V°
exhibited on the scene, nor too rough for consistelic.;,
when it is remembered that in that uncouth for -a
and that uncultivated mind dwelt qualities Or
lingered sentiments which would have done hone
to one far higher placed in the social scale. P. t
genuine kindness was proved in the days of soreo
trial and bitterest (10.ertious, and at last Maggig
found a refuge and a shelter in his home when 11°,
brother discarded her. It would be difficult to
suppose a more impressive style than that of t.bila
author, with its force and its fluency, and we ren,
the homage that is irresistibly accorded to then ,
tive majesty of real eloquence as we listen t° tor
passages that are nerved with thrilling power, io
linger over pages that are replete with elssso
grace. No true judge but will accord that ti
stands out apart from its fellows as a work
mark, a masterly production, and a trio dab
of creative skill. Talent may every ud
be met with in the broad highways $
go
narrow paths of literature, genius is rare no-AO,
ever, no diffusion of knowledge, no spread of e'f,i
cation can impart it. Culture and training 91,ei
work marvels in polishing and refining, but t",.e1l
cannot work miracles, and give to the counter t,
the lustre of the real. Hence, rare attainraeno.
that arrest the attention of an ever-reading c„e"
munity.. and draw down applause from the surto
cilious and fanciful, are as much to be valued di
ever. With all the wealth of fiction that Burro° 00
us, we can and must prize a work that make!tho
think, and more than that, males us feel that tbs
author hawthought. This style is one qultei,ol
writer's own, and at the present day it has 110`0,
near its throne to contend for its prizes, or t°
pute and deprecate its honours. The autherof.
"Adam Bede" may well be congratulated °l' one
ing so triumphantly passed the ordeal of a see,"
publication after a first of such marvellous rat od
as that which was sounded through the lengthiops
breadth of the land by the voice of fame. Per oot
some may be disappointed, and say that it doeeets,
equal expectation, but then some people's org,o sli
tions have no limits, and this certainly fuilld
reasonable hopes. " The Mill on the Floss" 0',,V0
require flattering or even favourable notices to 7sa
it publicity, or to gain it admirers. Its pre tot
will ensure it readers, and its merits must loners
it appreciation. It is therefore more to ratio to
just tribute. to a praiseworthy undertaking t.ll ,4e at'
set forth its claims to regard, that the er‘A'''"ciei:
tempts a discussion of its volumes. It is su'neri°',
to say that from their intrinsic merit and 0°,1017
excellence they are worthy of a place in the dill
JO%
of all discerning readers, and that notwithsl7,
some errors, that will appear more or less 41P,
portant to divers classes of their critics, theiooo
doubtless gain for themselves a high rank re;
standard fictions, and win for their author 'obese
nown of belonging to the select few who areotio7,
to be the representatives of their day to gen,
of " future sons and daughters still unborn.