The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-27 00:00:00

LITERATURE..

Adele. A Tale. By Julia Kavanagh, author of
" Nathalie," etc. 3 vole. Hurst and Blackett.
Miss Lavanagh is well known in the world of
fiction as a writer of many clever and successful
works. Her last production, indeed, was not
worthy of her powers. It abandoned those pic-
tures of character and delineations of feeling in
which she excels, for the wild, the startling, and
extravagant. But in the work before us we •are
happy to find she has resumed her old manner, and
achieved a decided triumph. All is fresh, and
simple, and natural ; and if some events seem out
of the usual current of daily life they never out-
strip the legitimate domain of fiction, and both
incidents and characters form a striking contrast to
the adventures and dispositions of that very un-
attractive couple, John Owen and Grace Lee. The
heroine is one of those whom Miss Kavanagh espe-
cially excels in pourtraying ; a young French girl,
brought up iu seclusion, yet in freedom, with quick
intelligence and ardent feelings, a frank, careless
manner, and an intuitive grace and delicacy of feeling
that never forsake her. She is a charming picture,
and secures the reader's sympathy throughout.
Mr. Osborne, her English husband, though the
very opposite from his excitable and variable wife,
does not fail to excite interest. His character is
ably and consistently drown, and the difficulties
and annoyances of his position are vividly pour-
trayed. His father, on his death, had left his
son, from whom he had parted in anger, the whole
of his property and business, burdened with the
charge of his stepmother and her three children ;
the former a crafty, smiling, and ambitious woman,
the young people equally agreeable. The son,
placed in charge of one branch of the business, com-
mits an extensive fraud ; one daughter is a selfish
invalid, the other a violent tempered beauty, who
nearly drives Adele frantic by her hints and inter.
ference. The business is a failing one, and poor
Mr. Osborne, whose private fortune is large, finds
himself called from artistic quiet to all the turmoils
and troubles of an embarrassed property and a dis-
cordant household. He obtains a reward for his
disinterestedness in the affection of Adele, but
at first his marriage only adds to his per-
plexities. The story of Adele is the most prominent
part of the tale, all the other incidents being inter-
woven with it ; the change from her girlish light-
ness and indifference to the depth and intensity of
a woman's feeling is skilfully shown. The story is
novel and interesting, the characters are vividly
drawn, and the style is fresh and attractive. It
will no doubt become at once a popular favourite,
and add another to the list of Miss Kavanagh's
successes.

Burns and Scott. By the Reverend J. White.

Routledge.
The Rev. J. White is favourably known to the
public from his contributions to the popular library,
in simplifying and classifying ancient and modern
history. The present volume consists of essays
on the lives of Burns and Scott, rendering all the
honour to their memories that might be expected
from a writer of such cultivlted taste. We com-
mend it to all who wish for an hour's literary
entertainment.

The Play-Ground ; or, the Boy's Book of Games.
By G. Forrest M.A Author of " Every Boy's

Book. Routledge.
A pleasant volume for boys, giving them a de-
scription of plays and sports for the schoolboy's
year, It is a treasure for holiday folks, and many
an hour's pleasant and healthful recreation may be
derived from its pages.

The Useful Metals and their Alloys. B.oulstou

and Wright, Paternoster-row.
This extremely valuable and scientific work will
certain to secure for itself a standard position.
It treats of all the useful metals, mining ventila-
tion, mining jurisprudence, and metallurgic che-
mistry, with their applications to the industrial
arts. It has employed the labours of seven
authors, all of thein engaged in some practical
works of the character. It is difficult to forla an
idea of its comprehensive scope and pact ical utility
without seeing the volume, but a very brief in-
spection will convince the reader that it is equally
adapted to the scientific amateur or the practical
mineralogist. It will no doubt take a high position
among ins'ructive and standard works of this
claQs.

A Week at the Bridge of Allan. By Charles
Roger, LL.D., &e. Adam and Charles Black.
The fact of this being the seventh edition of this
little work is a sufficient testimony in its favour,
and the present edition is of a commodious size,
and illustrated with numerous engravings. The
descriptions of Scottish scenery, connected as they
often are with its romantic history, are full of in-
terest. The seventh edition of the work will pro-
bably be as well received aci its predecessors.