The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Heckingtone A Novel. By Mrs. Gore. 3 vols.
Hurst and Blaclsett.
This is another of Mrs. Gore's satirical sketches of
society, another of those brilliant records of
fashionable life, which expose its meanness, reveal
its follies, and chronicle its inconsistencies. In the
present instance we meet with a most attractive
heroine, Sophia Corbtt, who is superior to many of
the female characters drawn by this authoress. She
is represented as something genuine, in the midst
of deceit and treachery, something simple, sur-
rounded by affectation, something pure and un-
spotted in a world of scandal. Sophia, or " Tiny"
as she was called, had not an easy task assigned to
her to perform in the labour of existence, and it
was no light burden which she was called upon to
bear in the journey of life. The affairs of her
family were very much involved in mystery and
litigation ; and family quarrels, that fearful cala-
mity, hung darkly over her path—their funereal
shadow. It is not likely that one so young arid
inexperienced as she was should suddenly have
displayed any great foresight in judgment, or
manifested any great skill in adjusting the diffe-
rences that existed. In what she did, however,
she was earnest and sincere, she did not aim
at impossibilities, but she tried the only way
that can ever succeed in making the crooked
straight and the rough smooth—she gave to wrath
a soft answer, and met the storm of indignation
with a gentle dignity which, while it never con-
ceded to injustice, made no irritating demonstra-
tions of its own. The description of the confusion
that ensued in consequence of " Heckington„" as
the family estate of the Rawdons was called, being
left in a peculiar way, is very ingeniously de-
picted. The unhappy feud that divided the
branches of the family into jarring sections,
achieved its most fatal work when it separated the
brothers who had " played beneath the same
green tree" in childhood,
.and appeared likely .to
live as brethren in unity till the sad day when
Heckington was mentioned as a word of reproach.
From that time peace was over, and the sons of
one mother became as strangers—vrorse, indeed,
for they were enemies. ' This disunion occasioned
great sorrow to their gentle cousin,: Sophia, and
she endeavoured to make peace btween them.
When she had persuaded Arthur, the elder, to
write to his brother, who was anxious to end the
dispute, the most serious lesson that humanity can
learn was at hand to inform them of the vanity of
man's purpose, and the danger of his allow-
ing the sun to go down on his wrath, when he
knows not that another sun will rise for him to make
reconciliation. Willie Rawdon had died suddenly
in Jamaica, to the regret of all who knew him, the
consternation of his cousin, who appreciated his
worth and excellence, and to the remorse of his too
late repentant brother. The sketch ef the Hors-
fords is very successful, we are introduced to a
scheming family, whose object in life was their own
self-aggrandisemrnt, by whatever means it could
be obtained. Delicacy of feeling, rectitude of pur-
pose, high principles, generous emotions, wore un-
known to them, such plants were not indigenous to
the soil of Clevelinds, which pridel itself on far
different productions. Envy, hatred, malice, and
all uncharitableness, were the abiding guests, and
the actuating spirits of that abode, whence sons
and daughters issued forth into the world, to mar
happiness, create discord, and dishonour them-
selves and the homes that had reared and that had
adopted them. The only exception was Amy, but
site was saved by being removed from the evil in-
fluence of her family till better interests filled her
mind. It would have bsen well for Arthur Rawdon
if he had yielded to his impulse, and broken off
his engagement with Florence Horsford. The
misery of his domestic life was groat, and great
also was the sorrow of the sympathising Sophia,
who had fondly imagined that the clouds were re-
moved from the long-overcast horizon of flecking-
ton, and that brighter scenes and fairer days would
dawn for is s long-suffering heir. She was mistaken
—f©r Arthur had to endure the agony and feel the
humiliation, which is the most acute to bear, and
the bitterest to be crushed under ; his wife proved
false, and the honour of his name was sullied. Lu-
cretia, the old maid of the family, is a very amusing
character, and her energy is a relief after the fashion-
able idleness around her, while her abruptness is
welcome in the midst of the hypocrisy of the rest
of the circle in Hertford-street. On the whole, with-
out being remarkable, this work will interest those
who appreciate au ingenious story, ably executed,
and who desire skilful ske'clies of the world and its
worldly votaries. Such a character as Sophia Cor-
bet goes far to redeem a host of selfish and sordid in-
dividuals, and thus vindicates the narrative from
the charge of bitterness or pr -judice. " Hecking-
ton" can lay claim to the attention of the novel-
reader, for it possesses many of the features that
form the fascination of romance.

-
nlifnax A.Vrne. aubl:nr
ne nree telerks.' o vole. Virapraan and
Hall.
The author of this work has previously distin-
guished himself in the world of fiction, by several
novels of varying merits, but all displaying that
vigour and freshness which is the chief attraction
of his writings. While mains aining his strength of
style, however, he has not improved in polish ; he
has given no thought to that careful cultivation
without which the most luxurious garden will be-
come a wilderness, and the rapidity of its deterio-
ration will be in proportion to the strength and fer
tility of its plants. It is more incumbent on an
author, whose style is vivid andemphatic, to revise,
to refine, and soften, than on one whose natural
tameness of manner and monotonous language pre-
serve him from the rsk of going too far. It is not
that there is anything in itself objectionable in the
work, but in the author's dislike of all pretence of
mock propriety and affectation, he rushes into the
opposite extreme. Ho forgets that tholigh he may '
resolve to walk in a straight line to his object,
instead of by crooked turnings, it is very
desirable to avoid the brambles or pitfalls by the
way. We shall hope, in his next contribution to
the world of literature, to notice a sensible im-
provement in this respect. His ability is no doubt
considerable, and his powers of observation and
delineation of character are great. The old locality
of Ihrehester and Bersetshire is the scene of this
work, and some of our old friends are incidentally
introduced. Dr. Thorne, the country doctor, is
the hero of the book, at least the professed hero, as
he gives it its title, but the chief interest centres
on his niece Mary, and the family of the squire,
Mr. Gresham. The plot displays considerable in-
genuity, and if not very probable, is not extrava-
gant. In thee() days of rapid changes we cannot
wonder at a stonemason becoming a railway king,
and dying like Sir Roger, worth three hundred
thousand pounds. Neither, certainly, can we object
to the doctrine that in these days every
door is open to wealth, that the character and
family connections, which are intolerable when
their owner is penniless, are deserving of all
honour and respect when the favoured individual
owns half a million as well. The author does not
spare the follies of human nature. Toe idols of
family pride and exclusiveness, the worship of
money and of great connections, are all attacked
with unsparing hand. Many of his figures are no
doubt drawn from life, but they belong to a class
which could furnish many examples. Whether
real independence be quite so huffy, so sensitive,
as to its own position, may be questioned by the
philosopher. Whether the intense conviction that
you are the equal of every other human being,
would be the most beneficial for the individual
character, or the pleasantest attribute for a com-
panion who is bristling with indignation at every
imagined hint or allusion to social position, may
also be doubted. That the mere fact of an elevated
position does nat lift the possessor above his fellow-
men in intrinsic woith, is now generally main-
tained, but the want of those social possessions
does not necessarily invest him with every virtue.
The true equality ranks all alike, and is no more
inclined to idolise a Chartist than a duke. The
author attacks with all his powers the fatal prin-
ciple of marrying for money. Frank Gresham,
the squire s only son, is to succeed to a heavily en-
cumbered property, and a very limited income.
Every year increases his father's difficulties, and the
universal decision of the family is that, to avoid the
threatened ruin, "Frank must marry money."
How he contrived to reconcile the contending
points
of his love for Mary Thorne and the necessi-
ties of his position we leave the reader to discover,
merely suggesting that real life is not always so
complais tint, and the moral might have been bet er
as well as more practical had Frank' kept to his
early notion- and turned farmer. The difficult;e3 of
Dr. Thorne, and his couscientious condust are well
described, and the sketch of the Scatcherds, father
and son, is vividly drawn. Though painful, it is
lifelike, and should speak a word of warning to
those who a' e, like there, v&untary slaves. There
are many other characters introduced, all drawn
with more or less skill, and many who scorn ro-
mance and sentiment will find (nteisainmeet in
the group of secondary figures. We trust we shall
meet the author at some future period in another
work of fiction, in which he will avoid the occa-
sional extravagances and want of refinement that
derogate from his present volumes, while preserv-
ing the freshness and vigour of his stye, the
honesty and clearsightedness of his satire, and the
lifelike fidelity of his charac:ere.

Tnr, DEATH FROM STABBING AT WOROESTEII.—The
adjourned inquest on the hody*of George Turner, the
t
recruit, who was stabbed last Wednesday evening;
Worcester, was resumed on Monday. After r(c.ivol
the evidence of :several witnesses the coroner swum,'
up, and the jury returned a verdict of manelaughter
against Joseph Barnard. The prisoner was then coma
mittA for trial at the next assizes.
CJRPORATION OP LONDON EILD.—We are informed
that a requisition, most respectably si3ned, has
presented to the Right. Han. the Lord Mayor t
common ball, for the "porpoise of eliciting the opml°au
of the citizens of London upon the bill now in parh
mert., entitled 'A Bill for the better regulation of the
Corrration of London,' and which strikes at the roots
of their ancient and valuable privileges ; and to pas
sue!) resolutions as may seem advisable." lordship,
has been pleased to appoint Monday next, the 7tl! oi!
The
ruelest Wrong of All. Ono yd. Smith June, at one for two o'clock precisely. By the bill,
andf
)
Elder. paF4l:ed into law, not only wi'l the purchased rights of
This story bee.na
-ry be entirely abrogated, but the charters of the
inv,.2n:ion, and some degree of freshness and origi- '
displays comidorablo ingenuity and the _ .11
p -s repealed said made null ; which in effect
nahty, but there are to
metraces of want cf care defto3y":cwithout any contitutional reason, the existence
of the City companies.