The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

The Semi-Attached Couple. By the Author of
" The Semi-Detached House!' 2 vols. Bentley.
The announcement of another work by the
author of that delightful little story that charmed
and fascinated the novel-readers of last season must
have been welcome intelligence, and the readers of
these volumes will not be disappointed, If this
new book has not exactly the vivid and vigorous
style that rendered " The Semi-Detached House"
so unique in its character, and so almost unparal-
leled in its attractions, it has much to recommend
it in its way. There is something very natural in
all that this author undertakes to describe, and this
is not at all a common attribute in writers. We
meet with fine language, beautiful descriptions,
and well-defined characters in the various works
that abound in the present day, but rarely do we
find such ease of expression and such life-like deli-
neations as are apparent in this work. As may be
supposed from the title, the hero and heroine are
differently disposed towards each other. Lord
Teviot was ardently attached to Helen, and, being
of a jealous disposition, he was ever on the
alert to find some cause for a grievance.
I She, on the contrary, was almost indifferent in her
feelings at the time of her marriage; but she
thought that her parents and friends would be
astonished end disappointed if she rejected so bril-
liant an offer, and hence the union took place.
Had Lord and Lady Teviot been left to themselves,
it is most probable that their mutual good qualities
would have triumphed over minor obstacles, and
thus what commenced under unfavourable auspices
would have terminated happily. There, however,
was an evil genius at work, in the person of Lady
Portmore, who was indignant at the marriage of
Lord Teviot, as it interfered with her project of
keeping him in the ranks of her admirers. There-
fore, like the fairies of famous memory, who were
not invited to the christening, and in revenge
devised all sorts of misfortunes to wait on
the infant prince, or princess, did this offended
lady seek, by every means in her power, to
mar the marriage that had been made without
her consent. Lord Teviot soon discovered that
Helen thought a great deal of her home, and this
made him very indignant. In order to counteract
this influence he resolved to accept the proposed
visit of Lady Portmore, and the confusion that re-
sulted from her appearance may be imagined.
Helen was too gentle to create any violent out-
break, but she was roused at last by the insolent
bearing and outrageous assumption of her rival.
The life of a party in a country house is admirably
described, and the many contre temps that arose
gave Helen enough to do in the way of explana-
tion. Such, it is said, is the daily toil of the mis-
tress of a large country house. "No laundress
ironing away at an obstinate row of plaits ; no
carpenter planing the roughest plank of wood; no
gardener raking the stoniest soil, has half the
trouble she has to maintain a smooth surface in
the aspect of her mixed society. Nothing more is
asked ; they may all hate, all envy, all rival each
other ; they may say everything that is ill-natured
and do everything that is mischievous, but the
general effect,' as painters would call it, mast be
harmony, and this must be maintained by the
tact of the hostess." Lady Portmore is a clever
sketch of a fine lady, who is a complete woman of
the world, and who is possessed of inordinate vanity
and consummate assurance. With all this she
failed completely in many instances, and in none
more signally than in trying to outshine Helen in
her own legitimate sphere. It was enough to
rouse the most supine, and fire the most indifferent,
to see this audacious woman trying to cast into the
background a beautiful young bride for the first
time receiving her husband's guests. Finding that
she did not make any impression outwardly, this
dexterous machinator resorted to stratagem, and
took advantage of Lord Teviot's unhappy temper
in order to work out her schemes. It was madness
on his part to persist in making Lady Portmore
his confidante, after her strange conduct; and, had
it not been for his rumoured loss of position, the
consequences might have been most serious. For-
tunately for the imprudent semi-attached couple,
real troubles came to take the place of imaginary
ones; and in the hour of danger, when the angel of
death hovered over them, they recognised the false
principles, and deplored the angry passions, that
had actuated their conduct and influenced their
words. After a gay and brilliant sketch of a butter-
fly existence of fashion, we meet with most affecting
accounts of domestic troubles. The real good that
was inherent in Helen's nature, was manifested in
the trying epoch of Lord Teviot's illness, while the
threatened loss of his position by a claimant to the
title afforded an opportunity of displaying her in-
difference to rank in itself. Some minor individuals
are very adroitly pourtrayed. Mary Forester and
Lord Beaufort are very amusing in their perpetual
warfare. Mrs. Douglas is a finished specimen of a
grumbler. She could see nothing but flaws, in
every plan, and find nothing but faults in every one
she met with. Her comments on her neighbours
were of the most edifying description, " As she had
no hope of raising herself to the rank of a beauty
her only chance was bringing others down to her
own level." How old she is looking ! How she
is altered ! were the expressions that invariably
cmcluded Mrs. Douglas's comments on her ac-
quaintances, and the prolonged absence of a friend
was almost a pleasure to her, as it gave her the op-
portunity of saying, after a first meeting, " How
changed Mrs. So-and-So is, I should hardly have
known her, but then to be sure I have not seen her
for a year, or two years." People may go on talking
for ever of the jealousies of pretty women; but in
real genuine hard-working envy, there is nothing
like an ugly woman with a taste for admiration.
Her mortified vanity curdles into malevolence ; and
she calumniates where she cannot rival." There are
many amusing scenes of domestic life recorded in
these pages, the passage which relates the conversa-
tion that took place between the Misses Douglass on
there return from a grand dinner at Eskdale Castle
is very interesting. These young ladies had not a
very great great idea of fashion, but followed out
the plans they thought becoming, and the result
was not so successful as might have been hoped for.
Sarah, the eldest sister, informed Eliza that some-
thing dreadful had been said of them. " Good gra-
cious what, what can they find to say of us. 'Some-
thing quite shocking,' and Sarah actually coloured
at the mere thought of repeating it. 'Well, tell it at
all events ; I should like to know the worst.' It
was just when you were sitting by the pianoforte,
and I was behind the sofa, and Mr. Trevor came up
to Lady Eskdale, and said, looking at the flowers
and the silver comb in your hair, Don't you think
those silver epergnes full of flowers would look
better on a dining table than walking about a
drawing.room. I know nothing of dress, but is
not that a little in the May-day line, rather ehim-
ney-sweepish." "Oh ! did he really say that,"
and Eliza looked aghast. What a horrid man ;'
' Yes, but that is not the worst, Lady Eskdale said
Don't laugh at those poor girls, Alfred, they are
dear good creatures, though they are vulgarly
dressed.' There, Eliza, now is not that dreadful,
and so bad, too, when we took such pains about
our dress, and thought it was so nice, and Sarah's
voice quivered with vexation." It is impossible to
to be disappointed with this story as regards in-
terest or amusement, for both are abundantly
afforded in its sparkling pages. There is great variety
in the different characters who figure prominently
on the scene, and the chief charm consists in the
fresh and unstudied style that pervades throughout.
It is simple without being plain, and lively while
not affected. The Semi-Attached Couple will doubt-
less very soon become a great favourite with novel
readers, and long remain an acquisition to the
libraries, where it is sure to be in constant
demand.

The Discovery and Geognosy of Gold Deposits in
Australia. By Simpson Davison. Longmans.
When we consider the high standing which Mr.
Davison justly holds regarding gold mining, we
confess ourselves disappointed in the present work.
It contains valuable information regarding the his-
tory of the early gold discoverers; and the views
held by the author on many points at present in
dispute as to certain amalgamations of gold are
sound, but this information, like the precious metal
of which the author treats when first procured by
the miner, forms but an integral part of the wash
dirt, it being necessary to separate the gold from
the dross by a tedious process—so with the work
before lig. The reader is compelled to wade throagh
tedious details and an uninteresting narrative of
how the author sold his cattle and sheep, how the
purchaser was drowned, how he got paid, and
matter of a like dry and uninteresting na-
ture. Again, the greater part of the volume is
devoted to the extraction of correspondence on
various subjects, and articles in Australian and Eu-
ropean journals, which, although all very well in
their way, had far better have been omitted from a
work like the present. It is a curious fact that,
although gold has been practically discovered but
a comparatively short time in Australia, so many
should lay claim to the credit of the discovery, and
almost all declaring for the earliest date. There is
no doubt that the existence of gold deposits was
known, or Euspectcd, by many, and that small por-
tions of gold were privately sold before Mr. Har-
graves proclaimed it to the world ; but so it has
been in all discoveries and inventions. If a man
contrive some clever improvement in machinery,
and neglect to take out a patent, and in
after times a more go-a-head individual make
the same discovery and makes it public,
he deservedly claims the merit, and so let it
be in the instance of the gold discoveries. Mr.
Hargraves has met with his reward, and Palm=
qui meruat ferat. Mr. Davison does not lay any