The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-16 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Madonna Mary. By Mrs. Oliphant. Three vols.
Hurst and Blackett.
This is one of the most interesting of Mrs. 01i-
phant's many charming stories. Since the first ap-
pearance of her delightful tales in Blackwood's
Magazine some years back, the authoress
of " The Athelings" and of " Zaidee" has been de-
servedly recognised as a general favourite. Her
style, always simple and pleasing, has wonderfully
improved, however, since those days, and her cha-
racters, which were always attractive, are now por-
trayed with greater facility and less appearance of
art. The heroine of her present story, " Madonna
Mary," is as simple and natural a creation as novel"
reader could well discover. Her trials are perhaps
beyond the probable range of ordinary troubles, but
whatever her outward circumstances, she is herself
always the same—a true-hearted woman, patient
and long-suffering; a loving wife to a most irritat-
ing husband, a tender mother alike to the worthy
and unworthy son. The situation is one of pecu-
liar pain, and somewhat resembles a celebrateu
Peerage case of no very remote antiquity. The
opening of the first volume finds Mary in India, the
happy wife (of ten years) of the affectionate but most
perverse Major Ochterlony. After the arrival of a
certain mail from England, the Major, always rest:
less and fidgety, becomes even more so than his Wen'
Mary, who by the force of habit and the discipline
of self-control, is comparatively indifferent to his
" moods," learns, to her surprise, that the Major i 5
disturbed by the intelligence of the death of a witheaS
to their marriage, a marriage which had taken placed
ten years previously at Gretna Green, but whit both
been since recognised by all the members of het'
families. The Blacksmith's House and the register
have been burnt. One witness was already deed'
and the death of the other drives the unfortunate
Major to distraction. We will not follow out the
various phases of the self-torturing Major's fade.'
ties ; suffice it to say he contrives to render all their
friends doubtful of the reality of the first marriage
by persuading his too complaisant wife to submit t°
the ignominious ordeal of a second ceremony !
bloom of Mary's life is tarnished, but the slulP'"
Major exults in his own sagacity. Later on,
another mail brings a letter from a very anusuao
correspondent, his elder brother who, in the tours
of the epistle, carelessly asks after his little nePhe::
who is " to carry on the honours of the house," t'
poor foolish Major is still more exultant, and the
following scene occurs :
" You will be pleased when you read it," he said. " /lt
talks of Hugh quite plainly as the heir of Earlston•
can't help being pleased. I wonder what kind of squill,
the little beggar will make ; but we shall not live to 8:8
that—or, at least, I shan't," the Major went on, Audi;
looked at his boy with a wistful look which Mary use%;
think of afterwards. As for little Hugh, he was very
different, and not much more conscious of the affecti-
nearer home than of tho inheritance far off. Major Ochter.;
bony stood by the side of Mary's chair, and he had it in
heart to give her a lesson upon her unbelief and want °
confidence in him, who was always acting for the V.
best, and who thought much more of his interests than
own.
" My darling," he said, in that coaxing tone which 3191
knew so well, " I don't mean to blame you. It loss. bare
thing to make you do; and you might have thought ra.t
cruel and too precise. But only see now how importgutilf
was to be exact about our marriage—too exact even.
Hugh should come into the estate ,"
Here Major Ochterlony stopped short all at once, Wi,°;
out any apparent reason. He had still his brother's lett
in his hand, and was standing by Mary's side ; and nohnu'
had come in, and nothing had happened. But all at 00°6
like a flash of lightning, something of which he had necrt.el.
thought before had entered his mind. He stopped sh°,
of
and said, " Good God !" low to himself, though he was ,
a man who used profane expressions. His face changes
as a summer day changes when the wind seizes it likens
ghost, and covers its heavens with clouds. So great "A
the shock he had received that he made no attempt to
the
it, but stood gazing at Mary, appealing to her out of tjlio
midst of his sudden trouble. " Good God !" he said.
eyes went in a piteous way from little Hugh, who 1°1:e,
nothing about it, to his mother, who was at present he,
chief sufferer. Was it possible that instead of helping to
had done his best to dishonour Hugh ? It was so 'l°. to
idea to him, that he looked helplessly into Mary's eyes to
see if it was true. And she, for her part, had nothingo
say to him. She gave a little tremulous cry cry which her
but echo his own exclamation, and pitifully held onti,eo
hand to her husband. Yes ; it was true. Between t'oro
they had sown thorns in their boy's path, and throe,
doubt on his name, and brought humiliation and uricoo
tainty into his future life. Major Ochterlony
a chair by his wife's side, and covered his face wity'vote
hand. He was struck dumb by the discovery. ltdea
only she who had seen it all long ago —to whom no sn'an..
revelation could come—who had been suffering nvefdsect
grily and bitterly, but who was now altogether Stn"the
and conscious only of a common calamity, who W3s
only one capable of speech or thought.
Said
The very interesting but, as we have alreadY a•ed,
very painful nature of the plot, may be surinieto
It is not long before the widowed Mary and her 0.4
boys, and a baby-boy (born after the second td.
riage) return to the desolate " home" of Englgoil
Her after trials are sufficiently varied, but We Loa
no further reveal the secrets of her history. P.,
~r 0
of the characters by whom she is surrounded
• klanP'
capital. There is the very religious Mrs. Kir for
the colonel's wife, who feels herself responsiblieways
the souls of the whole regiment, and who is al
glad to see her friends humbled, " her own ha° and
being so well-known." There is the impetuous 00
affectionate little Mrs. Askell, who exclaims, ,70
hearing of the fatal marriage, " but,
loved I have - bat,
loved the Major and always stood up for Ow; iS
oh ! shouldn't I like to box his ears!" riled the
the foolishly-fond old maiden aunt Agatha, 311
are
spoiled, and utterly selfish Ninny. Such
the principal characters among the ladies, of
we have forgotten the most charralsoil,
them all, the loving little Nelly „ the
who only makes her appearance late
story. Francis Ochterlony, the head of the.:ll'ol3o
is an antiquarian and connoisseur in art. irthe
is a perfect museum, and his dismay at
ruption of his young nephews is at Oric iojor
crous and distressing to contemplate. a
Uncle
"
Percival, the evil genius of the story, all 014
Penrose and Sir Edward Willoughby, are ,0 boys
in their way. Of the characters of AlarY toich
we do not speak, because we do not wish 0, we
further upon the mystery of the story, the
advise our readers to discover for themselves
„ Basil St'
Lore and Duty. By the author or 5.0., 30
pages of Mrs. Oliphant's very delightful tale.
Edrnon t
John." One Vol., pp. 358.
Douglas. ' writes 0
The author of " Basil St. John'
tic us 80
a graceful, pleasant manner, and introduces
an attractive group
The struggles between love and duty
of agreeable aerlic.l;i7e