The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-15 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

A Family History. By the author of "The
Queen's Pardon." 3 Vols, Hurst and Blackett.
This is a very complicated story that brings vari-
ous characters before us, and exhibits considerable
knowledge of human life. The narrator is one who
leads a singularly desolate and dreary existence. She
was early consigned to the care of some aunts, and
the younger of these ladies, Miss Joan, was about
as disagreeable a woman as could well exist. She
contrived to render the position of her niece as
wretched as possible, and was always mak-
ing her an object of ridicule by her dress, and
taunting her as being a burden on others.
When Elizabeth Neville was grown up she could
endure such tyranny no longer, and set out to fight
her own way in life as a governess. The families
she entered were as different as could be ima-
gined, and all are very ably sketched. Lady
'fanner was the second one ; here she remained
three years. The style of the family was stiff
in the extreme, and they were all as cold as
possible. Tne inconsistency of their conduct con-
sisted in their professing to be so religious. They
would assemble periodically in the grand draw-
ing-room, send for the two governesses and the
younger branches, then, as if a great spiritual
benefit was to be conferred upon them, read from
some pious work, and make remarks upon it.
Their lives contradicted what their lips
professed, and hence their ostentatious pa-
rade of piety made no lasting impression and
worked no results. Miss Neville was delighted to
quit this frigid abode for one more genial. The
household of Mr. Trevor, however, was not a happy
one. From the first day she entered, Miss Neville
felt there was some dark secret, some skeleton of
fearful import concealed in the galleries of its
memory. Mrs. Trevor was young and pretty, there
was nothing peculiar about her but her manner.
This was strange in the extreme, she seemed not so
much shy, as averse to seeing anyone, or being
brought in any way prominently forward, At
times it was painful to witness her hesitation, and
flurried demeanour. What drew more atten-
tion to her reserve, and of course increased
her agitation, was the way in which her
husband acted. He always insisted on her doing
the very thing she most disliked, and in the most
overbearing and impetuous manner, he would ex-
claim against her folly and absurdity, certainly no
one could lay the sin of timidity to his charge, for
he was one of those self-satisfied individuals who
think all they do right, and regard their own attain-
ments with the most comfortable self-complacency.
The longer Miss Neville resided in the house the
more convinced she was that something lurked
in the shade that unseen and unnoticed
by the casual observer yet sufficed to cloud
the sunshine of their brilliant prospects, and
obscure the brightness of their prosperous lives,
all the good gifts that were showered
down on their path were as curses to thenf; like
the apples on the shore of the Dead Sea, they turned
to ashes as they tasted them. It was not till some
years had passed that Miss Neville learned that
sin was the cause of this sad state of things. It
was not sin repented of, for they had tried every
means that art could devise and deceit suggest to
blind the eyes of their fellow creatures. But their
own hearts condemned them, and this witness
would not be silent. Mrs. Trevor was constantly
haunted by remembrances of the past. Mr. Trevor,
who was more callous, was equally wretched from
seeing how she went on drawing attention to her-
self by her most extraordinary actions. Thus
they went on, carrying with them in their tor-
turing feelings the worm that dieth not, the
fire that is not quenched. The fact of Harry and
Ellen's attachment adds to the entanglement, and
increases tenfold the guilt of the parent's eonduet.
Knowing their own dark secret, they should have
watched their daughter, and either given her a
decided warning, or kept her away from the com-
pany of Harry. After the tragedy was over the
innocent children who had suffered for the sins of
others were laid to rest in the quiet of the grave,
the only calm their vexed and troubled spirits
could have known. The guilty parents wandered
forth like Cain with murder on their consciences
if not on their characters, and never returned to
the scene of their long abode, Trevor Court
Rectory. Sir Hardolph, the elder brother of
Mr. Trevor was a good-natured well-meaning man,
but he was also most reprehensible in lending him-
self to such deceit, especially when the motive was
to screen guilt, and thus defraud the innocent.
Richard was to bo deprived of his inheritance to
suit the sinister designs of his relatives. One of
the most exciting passages in the story is when he
is ill of the typhus fever, and Miss Neville contrives
to save his life by the use of stimulants. It was the
custom of Dr. Garston to keep the patients low,
but Miss Neville noticed the successful result
of a contrary treatment while at Lady Tan-
ner's, in whose vicinity the fever often raged.
What urged her on the more in her venture
was that she saw delight and exultation most plainly
impressed on the face of Mr. Trevor when he heard
that Richard could not recover. Natural indigna-
tion roused her spirit at this inhuman conduct, and
she resolved to try and disappoint the wicked man.
She eluded the nurse by persuading her to lie down
in her own room, and through the long hours of
the night she persevered. When the knorning
found Richard still in the land of the living, his
father, who had piously resigned himself to his
departure for the world of spirits, was petrified
with amaze. It was a just retribution that this
injured youth was the only one of the family to
survive to inherit his rightful dignities, and thus
the dark wishes of these hardened sinners were
entirely dashed to the ground. Miss Neville con-
cludes her tale after the recital of these stirring
events at the Rectory. In the course of it there
are some amusing individuals introduced in the
sketches of village society. These enliven the
pages, and form an agreeable variety to the sombre
hue that envelopes the atmosphere of the
Trevors. Doctor and Mrs. Garston, with
their eternal squabbles, are most ludicrous. The
Millwoods are also characters. The accounts of
the dinners of state that were periodically given
are very entertaining, the mixture of domesticity
and grandeur is most edifying to contemplate.
The hostess, in green turban and rich silks, is seated
one moment in state, receiving company, and the
next rushes into the kitchen to dish up the ducks.
Then resuming her place in the parlour with a
flaming visage and an affected unconcern of man-
ner, she talks to her guests, who, like herself,
pretend not to have noticed her exit, or re-entrance,
which latter is suspiciously associated with the
announcement of dinner. In contradistinction
to the worldly Tanners we find the sisters Anne
and Melusina Beauchamp. These are real ladies,
ever intent on kind acts and animated with true
Christian feelings; they seek to serve those who
are in need. Also they have consideration for the
feelings of those in the position of Miss Neville,
and treat her as a lady ; one who by her indepen-
dence and strenuous efforts to gain her living is
more worthy of respect than the idle loungers of
fashion and the haughty bearers of titles—that is
all they possess to make them remarkable. Geor-
gina Stanley, Miss Neville's first pupil, turns out
a fine character. She married the brother of the
Misses Beauchamp, and in that elevated position
was enabled to befriend her favourite gover-
ness. She obtained the situation at Trevor
Rectory for her, which was a most lucrative
one, and where she was always treated as a
visitor. Partly from her own merits, and partly
to suit their plans, sl e was regarded as one of
the family in every sense, and accompanied Mrs.
Trevor in all her visits, even sometimes taking
her place• in the schools and arrangements of
the house. Ellen, the daughter, was a delight-
ful young girl, and deserving of better
parents. Miss Neville married Dr. Foster after
she left the rectory, and relinquished her career of
governess for ever. She had done what good she
could in that arduous vocation, and if in some things
she had unusual advantages in her connexion with
the Trevors, on the other hand she was called upon
to exercise tact and judgment that do not often
come within the sphere of governess's duties. This
work presents some eventful scenes of life, and
/ although it contains much that is painful in some of
its incidents, it has passages of such exciting inte-
rest, that it is sure to arrest the attention of its
readers. Altogether the book may be regarded as
a successful endeavour to illustrate its purpose, and
the author will doubtless be gratified at the recep-
tion it meets with. The records of the family
whose history is here disclosed are indeed dark ; but
if the archives of the annals of the most prosperous
households were brought to light many would be
startled at the sad disclosures. Then the wonder-
ing readers might see those highest in the.
world's esteem sunk lowest in the scales of
justice. The rich man would b
reached wealth through the pressuree se
seen
nf
tohave
oor,
the poor,
and the saintly folks, like Lady 1 anner and her
daughters, would be seen not to fulfil one vital
part of the religion they profess to honour, but
profane. A Family History"
which they in reality
ov
phases,ent fu l characters,
and
as
in being as
is theref 're to be recommended as containing
many striking,
life in s v
a and
representing bee
written throughout a vigorous style.
ri u :

The Autobiography of a Joint-Stock, Co2npany.
Edited by Edward P. Rowsell. Ward and

Locke.

• This is an amusing little tale of the life of an
imaginary joint-stock company, and cleverly
written. The company itself is supposed to be the
author, being a bub ble which existed four years and
took four more to be wound up in Chancery. Cer-
tain extraneous matter is introduced to enliven Ulu