The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-21 00:00:00

LI TE_RA TUR.E.

Mr. and Mrs. 21sheton. By the Author of " Mar-
garet and her Bridesmaids," eke. 3 -vols. Rural

Lind Blackett.
It is impossible to be otherwise than pleased with
the perusal of any work by this authoress. There
is a grace in the manner, and an interest in the
story of this now production, that fully sustains any
previous reputation of the writer. The chief cha-
racter to attract notice is Marion Flower, or May-
flower, as she was generally and appropriateeln,
y'
called. She is a charming sketch of a young maid
gay and happy, full of interest in all around her,
and ever intent on good actions and kind purposes.
Such was she till, ix an evil hour for her own hal)"
husband
she became Mrs. Godfre Her
y Asheton.
husband was one of those disagreeable men who
commit more errors than some really evil disposf,
persons, through his pride, obstinacy, and sell
conceit. His parents were to blame in the first in-
stance for bringing him up in such reprehensible
notions concerning the importance of his family'
and then debarring him from that contact with the
to
world, which is of such inestimable i
importance
all who are to occupy a prominent position thatl is
'
He loved Marion after his own fashion,
to say, he cared far more for himself; and
when the first excitement and interest atbachlif
itself to his new state was over, the stronger fee
ing predominated, and self reigned supreme.
a
Poor Mrs. Asheton was placed in tryiti.g
situation, but she was much to blame
putting her husband's absurd wishes
her as her first duty to be followed•
trol,
was not a man gifted with sufficient self-eon
ble
or endowed with principle and feeling, to en° 1.
him to be a safe guide in the decision of Ogee
tous cases. Hence, in allowing him to take all
her children to be brought up in a strange
with foreign attendants, and under the sup not
of her sister-in-law, who hated her, she
give up to duty, but made a Griselda-like saeri,";c4;
to suit the erroneous ideas of a conceited and fielln
man. As might be expected from such a Orate,.
before
misery resulted to every one, and many long ye'—of
of sorrow and suffering were the consequences
Owl
_-
Godfrey's cruel demand, and Marion's rash
pliance. In the description of Mrs. Trevorr„,e
meet with much knowledge of character.
'
cunning contrivances to which the artful Worn
ct
resorted are most ably disclosed, and the emust
which such incessant, cautious, insinuations
have produced on a disposition like that of her
brother's is truly manifested. There is also Ian!:
exemplified in the delineation of Marion's Italie,
cousin, the beautiful Beatrice, who possessed in'n,
eminent degree the fierce jealousy which dig e
guishes the daughters of the south. In the ralfr.
which possessed this passionate lady at the 211$10
riage of Godfrey, to whom she was attacher
formed sinister designs against the pone° °? he
gentle cousin, so that altogether the earlier yors
of the married existence of Mr. and Mrs. As isle,
were:beset with troubles, and environed with is $
culties. The story is not pleasing; but therehde.
power in its construction, and a pathos in t,e_ it
scriptien of many of its passages,
which renneYill rank
a superior work of fiction, and as such it w r
in the estimation of many.

The West Indies and the Spanish llialn•
Anthony Trollope, author of " The
Chapman and Hall.
This clever, though somewhat careless o°l
has turned his attention from fiction to reality',
has forsaken novel writing for the record oft
yellers' tales. He gives us an account of his soilu b.
in Jamaica, Barbadoes, Trinidad, and the ne'gof
bouring islands, together with his impressions;es
Central America and the Bermudas. To Jae 3411.,
Bertra---
he devotes a considerable share of his volume, Vali
ing a very minute sketch of its social and
condition. He has chapters on town and courg;
black men, coloured men, and white men, "
state of the sugar trade, and on the general 090 • s
of government. Of the town of Kingston he gir.og
most dismal account, and his picture of his desl°lll tio
stree
march through the solitary. and sun-baked
of Spanishtown, after his visit to the Governer' te
enough to deter all future travellers from attelli„4
ing such complimentary ceremonials. The c°ll'ooo
he looks upon more favourably. He give° s
amusing anecdotes of the habits of the blac
The k Mof
following incident exemplifies their lee
di splay :-- T AS
One Sunday evening, far away in the country, al ,1047 d
us, I saw a young girl walkinliom from
mg with a gentleman, the proprietor•of the church. arc'cio
.•"„ti,
wap arrayed from head to foot ign white ; her gloves were ill.
and her parasol was up; her hat was white, and so wooed
lace, and so were the bugles that adorned it. Simi'ld be-
with a stately dignity, worthy of such a costume r; ty'e
hind her walked an attendant nymph, carrying th;
prayer book on her head. A negro woman carries "go-
burden. on her head, from a tub of water weighing _nit', tip
dredweight down to a bottle of physic. When we weighing
to her, she turned towards us and cur. tsied Shecri, rri
for she recognised her massa,' but she curtsied 'nth eregil
dignity, for she recognised also her own finery' 0
behind with the prayer book made the ordinary (:0;
Who on earth is that princess ?' said I. Ting igtait
sisters, whe both work at my mill,' said my friend. "vie
Stmday they will change planes. Polly will have the e•-01
sol and her hat, and Jenny will carry the prayer I,o°*'
her head behind her.' "
The condition of Jamaica planters appelrB tfhabire
melancholy enough. One great obstaele to ''s-es
successful prosecution of the sugar trade 6110
from the difficulty of getting labourers. way,
blacks, since their emancipation, give quite
to their constitutional laziness, and are red
content to lay in the sun and live on the natural
content
produce of the fertile climate. Mr. Bertram
chapters on this subject are well worthy tho
with
tion of all who are in any way connected
English'
West Indian legislation. He asks, " Are
men in general aware that half the sugar esta;ffee
Jamaica, and I believe more than half the.e_4l!
plantations, have gone back into a state of nn°_,A,
that all this land, rich with the richest produce and
some 30 years since, has now fallen back into ws,sd
ness ?" After describing the state of affaill'atter
the difficulties on both sides, he sums up the 11 and
very justly:—" Abolition of slavery is goo
free-trade is good. Such little insight a° a plain
to
man may have into the affairs around him see;oinn.
me to suffice for the expression of such an „oed
Nor will I presume to say that those who PrQr
either the one or the
get a good law passed, and out of hand, i 0 a
any rie/
desirable. There are from day to daY se ; d
impediments. But the law having been I;aB,r-eper•
should think somewhat of the sufferers.' "600
other were prernatureiways
theless, though some of those who once Mau: the
hogsheads of sugar a year, now make but 3",%,,,r
planters will not hear of abandoning the
r'Zig
trade. It is the one suggestion which, formai,
to our author, they cannot tolerate. Fronl Jamaica
to an-
the traveller proceeded to Cuba, whose 01°811;00
nexation to the United States lie hopes for.
British
he journeyed to Trinidad, Barbadoes, After
Guiana, and finally to Central America. A an-
describing his impressions of that disturb
d arlu'roye.
attractive locality, and its prospects of
ment, in the shape of railroads, canals',
The
gives us an account of his trip to Berinuas•
some
convict establishment in that island receive!
coo,
just censures for the great indulgences
arliatten
forts it allows the convicts. The book is wrt rejt
a pleasant, easy manner, seemingly withon! un-
dice. It conveys a good deal of informati ;web
affectedly; and the bold, fearless style in jowls
the writer attacks, abuses, and asserts hill Oftpdts
engage the reader's attention. The eatne_ also
that have been perceptible in all his works m's, „„4
manifest in this one. A degree of carelessneene74
diffuseness, occasional repetition, and at,..gotyle•
want of concentration and correction in iii.Niever-
mar the vigour and effect of his writings. re who
theless, it is a pleasant volume ; and theliro la
wish to know something of the state of It
wish
the West Indies can hardy do better than al'
its pages.

idrely

r en
Me
Halliday.diciture
soj2trr
Illustrated William WC°
Houlston and Wright. Wzby7derspin. Jiy Iwo.
which
This is a humorous record of the adventure!
rp
Mo,
befel
Dir. Horatio Wilderspin on his J°tl t,t
throughfor life. His first adventure is very pleatta;
ysterl 0
he sees his own name in one of those ul
hiadvertisements in the Tinzes telling of somethiatlf .0
left
advantage. A deceased uncle in Ballara
bllctli
lei,. him some thousands, on the strength efi_ W,,, he
he immediately forsakes the office desk, where
he
employed his time making blots and a unds
up the shilling's of an account with the Pecale.
ofHis
the same. He begins life on a large!
2rAble
cool,
tog
diis love affairs involve him in
adfficulties. His endeavours to make a feber
l• y's acquaintance excite the wrath ;',,; sa,
friends Jwho insist on his fighting a duel. 11: tens
N, e rsary feigns death and in great alarm he En
from the country to learn from the firei -nces
paper he meets with abroad that he has, of
thes victim of a hoax. A subsequent il' for,
sakes
leads him into further trouble. , eotio
_a -es love for politics, and after a otorroY: e'eot its
he makes his Parliamentary debut. " 'fir is 11 is
mortals to command success," and therefor! An
e.ecHoratio Wilderspin's political career is briecuiti,
l tion petition involves him in debt and dill',„ooes
and after many reverses and perplesities, he e'rytog
from__ a dilemma about unpaid rent b 9 mar ved
his stout landlady. The illustrations all° the
oe
numerous and laughable, and we Corn nor
yeutio x
Pages to the serious attention of all
sensed of more nmbition than disctrntuent•

Jiio '—
On Saturday Lord Palmerston gave, ‘'taboot
dence, Cambridge House, Piccadilly, the fast u_erliberg
ner this season to his colleagues. Most of the 3'
the Cabinet were present.