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

LITERATURE.

11b. and 3L'3. Asheton. By the Author of " Afar'
garet and her Bridumaids," 4.-c. 3 Tots. Hurst
and Blackett.
It is impossible to 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 all
previous reputation of the writer. The chief cha-
racter to attract notice is Marion Flower, or May-
flower, as she was generally and appropriatielY
called. She is a charming sketch of a young Irlauen'
gay and happy, full of intclest in all around her,
and ever intent on good actions and kind purposes'
Such was she till, in an evil hour for her own hap-
piness, she became Mrs. Godfrey Asheton. Her
husband was one of those disagreeable men wl
commit more errors than some really evil disposed
persons, through his pride, obstinacy, and self-
conceit. his parents wero to blame in the first in
stance for bringing him up in such reprehensible
notions concerning the importance of his fatniii,
and then debarring him from that contact with the
world, which is of such inestimable importance
i? pt°
all who are to occupy a prominent position in h'
Ile loved Marion after his own fashion, that is
to say, he cared far more for himself; and so,
when the first excitement and interest attachil
itself to his new state was over, the stronger feel-
ing predominated, and self reigned suPreni,
.•
Poor Mrs. Asheton was placed in a trrn.o„
situation, but she was much to blame
putting her hushand's absurd wishes befora
ifs
her as her first duty to be followed.
was not a man gifted with sufficient self-contrbole,
or endowed with principle and feeling, to ena
him to be a safe guide in the decision of moreeig-
tons cases. Hence, in allowing him to take avill
her children to be brought up in a strange lan.
with foreign attendants, and under the supervisw,
of her sister-in-law, who hated her, she did no'
give up to duty, but made a Griselda-like sacrificoi;
to suit the erroneous ideas of a conceited and lel%
man. As might be expected from such a system
misery resulted to every one, and many long Yea,,f
of sorrow and suffering were the consequences "
Godfrey's cruel demand, and Marion's rash co:
pliance. In the description of Mrs. Trevor,,o
meet with much knowledge of character.
cunning contrivances to which the artful wor t
resorted are most ably disclosed, and the effect
which such incessant, cautious, insinuations 011,.s„
have produced on a disposition like that of "
brother's is truly manifested. There is also
sglll
exemplified in the delineation of Marion's
cousin, the beautiful Beatrice, who possessed
eminent degree the fierce jealousy which 641%
guishes the daughters of the south. In the rag,
which possessed this passionate lady at the hmar-
riage of Godfrey, to whom she was attached; her
formed sinister designs against the peace °I is
gentle cousin, so that Lltogether the earlier years
of the married existence of Mr. and Mrs. Ashelifitn
i
were:beset with troubles, and environed With $
culties. The story is not pleasing ; but there ie,
power in its construetion, and a pathos tile d
it
scriptien of many of its passages, which render
a superior work of fiction, and as such it will ram
in the estimation of many.

The West Indies and the Spanish Main' 134'
Anthony Trollope, author of "The Bertratas'
Chapman and Hall.
then
This clever, though somewhat careless an'— d
has turned his attention from fiction to reality, a°
has forsaken novel writing for the record of tr -
rna
ivellers' tales. He gives us an account of his sgiel3n
Jamaica, Barbadoes, Trinidad, and the °e;0.1..
' f
b ouring islands, together with his impress
Central America and the Bermudas. To Janii.
he devotes a considerable share of his volume, VY
ing a very minute sketch of its social and political
condition. He has chapters on town and count:
black men, coloured men, and white men' 0° ,t
e
state of the sugar trade, and on the general sYsl'
of government. Of the town of Kingston .he give!
most dismal account, and his picture of his despairtntgo
march through the solitary and sun-baked streeis
of Spauishtown, after his visit to the Governer,
enough to deter all future travellers from atterot'
ing such complimentary ceremonials. The eaufttZe
he looks upon more favourably. He gives fob
he
amusing anecdotes of the habits of the black ine
The following incident exemplifies their love
di splay :
" One Sunday evening,away
far in the countrYl I around
riding with a gentleman, the proprietor of the estate zho
us, I saw a young girl walking home from church. one
was arrayed from head to foot in white; her gloves. wLerf4
and her parasol was up; her hat was white, and so v
lace, and so were the bugles that adorned it. She :dike
with a stately dignity, worthy of costume, 8— +lO
hind her walked an attendant nyrapsh,ccaoarirtgetahrrihereu;rl
prayer book on her head. A TI
burden on her head, from a tub of water weighing h. 1111;
dredweight down to a bottle of physic. When WO caraeud
She curtsl
to her, she turned towards us and curtsied.
for she recognised her ' massa ' but she curtsied with great
dignity, for she recognised also her own finery. ,1111
behind with the prayer book made the ordinary
Who on earth is that princess ?' said I. Thei a,'"7,1:%t
sisters, who both work at my mill,' said my friend.he r
Sunday they will change places. Polly will have tog
sol and her hat, and Jenny will carry the prayer bow'
her head behind her.' " be
The condition of Jamaica planters appears
melancholy enough. One great obstaele to theirces
successful prosecution of the sugar trade silo
from the difficulty of getting labourers.
may
blacks, since their emancipation, give nte
to their constitutional laziness, and are Vol
cpornodteunctetooflaythien
ftehretisleunclaimudatleiv. e on the natunire
Be
chapters on this subject are well worthy the at
tion of all who are in any way connected 7.0.
West Indian legislation. He asks, " Are Eng..; in
men in general aware that half the sugar estai'ffee
Jamaica, and I believe more than half the cos.
plantations, have gone back into a state of banal;
that all this land, rich with the richest produce ed.
some 30 years since, has now fallen back into Wand
ness ?" After describing the state of affair* ttet
the difficulties on both sides, he sums up the rand
very justly.:—" Abolition of slavery is goo lain
free-trade is good. Such little insight as a&s to
man may have into the affairs around him eeecien.
me to suffice for the expression of such an °Pl"...ea
Nor will I presume to say that those who Pror,ro
either the one or the other were premature;ways
get a good law passed, and out of band, is a' no
desirable. There are from day to day so manYod vie
impediments. But the law having
been Neer'
should think somewhat of the sufferers.
e 500
-
theless, though some of those who once mad to
hogsheads of sugar a year, now make but 30..ar
planters will not hear of abandoning the lin,
trade. It is the one suggestion which, aceeruilics
to our author, they tolerate. From Ja,l° an,
the traveller proceeded to Cuba, whose sPeelencs
nexation to the United States he hopes for. T'',ti,h
he journeyed to Trinidad, Barbadoes, pri`ftsr
ti
Guiana, and finally to Central, America. 110.,
describing his impressions of that disturbd an,
attractive locality, and its prospects of imPro he
ce
ment, in the shape of railroads, canals, 84e.',0•
gives us an account of his trip to Bermuda• seme
convict establishment in that island receives al,
just censures for the great indulgences and ea is
forts it allows the convicts. The book is Writtee.u.
a pleasant, easy manner, seemingly without Priiny,
dice. It conveys a good deal of informationhich
affectedly; and the bold, fearless style in !tions
the writer attacks, abuses, and asserts his ePifnults
engage the reader's attention. The same a,,iso
that have been perceptible in all his works are nd
manifest in this one. A den Tee of carelessness
e'rai
diffuseness, occasional repetition, and a gl
want of concentration and correctioni hisveler-
mar the vigour and effect of his writings. who
theless, it is a pleasant volume ; and ffai thoseis
f ar.
tat
wish to know something of the state
the West Indies can hardy do better than ,CO
its pages.

--- A elf
The Adventures of 11h•
.Wilderspin. By An-1. 11.
Halliday. Illustrated by William meConne
Houlston and Wright.
befel Mr. Horatio Wilderspin on n 1
This is a humorous record of the adventures out
through life. His first adventure is very pleaso.
us
for he sees his own name in one of those mysteri..o,o
advertisements in the Times telling of something %
his adyantage. A deceased uncle in Ballarath7b,
left him some thousands, on the strength of 'iv he
he immediately forsakes the office desk, whef:vog
employed his time making blots and „" as
his Per- ee•
up the shillings of an account with the Pou-19.
of the same. He begins life on a larger settle
His love affairs involve him in consideraung
difficulties. His endeavours to make a rler
lady's acquaintance excite the wrath ,°', (l.
friends !who insist on his fighting a duel. n's„-;t1
versary feigns death and in great alarm holio-b:
from tie country to learn from the firs
paper he meets with abroad that he }lash h 0.07
the victim of a hoax. A subsequent llfftlirfnr.
sentiment leads him into further trouble. he a
sakes love for politics,
he makes his Parliamentary debut. " -ris n°tMr.
mortalsi to command success," and therefore
°ratio Wilderspin's and after a stormy
political career is brief. /5..'h
election petition involves him in debt and difficult
and after many reverses and perplexities, he War:
from a dilemma about unpaid rent by nlarrY.l4.
his stout landlady. The illustrations arc leale
numerous and laughable, and we commend the„o„,
pages to the serious attention of all youths Pt'
scssed of more ambition than disc( rnment. electic:o

reoi.

----
On Saturday Lord Palmerston gave, at his
deuce, Cambridge House, Piccadilly, the first Cabinet aim,
ors 0.
nor this season to his colleagues. Most of the mewl)
the Cabinet were present.