The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-21 00:00:00

LITERA.TIJEE.

Three Wives. By the Author of "Margaret and
her Bridesmaids." 3 vols. Hurst and Blacked.

The popular authoress of " Margaret and her
Bridesmaids" and " The Valley of the Hundred
Fires" has been resting upon her laurels, as the
saying is. We do not call to mind any work of
hers during the last two or three seasons. She has,
however, made up for the delay by giving to us
now three very charming tales in one. The three
wives who give the title to this work are not, as
that title led us to imagine, three ladies
who combine together in one story to exhibit to
the uninitiated the different arts and mysteries of
the important science of managing a husband. The
three ladies in question stand alone. The first vo-
lume is entitled " The Lady Elizabeth ;" the second
is " Eve," and the last is " Dew." The whole
range of pattern wives, from Griselda down to Mrs.
Caudle, never exhibited three more exemplary than
these. The first story relates the history of the
gentle and stately, but very shy and timid, Lady
Elizabeth Ellerton, who has been strictly brought
up by a too careful grandmother, and
who being, to her own surprise, selected
by the best parti of the season, is the object of gene"
ral envy and admiration. Lady Elizabeth is toe
reserved to find any pleasure in attracting public
attention, and is even too shy to venture on calling
her husband by his Christian name. In contrast
to this quiet beauty is the brilliant and ambitious
Lady Rose Alwyn, who, jealous of Elizabeth's sea-
cess in the matrimonial lottery, hides her disar
pointment by accepting a less desirable offer,
and who, by lavish expenditure, admirable
skill, and wonderful determination, succeed°
in eclipsing her greater rival, and become°
at once the rage and fashion of London
society. The description of Lady Rose's lively
conversations, and her delightful entertainments At
her " Nutshell," as she with mock humility style°
her abode, are yery amusing. The story is full of
iuterest, and will be read throughout with pleasure.
The evils which accompany a too extravagant in'
dulgence of the fast life of the votaries of fashion
are here very vividly set forth, both by precept and
example, as for instance—" London began its old
ways, resolute only in this—to be more fast, more
reckless, more mad than ever. Few had time to pause
and see that they were undergoing the same temp'
tation as Adam's. Fruit was offered to their sight,
which they knew it was ruin to touch, death to
taste—a worse death, the close of which angels
weep to see. All dashed recklessly at it, manY
touched, few refused to taste, until but one MOtlYO
ruled the world, and that was to be the fashion."
The second story, " Eve," is not much to our taste.
The first chapters are sufficiently interesting, and
the early days of the heroine, who is lovingly en-
titled Childie," are very tenderly described.
Indeed, Childie is made so loveable and 0(3
good that we cannot think it natural
that one endowed with such a character should
so cruelly disappoint the expectations of her friends;
and, like her first namesake, bring sorrow on thoes
who best love her. The authoress, however, seems
to admire the conduct of her heroine, who solely (41,
account of some altercation about the disposal 0!
property suffers her friends and relations to
believe that she is drowned. The brother, wh°3°
whole life has been devoted to her, and who on see
count of his
,greater age and protecting C3ro
she has been accustomed to style " Father Jaol4,
is not only heart-broken but embittered. and 011,
dered desperate, and his life is blighted by the rav_
conduct of his " Childie.,, Others suffer cruelly frorf
the deception, and Eve, in a disguised name, cl`"_,4
votes herself to the care of an invalid and deforw;
husband, and believes that she is fufilling lie
t
duties. And even in this respect she is content
to suffer wrong to her own character and hi*
for by many she is believed to be his mistresSoi
This story is, to our thinking, no way worthy
being classed with the very charming
histories vf
"Lady Elizabeth," and of " Dew." The storY-41,
" Dew" occupies the third volume, and it:Eli:ea
teresting throughout. The " situation" iS
W
some what extraordinary, but all is well that ends
aud we shall nut betray the secrets of this, ljtrotelee
tale. We may very safely eolith:Load the "
-
Wives" (two of them at least) to the best atte,ti
of the novel readers, as being quite Avorthl oa
take their place by the side of `° Margaret 3t
her Bridesmaids," and " The Valley of
Hundred Fires." ro

. --- ci as'
FREE AND INDEPENDENT ELECTORS.—The vs. 0
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tl'ilf.
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