The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-20 00:00:00

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THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDA

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Royal M ail Steam

EVENING, NOVEMBER 20, 1850.-

LITERATURE.
NATHALIE ; a Tale.By Julia Kavanagh.

3 Vols. Co6urn.
The brilliant historian of " Woman in France," and
the heart-touching biographer of " Madeleine of
Auvergne," has fully realized the expectations ex-
cited by those eloquent productions. " Nahalie" is
a beautiful tale, beautifully told. It affords another
proof that the interest of a work of fiction does
not lie so much in its incidents as in its truthful de-
velopment of character. There are, of course, ex-
ceptions to this rule. In some cases the skill of a
writer may infuse into his narrative a power of en-
thralling the attention, and holding the sympathies of
the reader spell-bound—witness "Jack Sheppard,"
for example. Nevertheless, as a general rule, we find
that the more the interest of a fictitious narrative is
concentrated, the greater is its power of enchaining
attention. Seldom have we seen this rule

more effectually exemplified than in " Natha-
lie"—a tale of most fascinating interest, a
tale which it is impossible to lay aside half read,
and in which, moreover, it is impossible to " skip,"

for every chapter, however insignificant in itself, is
an important link of the one chain. And yet in
" Nathalie" we have few persons introduced, and
few incidents ; it is, as it were, a simple record of a
few events, but in the record of those few events we
find an admirable analysis of conflicting passions, we
are furnished with a perfect study of character. In
her preface Miss Kavanagh wisely disclaims having
written with any particular object, except to draw
two very different characters, and to show how those
characters attracted, repelled, and influenced each
other. One of those characters is the heroine Na-
thalie, the charming Nathalie, truly answering to the
oft-quoted lines on the title-page—
" A creature not too pure or good
For human nature's daily food,
For transient sorrow, simple wiles,
Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears, and smiles."
Nathalie Montalieu is a native of Provence, and is
endued in no mean degree with the warmth and vi-
vacity of the south. We find her, at the opening of
the tale, an orphan, residing in Normandy, at the age
of eighteen, a governess in the school of the formal
and rigid Mademoiselle Dantin. In the neighbour-
hood of the school is the chateau of Sainville, wherein
the chief incidents of the narrative transpire. The
chateau is the property of a Monsieur de Sainville,
a somewhat peculiar but exquisitely-drawn character.
The heir of an ancient and ruined family, he had de-
voted the best years of his life to the liquidation of
his father's debts and the restoration of his house. This
arduous undertaking, and a disappointment in early
life, having heightened the natural pride and stern-
ness of his character, we find him, on our introduc-
tion to him, no longer very young, and the object
of mingled respect, admiration, and dread of
all around him—rigidly just and exact
in the fulfilment of every duty, and hiding under a
veil of impenetrable reserve the natural emotions of
an affectionate but morbidly sensitive temperament.
In the chateau of Monsieur de Sainville we find his
widowed sister, Madame Marceau, or, as she in her
pride persists in styling herself, Madame Marceau de
Sainville. The character of this designing lady is most
skilfully depicted. Her thoughts are all concentrated
in one object—her darling wish is to have her son, the
son of the plebeian Marceau (whom she had conde-
scended to espouse in the days of her father's misfor-
tunes), recognized asithe heir of the restored house of
Sainville, and called by that ancient and noble name.
But Charles Marceau is unworthy of such a distinc-
tion, and is no favourite with his uncle. At the com-
mencement of the story young Marceau has been
struck with the grace and beauty of one of
the inhabitants of the neighbouring school, the
charming Nathalie. The young girl, however,
with her native pride and impetuosity refuses to read
his letters or listen to his suit. Not discouraged, he
finds means to penetrate into Mademoiselle Dantin's
garden while the young governess is taking a
solitary walk. The tete-a-tete, so unwelcome to the
indignant Natbalie, is interrupted by the arrival of the
rigid schoolmistress, who forthwith prepares to expel
her innocent but suspected teacher. Monsieur de
Sainville's love ofjustice comes to her rescue. Bear-
ing of his nephew's imprudence and of its unfortunate
results to Nathalie, he commissions his sister to Idle
the young girl under her protection and to invite her
to Sainville during the absence of Charles. So
Nathalie comes to the chateau and the real story
commences. She remains in company with Madame
Marceau and aunt Radegoude, a delightful
old lady, who calls her " Petite," and soon
wins her affection. And now our attention
is excited to observe the two contrasting characters of
Nathalie and her host as they mutually " attract,
repel, and influence " each other. To the stern, re-
served Monsieur de Sainville, the childish naiveté,

the petulance and frankness of the vivacious and
piquante Provencale are irresistible,—
" Her heart upon her lips,
Her soul within her eyes,
Soft as her native clime,
And sunny as its skies."
At the same time the apparent indifference of her re-
served host exercises a peculiar fascination upon
Nathalie. "Itis a dangerous thing," as she herself
observes, " for a woman to find she can be young and
pretty in vain." Having said thus much of the plot,
we must leave its unravelment to the skilful pen of
Miss Kavanagh. A main part of the interest is oc-
casioned by the intrigues of the crafty Madame Mar-
ceau, who, after endeavouring to seclude Nathalie from
her son, having a more brilliant marriage in view
for him, discovers that in guarding against one peril
she has involved herself in another, and one more
disastrous. Better, far better, that the plebeian girl,
upon whom she looks with scorn, should become the
bride of her beloved son than that he should be de-
prived of the coveted inheritance by the marriage of
his uncle. Added to the obstacles which these plots
and counterplots throw in the course of Na-
thalie's true love, her own peculiar temperament, so
impassioned and impetuous, and, withal, so full of
womanly spirit, involves her in many cruel misunder-
standings with her proud and exacting lover. The
evil consequences of that apparently innocent passion
—pride—are very admirably set forth in the develop-
ment of this tale. Both De Sainville and Natha-
lie exhibit this feeling in a different manner
hut an equally excessive degree. The one outwardly
calm and severe, but acutely sensitive, takes offence
at a very nothing; the other, with all her southern
frankness and tenderness, is possessed of Is woman's
pride, not easily aroused, but when aroused, bitter
and unforgiving. Let it not be supposed, however,
that Nathalie's is a vindictive nature. Pull of natu-
ral faults, her character is also full of natural beauties.
We watch her with feelings somewhat like those of

her half-sister Rose, when she admired while she

chided, and listened with sympithy, instead of anger,
to the artless revealings of a heart whose vehement

passion her disciplineii mind reproved. Contrasted
with the impetuous Nathalie, Rose is a beautiful con-
templation. Her life is passed in unremitting attend-
ance on an irritable, exacting relative, and with
her patience indeed has its perfect work. Some of
the scenes between the sisters, where Nathalie
pours her troubles and joys into the bosom of the
sister who holds to her a mother's place, are most
beautiful. Now calm and desperate in her disap-
pointment, and now radiant with sunny smiles of joy,
the ardent Provengale hurries from the chateau to

visit Rose's humble roof, and Rose with gentle

sympathy listens, chides, and comforts. IVe -Might
select many passages as evidences of the depth of
feeling and eloquence of style which abound in " Na-
thalie ; ' we have, however, given sufficient indica-
tions of the interesting nature of this very delightful
book. The half-dozen characters who fill the fore-
most places are depicted with so much of life-like
fidelity that they are worth a whole gallery of ill-
drawn portraits. The incidents, although few, are
so naturally drawn out, and the revelation of feeling
is so fraught with tenderness and truth, that the
readers of " Nathalie" cannot fail to admire the
authoress while they love the heroine, and thereby to
incur a debt of gratitude to both for the pleasure
afforded by their acquaintance through three volumes.