The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-24 00:00:00

LITERAT URE.

ADELAIDE LINDSAY. Edited by the Author
of " Emilia Wyndham." 3 Vols.
Few novels are better suited fir the circulating
library at this season of the year than " Adelaide
Lindsay." It may safely be denominated " a lady's
book," and the very large class of gentle readers who,
in the sea-side stroll or the country ramble, take a
novel as a companion, cannot possibly find one better
suited to their purpose than " Adelaide Lindsay."
One of the greatest charms of these three volumes is
the pure and graceful, but withal simple and homely
style in which they are penned. Every-day trifles,
that might seem unworthy of recording in a work of
such pretension, are detailed with a minuteness which,
if unnecessary, is still very delightful, because it im-
parts an air of reality to the whole history and to
every separate portion of it. To young ladies the
example of Adelaide will doubtless prove highly valu-
able, and it enfOrces a truth well worthy of practical
attention, namely, that affection is unenduring un-
less it be accompanied with esteem. It would
be unfair to reveal the secrets of the fair lady's his-
tory with which we have just been made so pleasantly
acquainted. We commend the tale, as it is written
in the volumes edited by Mrs. 11Lrsh, to the particu-
lar attention of the general reader, and of lady readers
more especially. In addition to the history of the
heroine, the story of Lady Kynaston, the unloving
ife and the unjustly partial mother, is worthy of
consideration, and is in some parts powerfully told.
But power is not the prevailing characteristic of the
work. The admirers of "Jane Eyre " had better not
open its pages, unless, perhaps, for the sake of enjoy-
ing a contrast. The story itself, like the style in
which it is told, is, although not deficient in the por-
trayal of intense emotions, chiefly characterised by
naturalness, serenity, and gracefulness—excessive
gracefulness. In fact, as we have already said,
" Adelaide Lindsay " is a perfect " lady's book," and
one of the most charming of that charming class.

ADA GREVILLE ; or Woman's Constancy.
By Peter Leicester, author of " Arthur of Brit-
tany," 6-c. 3 Vols.
This is in reality what all novels are in name, a
love-story; one of that old romantic class which has
recently given place to more matter-of-fact romance.
The wonderful history of the " constant" Ada re-
sembles the old legends of chivalry, when "Love was
still the lord of all." Still' this love-story is not so
attractive as its name might imply, seeing that the
love to which it relates is of only a one-sided charac-
ter. The enthusiastic and warm-hearted Ada is at
the opening of the tale an heiress. She loses her
fortune, however, just at the moment of her lover's
departure with his regiment from England. Judging
his heart from her own, the reliant girl,
never dreaming of the truth that the " beaux
yeux de sa cassette," had been the real objects of at-
traction, follows him to India, and after perils and
perplexities innumerable, at length overtakes the
truant, to his utter amazement and her own, when
she discovers her mistake. " All's well that ends
well," however, and this melancholy meeting is not
the conclusion of the tale. Yet, happy as that con-
clusion is, we are inclined to think that few young
ladies of the nineteenth century would follow the
example of Ada Greville, or deem Howard Smythe
worthy of such a pilgrimage in his behalf. Having
said thus much, it is unnecessary to say that the
story of Ada is most interesting. Her character is
beautifully drawn, and she never loses the dignity
and delicacy of her sex, notwithstanding the extra-
ordinary and perhaps unwomanly manner in which
she signalises her " woman's constancy."