The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-26 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

.7'37E TV IL 311 G 0 : a 1.,.'0ve7. 3 Vols. By
the Author of " Ethaia
Tan mabore.,..s of '' Wyndham" is, de -
servedly, one of our most popuLa- n vvritero.
liar style i; as attracive PS her moral teaching is
pure. In Emilia Wyndham" she sat at defiance
the ordinary rules of romance, and showed by a most
natural and enticing example how Duty may enable
one to fulfil that disagreeable maxim—Quaid on n' a
pas ce (peon aline, afloat ainier ce qu'on a—(" when one
has not what they love, one must love what they
have"). In " Norman's Bridge" she exhibited
with a masterly hand the enormity of avarice,
of that " covetousness which is idolatry."
Angela" revealed the difference between a disci-
plined and an ungoverned heart. " Mordaunt Hail,"
one of the most beautiful, yet most melancholy of all
her compositions, illustrated the fact that sin is always
productive of misery. Tbis new work, "The Wil-
mingtons," enforces a more practical lesson, and one
more appropriate to the present day, than any of its
predecessors. "It is a trite observation," (so the
first chapter of " The Wilmingtons" commences)
"and yet one of those which it does not seem useless
perpetually to reiterate—how great is the extent of
mischief produced by the indulgence of what are
commonly called, and what people are more especially
inclined. to call in themselves—venial faults." " The
mother of mischief," says the Proverb, "is no bigger
than a midge's wing." The truth contained in this
proverb is the theme of the beautiful story of " The
Wilmingtons." Here is the portrait of Mr. Wilming-
ton, and on the peculiarities visible in this portrait
hangs the tale :
" Mr. Wilmington was a tall, finely-mado man; and
there was a sort of natural elegance is his face and figure,
which he strove to set off to the very best advantage by
every means in his power. Every means which the ex-
penditure of money could secure certainly could he
command; and then fJre his dress was most rigorously
arranged after the first models, and came from the hands
of the most fashionable (then) tailor; and the rest of his
/tire, his boots, his hat, his cane—everything, iu short,
being from the hands of artists most eminent in their line.
Nothing was ever spared in any way that could render
him the complete gentleman, as he thought—and yet, in
all that goes to form a just idea cf the complete gentle-
Iran, how much was sadly wanting! Perhaps he had
an obscure consciousness of this himself; and that feeling
it was which gave a certain effort and mixiety to his
manner when in company with those moving in circles
superior to his own, for which little humiliation, it must
be confessed, he amply repaid himrelf, when in society
with equals or inferiors, by the easy complacency,
amounting to self-sufficiency, with which he carried him-
self. He was at the present moment in that happy
mocd and the highest spirits, attending upon some (ladl-
ing young ladies who held a nominal rank above his own.
They were, nevertheless, evidently pleased and happy,
dashing and fashionable as they were, to number trie
rich and handsome Mr. Wilmington as one of their train.
Seeing the carriage drive up the esplanade, Mr. Wil-
mington t'as not sorry t) stop, under pretence of speak-
ing to Harry, and display his very handsome equipage
to the admiring company."
Vanity and an excessive love of display are the
characteristic qualities of Mr. Wilmington, and
although not naturally a bad man, this history of
his career exhibits with melancholy truthfulness how
easily an indulgence in such unworthy passions may
convert weakness into wickedness. The persons
whose varied fortunes form the theme of these three
volumes are the above-mentioned Mr. Wilmington,
his son Harry, whose disposition, sensitive and re-
tired almost to shyness, is a direct contrast to that of
his father ; Mr. Wilmington's daughter Caroline, a
high-spirited, noble-hearted girl:; Flavia, the beloved
of Harry, a sweet gentle creature, all purity and
tenderness, such as the author of " Emilia Wynd-
ham " excels in delineating. Flavia is the grand-
daughter of a Duchess, whose introduction gives oc-
caion to the following delightful picture of