Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-07-15
REFLEcTIoNs OF LIVING NovELIsTs,
rHE COuNTESS OF BLENSINGToN.

mouth ana take up pen anu NM except "hoh sue ue-
srou through the medium OF the press TO enasuse an un-
worthy husband or 10 champion her sex against some
very particular grievance. ne ae' hal women Mi'e lar
oe"eI ,nah men, uoes "" y. ~ ~ ~, sse, v m ~ % mat
ter Inc nghtiooed .amna uoupu'Ss run taves IN an
unsnrpas-aoe mahno'' ou' nau nav MaNe1 WIN
her osee captain Barclay run. Inc only person ever
could excuse TOT hang ,aNen ny I mnsn 10 nov oe
| long To woman, Is hIiuetn"se"c - non, VINO W"ipPeu
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Lno,vs very we'll tho, no s;cb, or ,e,gre one would an
sro, h., n,-s Is r. -, IS ,hs cs,n,.;n ho ,h-..d
,vbat becomes Of tho br,ncbes I'm, b.ving secured I'M,
massive lei as her centre see how LADY, Bessngton makes
the dvergen, nils tcke and cl;sen Sec how the snap
gcs f,lI oLon, ~, iii dcsin I,nranre ,,o cal, ,hou
sLo,.L.. .or.... ;,. IL III d. ,.,,.l..s ,,,.,
inc forms of licensed vii Few volumes are so ricb as hers
in ornament: few are so epitimatev ornamented Blu,
,roDos of the foppt,nI hon. Won nndorstand ,vbv II re
minded mo of one of tho Countess fc,;o,s
womon,s element IL Fob. sbo ALWAYS porsis,s in he
leyng sometime LADY BlsssinSton has rrea, faith in
human nature Considering that she lives and moves in n
circle into which il is the fashion 10 saw and the absuiity
TO believe nature never comes this pcpea freshness is
remarkable Let her Characters be wicked or foolish or
shallow as they nav Lady Blessingon delights in Keen
ing corner in their hearts in which AT due time nature
is allowed TO work and so TO give them some chance of
REDEMPTION And this one of the proofs afforded by her
writings that she is real artist and not merely fashiona
BILE authorizes of which latter class we have enough and IN
spare Hers are NOT mere conventional portraits the
things which custom has agreed shall walk up and down
in novels as characters in reol life in The same ov Thai
theatrical audiences have consumed 10 accent certain Gre
Specialize and coect sticks as the representatives of
gentlemen There is no lack of vitality about her figures;
contrare they usually full life TO the tips of their
arisocratic fingers.
When lay down OF her volumes ia thing hate do
unless there be another in store cannot help thinking
that although Countess very proud OF her own sex
and oms no opportunity Of doing II honour secretly and
her heart of hearts, she believes that ours is the nobr OF
the two. 1t an amiabe mistake, and one which it By
means becomes me censure. But it's mistake and
world will never be put at all straight until the superor
~ of the female part OF be acknowledged in all Quarters
When language becomes ordinarily decenwhen we cease
TO speak OF husband and wife, rather than of wife and hus
Oapd-when schooboys are not taught that the masculine
is more worthy than the feminnc-when the queen akes
the king at cards and the PAS Is allowed TO the spnser in
the publication Of bands-when Macready announces JuEr
and ROMEO be followed by GAATEA and ACIs-and when
in shor il shall be generally conceded that what came ot
of the side of man has least right to stand BY his side
there will be that marked Improvement in society which We
always when the nights restored where the should
be-"
After what have said about the brilliant conversational
which all her ladyship books written cannot
be necessary that the dialogue all dialogue should
be- She preserves all the polish of the weapon but she pr
the point aud edge. There scenes upon scenes
in Lady Blessingtons which might be delivered as
stage dialogue, and yet have painful elaboration
effect for sake But how she enjoys the reparee
if be a French one much the better. How well she
introduces aneedote cramng in by the head Ut
anecdotes like pins have heads well points, gent
y leading up it, and then giving it, the panesi and
telling form. would wager she likes a diamond "se
clear"
When Lady Bessington finds time read, how,
of mine; all know is that /, who delight IN the
queer and of the way places literature am
perpetualy finding her In French authors this
peculiarly the remember 4 very curious sensation
which occurred 10 me on suddenly lighting upon passage
IN a certain old work, which found friends library In
Rouen-a passage which must have suggested fortunate
answer made by one Of Lady Blessington's characters
don't intend 10 hang out lights" but when Robinson Cru
discovered the footprint in the sand his feeling must
have resembed mine IN every thing but the disagreeabe
Of the former.
Perhaps Lady BessingtOn manages contrast Us well as
any OF the day. This is easy the level
surface Of existing life. In other days, when society
settling down after IT. repeated crashes, various singular
characters continually brought together and contrast
was made for, rather than by, the novelist In the days
when allowed their "humours" the writer's task
was comparatively easy; couple Of "humourists" afford
ing mirth enough for a comedy a novel But now that
We are all equally placid and fuultess In behaviour all
equally studious Of the reputation II OF the acquisition
OF Indifference and society biIlard-abe bowling
green the artist who TO produce effective contrast
possesses something more than ordinary merit
Lady Blessagton IS not oyerfastdious when engaged in
that have heard very people express wish that she
would be little more guarded" Upon which occasions,
have always replied, that wish such thing. ! have