Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-07-19


If you will--and those of tho other unac.
tod and continues melodrama, rather
than iruc novcls,) the two novels which
are perhaps most likely Of all to survive
io En- glanl from the present day, are
Mary Barton and Jane Eyre. This.
We take it, Is fact, and consequently
has meaning. which God has put into
it. Our,wo Eaglish lady.novclis,s nre
certainly barely equal together to either
of their Two great foreign rivals. il they
arc to be so called. Compared with
the epic yistncas of'Uncle Tom, or my
lhic ,lilogy Of Consuclo," MARY Barton,
'Rllb,' anil 'Janc Eyre are but single
cantos or acts, or as detached groups
beside the huge page Of Last Judgment
OF Marriage Of Cana. Bat still these
works DO more than stand their sronn
beside these Of even veteran masters IKE
ihe Caxtons,' OF of new ones like ALTON
Locke Fourier usel 10 say that one.
seventh ofe each sex was addicted TO the
pursuits Of the Other. And if George
Sand, Mrs. Stowe. the authofcss of'Jane
Eyre and MARY Barton, stool alone
in their respective departments, we
might feel tempted 10 take up with an
arilhmeiical rule, rather ,han 20 forward
in search ofa reason. But in France (ln
spite Of the nature Of French female
clucn,ion) Madame Charles Rcybanl
comes, in the judgment oil many. only
behind George Sand in point oI perm
ncnt literary worth as a novelist; in
America, Miss WeIhcroll's 'Widc Wiic
World and her 'Quccchy' are now only
second ia, popularity to Uncle Toni'
and with us The lady.novolsts are so
numerous as almost to defy enumeration
from Lady Gcorgana Fullerton, the
aulhorcss of Mrs. Margaret Maitland,
Mrs. Caroline Norton, AID Miss Jews.
bury, through Mrs Marsh, Miss Lynn,
Miss Mulock even down 10 MrsGorc and
Mrs. Trollopc, not to speak of the past
efforts Of Miss Marlineau and Mrs. Jane
son, OF Of what is felt by many as the
imperishable freshness Of Miss Austin.
1t Is quite clear that successful novel
writing amongst women, as compares
with men, whatever may be the degree o
snrcess. is nowadays much more tht
rule than the exception.
"Now, If we consider the novel 10 b.
the picture OF human life in q pathetic
or as some mi sht prefer the expression
in sympathetic form, that is to say, a
addressed to human feeling, rather thai
to human taste, judgment, or reason
, there sccms nothing paradoxical in til
view, ;hat women arc called TO the mas
terry Of this particular fell Of Literature
We all know, that if man is the head @
I humanity, women is its heart; and a
{ education has rendrcd her ordinarll
capable Of expressing feeling in writer
words, why should we be surprised to iin'
that her words come more home to u
than those of men, where feeling i
chiefly concerned! There seems moth
, ing improbable in the though, tha, thi
, supremacy Of women over the novel i
one which will go widening and deep
cning, ana that only through her shal
we learn what resources ,hoso are in
'. for doing Gods work upon earth.
: "But now question arises, not be t
finchrd from. What women ought t
write novels, that novels may be sncl:
really ought TO BE- written? A very com
: mon feeling suggests, that in our socia
Q state wherein the supply Of educate
women, fit ornaments for rich men
houses, but unmces helps for poor men
:, tolls, so far exceeds the demand for wlvi
i (polygamy being forbidden by law,
y spite Of plutonomic wisdom aul the az
1t knowledged blessings of laissfr fare
literature is fit refuge ior their acliv
ties and aspiration-an honorable en-
= pIoyment Of their solitary leisure
0 praiscwor,hy source of worldly ndcpe!
,, ,icncc. But yet, when we look at t
!. male writers, we cannot help bc'l
i, struck by the vast superiority Of Il
% married, as class, over the singl
l. even from the days of Madame dc Sew
is que and Mademoisollc Sculcry dow
wards; we cannot help observing that d
woman's book OF the agc-'Uuclc Tom
Cabin'-is that of a wife and a moihe
10 and even if we contrast the two nam
g moro Immediately before us, those
III Jane Eyre and Mary Barton, many
Us at least can hardly repress the fe'
ing, that the works o the former, howe
er more striking in point of intc!le
have in them somewhat harsh, roue
he unsalis(ying, as com pared with the lu
al and wholesome, and most woman!y p
d. foction Of the other"
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