The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-04-21
New York Sunday Mercury

1.-THE LIGHT OF LOVE; OR, THE DIA-
| MOND AND THE SNOWDROP" is story
of passionate love, Jealousy, intrigue, and re-
| venge, In which the most striking contrasts
OF character are presented. The principal
| perSOnageS are indiYIdualized with amazing
L power. They stand out in strong relief, ike
\ the figures seen through stereoscopic lens.
| Their mental traits are so distinctly marked
| and so widely different that 1t seems almost
| Incredible that they should all be the creations
of one intellect however versatile and power
| full. From the strange juxtapositions and col
darkness, ice and fire, the most eXtraor-
| binary eScapadeS and adventures arise, and
| an intense and overpowertng tnterest-whtch
| depens with every Chapters engendered in
| the mind of the reader. Wild and wonder
full as the story iS-abounding in scenes that
alternately touch the heart, charm the fancy,
| stir the soul with Indignation and horror, and
| enlist its profOundeSt and tendereSt Snypa-
| thies-it is still true to nature. Each actor in
| the lifelike drama-good or bad-iS consistent
i ly evil, or consistently innocent and virtuouS.
The minor characters are modelled with as
much fskill and genius as the stars OF the
group upon which the main interest centres;
and the vivacious humor which relieves the
dark shadows OF plot and counterpart, is as
racy and brilliant as the pathoS is deep and
The story opens in sequestered village on
the banks of the Wye. one of the most beau
tIful rivers OF England, n portion ofthe patri-
mony of the Earl of LaVington; Baron of
Erewood, whose castle and baronial domicile
| lie in the immediate nelghborhood. The
lovely hamlet of ErewOod-in-the-Dale is
about to be the scene OF a festival, to be given
| long sojOurn abroad), on the occasion of his
son and heirs twenty first birthday. The
reader is introduced to the yillagers-who are
in flutter of excitement about the coming
fete-and to the Earl, his son Lord Erewood,
| and the Lady Astarte Navasour, his beautiful
and passionate daughter.
The scene is calm, peaceful, and picturesque
but strong passions are at work amid its calm
beauty. The Earl Is prey to some secret
grief, which renders him gloomy and reticent;
the frank, ingenious heir IS desperately In
love with an artleSs village beauty, and the
ly attached to the Earl's secretary, Eliot st.
Croix, young man of singular personal and
fae11ons bIIt Ss too bnnoraSs tn faEe aSvan-
tage OF her Partially. The Earl receives
visit from the young Baron Neville, noble
man in the neighborhood, who congratulates
him on his return, and whom he introduces to
his daughter, tue Lady Astarte, with the evil
dent wish that she shall receive him as
sutton. This young Baron is a cold, sardonic,
most unprepoSseSSing parsonage, Of whom,
for some undisclosed reason, the Earl seems to
entertain a mingled feeling of fear and dislike
His introduction interrupts a scene between
the lady and the secretary, In which her ten
derness has all but betrayed the latter INTO
tween the superciniouS Neville and the Earl's
daughter, in the presence of the Earl, brings
out the special characteristics OF each in
strong relief, Eand is exceedingly interesting.
Then there Is q wonderful description OF a
OF the yillage-beauty, of whom hisL ordShip is
ennmored, a forester on his fathers estate-in
which herescues the forester from the clutches
him on to prison for a debt generously incur
red in behalf of a supposed friend. This little
tie epoSOde takes place in the forester's cot
tage, and in the presence of his fair daughter,
and q more exquisite passage could scarcely
be found in the whole range of modern fic-
ton. Returning home, Lord Erewood finds
the young Baron Neville with his father and
his sister, and is introduced to him. The
Earl is nervously anxious to make the young
men good friends, but the brusque aud half
contemptuous manner in which Neville nd
dresses him, offends young EreSdale, and a
bitter conversation ensueS between them,
which comes very near ending in mutual de-
finuce. Width this sharp cOllOQuy-marked
by the keenest and most effective sarcasm on
the one hand and Insolent rudeness on the
other, the fourth chapter with which the first
instaIIInent of the story in the