The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-20
LITERATURE.
REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.
GRIFFITH aAUNp.

~ III - - - ~ n ~ ANfAs
Several causes have conspred to secure for the
hast of Mr.. Charles Reades novels considerable
noioriety. While being published as a serial In
the Atlantic Monthly, it was denounced as i'm.
moral by numbers of our leading journals IL
was defended by the author in letter in which
he termed all who criticized him "beasts," and
tseems that now IL is to be the subject of law
suit. Under these circumstances, it is only
natural that Griffith Gaunt" should be the SEN
satlon of the hour. Its greatness belongs to the
class Of those who have fame thrust upon them,
for certain II Is that it was neither. born great,
nor yet achieved, through merit, an exalted
position. But be the cause what It may, "Grif
fifth Gaunt" is the literary lion, and as such de-
mands our attention.
Let us give the plot of the book, and save our
readers the shocks which perusal of the work
for themselves would unavoidably produce.
Catharine Peyton, country belle, and
second Lady Gay Spanker," has two lovers,
the affections of both of whom she appears to
reciprocate about equally. - Sir George
Neville, the possessor of Neviles Court, ua
preu1 Cheudlier, being one; the other Griffith
Gaunt, robust rustic the presumptive heir of
Bolton Castle. Griffith, infuriated, without any
special cause, decides to leave the country, when
the sudden death of Mr.. Bolton induces Miss
Peyton to borrow Sir Georges horse, AMI ride
after the departing lover. Sir George, having
seen fit to take her horse, he gives mortal
Offense to Griffith, who publicly insults him.
A duel is arranged, when, after two shots,
Miss Peyton arrives and, after interposing her
horse between the comoatants, faints gracefully
away. The duel is thus terminated and they all
proceed to the reading of Mr.. Bottoms will.
That document being inspected, proves that all
the property is left to Miss Peyton, and Griffith
cut of with $4,000. This seeming ill-fortune is
really the food tide of his future, for the lady
feeling that injustice has been done, and not
kno wing how to remedy it except by marrying
the wronged heir, offers herself this time, aud
the marriage Immediately takes place. After
living happily together for seven wears
a priest appears upon the stage
and as Mrs. Gaunt is Catholic
soon secures considerable influence over that
lady. Father Leonard is young saint in per-
sonal appearance, having mild and lustrous
eyes, pallId complexion, being an anchorite
by reputation, Jesuit by profession, and ST.
Paul in the pulpit. Mrs. Gaunt nearly falls in
love with him, and he decidedly falls in love
with her. In fact, one day at the confessional
hereveals his illicit affection but she, surprised,
does not consent to repel his advances. Matters
continues this way for some time, and naturally
attracts the attention of even the stupid Grif-
fifth. Meanwhile another little moral by.play
is going on. Mrs. Ryder, the lady's
maid, fails desperately in love with Gaunt.
chapters are devoted to the disgust.
ing recital of how she endeavorel to secure his
affection. She at last poisons his ears with the
recital of his wife's conduct, when instead of his
turning to her for consolation, he goes off into
an epileptic fit. Having recovered his reason, he
returns to the house, finds, his wife whom he left
at home and unable to move, out walking With
Leonard, follows them, knocks he down,
tramples on him, mounts his horse. and
after riding for ninety-two miles without
dismounting, arrives at the "Pack-horse,n and
suffers from an attack of brain fever. He is
nursed, and saved from death by Mercy Vint,
The 'ormatd, who, as a reward for her ldeyo-
lion. ne m,rTies, totally ignoring the existence
of Mrs. Gaunt. He lives with her year under
false name has child by her, and then being
;, y,,nt of money, returns TO Bolton Castle, to
- ,on,e he left thn~~ 49, - ir-.- -
- '"h wife was faithful to HIM, that he
ro~ "EtVVEmeq as returned prodigal, and so
!, N'AglVes himself as to return to his old posi-
non as husband and father. He thus has two
wives, ano child by each. After oscillating
!or seV eral months between the two, they both
Rnd out that he has played them false, and
Mre Gaunt No. / threatens his life and
his arrest. He flies in the night, and
is heard to cry for "Help," and then mysteriously
disappears. Suspicion is excited, the pond is
uraggeu' anu ...su pooy is found, half eaten
usbes. Mrs. Gaunt No. / is arrested ard
tried for the murder of her husband, makes a
speech which rivals in ability the great ad-
dress of Buzfuz, and is acquitted by the sud-
den temperance of the supposed victim. 1t
anpears that it was his bastard brother who
was drowned, Thomas Leicester. AT this stage
of the proceedings, Sir George Neville, lost
some hundred pages back reappears, and con-
yeniently marries Mrs. Gaunt No. 2, the bar
maid, mistress of Griffith his old rival. Mr..
and Mrs. Gaunt are reunited and all live hap
PLY together for great many years, and die
at good old age.
Such, in brief, is the plot of the story, and
very unnatural, distorted, and immoral one 1t
ia Let us notice the absurdity OF the whole
tale. Would any honorable woman, who loves
her husband, meet another young man at mid.
NIGHT in a grove, to prdy' Would 1t cause any
.,,rnrise IT, under the circumstances, the hus
hond was to be Jealous? And would he, If al
-I,oDorahle man. marry another woman, merely
hecause his true wife was suspected o
[oing unfaithtul? Yet this is the morality
of the work. No word of coDdemna
4ior is uttered at this horrible doc
4r;ne On the contrary, it is rather com