Litchfield enquirer., 1868-06-18
Foul Play.


 Foul PLAY, a Novel, by Charles Reade and Dion Boueicault published by Ticknor and Fields. Bos- ton.
 This sparkling little romance IS one of the freshest and most fascinating novels we have ever read. pure sloye' story, it is an extremely pow erful delineation of the phases of that mania, by gentlemen who have made it their special study. The plot is rather work of the fancy than of the imagination, and suggests that the authors have taken their motto from that of their hero "Impos- abilities things to be trampled on" We con- dense it as follows:
 Arthur Wardlaw, weak young scamp, commits a forgery, for which he allows Robert Penfold, a young minister, to be transported He falls deep- y in love with Miss Helen Rolleston and they be- come engaged. She goes with her father to Aus tralia, where the victim of Arthurs treachery also falls in love with her, unfathomably Wardlaw engages in reckless speculation, and, to save him. Iself, has large amount of gold dust shipped on board the steamer Prosepine and insured, then a confederate fraudulently removes the treasure in- tending to sink the vessel on her home voyage and cheat the underwriters. Unfortunately Helen takes passage on this very ship, and the convict in an uncomfortable paroxysm of his malady, fol. lows her. The Prosepine is scuttled and sunk at sea- as per programme. After horrible sufferings and narrowly escaping being eaten by famished boats crew, Helen and her adorer find themselves alone in little paradise of an uninhabited island in the South Pacific. Here, stimulated by hs pas sion, ,Penfold's hidden capacities unfold themselves He conquers nature, discovering and inyenting all that IS necessary to make her comfortable. while his complete devotion makes the still more diff. cult conquest of Helens heart Just as he was about to crown his inventions with the celebration of the full Episcopal marriage service Tn the dou Die capacity of minister and bridegroom, Helen's ofuei parlent arr1Ves-summoned by one o 1'oper1s ingenious deyices-to take her to Arthur "ardiaW. tremendous scene follows: the tick e1-o1-ieaVe fact comes out; Robert declares him. SCH no felon, but MARTYR Gin Reade's favorite small caps); Helen believes, but, after much ex pIanatlon, protestation resignation is taken off ir Ecoliapse, leaving the desolate Martyr on his desc late island. In England she. becomes hopelessl, ehtangled In Arthur Wardlaw's net, feels bound tc luihl her engagement, and is to marry him in Z fortnight. Here the Martyr appears; Arthur ha: been ooilged to lie too much; the magazine of hi Vnianles Is hred from several points at once, ant ne IS blown up with great eclat in an assembly 0 the chief characters of the book, before whom h, cuts much such figure as Mr. Wooiey makes he 1ore the House Investigating committee. The curtain falls most happily, just as Martyrdom stop and Matrimony begins.
 We have not space for reference to the semimi raculous events and condolences with which th acton of the novel abounds, nor to tho French tendency to |" scenes" and to explosive tall-tht |great blemishes of all Reade-s novels. Tn th case there is the excuse that 's Foul Play was als intended for the stage.
 The book, perhaps unconscously, teache one remarkable lesson: It illustrates mos VlVldly the results of the difference i, our training of the different sexes. Heie, holleston and Robert Penfold both belong to tn higher classes of society. She is just tho good sweet,ant natural young girl the latter half of tn Nineteenth Century produces; but she lands o1 "Godsend Island," as ignorant and helpless as : child Ofall the practical knowledge the experienc of ages has transmitted to our time, she kn6v absolutely nothing. Education had given he some hctltlous wants, many foolish fears and nc aptitude Whatever for any thing practical. Sh can chlldlshly admire, but she never comprehends the patient intelligence that accomplishes all bu impossibities for her comfort. Robert Penfold l on the other hand, is model of thoroughly train | ed masculine energy. We are not little surprised | to find 8 colegian just admitted to orders witt ! such sure practical knowledge of botany, natu ral history, chemistry, mathematics, and numer ous useful arts and handicrafts Ca fair pugilist an excellent preacher to boot). Not only is he an en- cyclopeda of (" useful and entertaining knowledge, but he knows how to make practical application O that knowledge, and sets up civilization from tn Deginnng on dodsend Island, with scarcely a sin gle one of the blunders We should have expected Had the late Lord Brougham and Mother Ev started in Paradise together, the contrast coul, not have been greater.
 The position is very suggestive. Is Helen Rol eston the best type of woman civilization can pro Educe? Should not the lady be educated to use ful as well as ornamental existence? Messrs fseade and Bouccault seem to hold the negative iThey give man reason, to be trained and educated Edolng its work best directly, without intervention Eof agents. To woman they give grand instincts scarcely capable of change or improvement by ed ucation, doing their work best indirectly, througl the agency of man. We have no faith in such , theory-but this is scarcely the place to argue "ilat Is becoming great political question. Some of the illustrations that accompany this edition are excellent, but not all We do not easi ly recognize the stylish young lady in half-hand kerchief-hat and waterfall, whom we find in Heller Roleston's hut after she has been roughing it hal a year on tho island!
 While "Foul Play" is by no means the equal of Reades masterpiece, Griffith Gaunt, we shall be surprised if it does not prove the most popula, tale of the year 1868.
 nA- decided difference was made in the vote of the democratic members of the House from Litchfield county, by the letter of Congressman Rarnuum. who MrOia that ttthe nassaoa of th1