The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-21
Reviews.

thor Of "Cometh up as Flower" ana "NoC
Wisely, but Too Well" New YORK u. Ap-
pleton & Co. Charleston: John Russell.
The author of these books is said to be
Miss Broughton, young Irish lady and q near
relative of Mr. Sheridan LeFann, the novelist.
Both of her previous novels have been noticed
at length in these columns, and pronounclng
upon her last effort we do not know that either
the tone or matter of our criticism of its pre-
decessors will require much modification.
In general tenor, in structure OF plot, and IN
the types of character presented, the trio bear
q very strong family likeness. Esther Craven
differs in no essential respect from Nelly l. Es-
strange and Kate Chester; nor is ST. John
Gerard very different sort of hero from
McGrcgor or Dare Stamcr. There is another
gentleman, to be sure, in the present story,
who is somewhat moro human in his charac-
teristics than Miss Broughton's men generally
contrive to be-a certain Mr.. Bob Brandon,
who is described as not much given to "pen-
sive musings upon the caducity of the human
race" and to whom the heroine engages
herself in the beginning of the book,
apparently for no other reason than
beca use he asks her. Bob, however, Is
much too slow for the tastes of our sgrl OF
tho PERIOD" and she accordingly proceeds to
get up q very fast filtration with the aforesaid
St. John Gerard, during visit to the latters
country seat, the existence of D. B. being kept
a profound secret, even at the expense of much
positive lying on Miss Essie's part. The fllrta-
lion is brought to prosperous issue by an ex-
pedient invariably adopted at such crises by
Miss Broughtons herolneSS, ana Which never
fails of triumphant success, thereby showing
the author to be a profound student of human
nature. 1t is thus related: "Neither the pre-
paratory run, nor the tremendous bound she
takes, avails to save Miss Craven from the fate
which her obstinacy and the comparative short
ness of her legs render unavoidable. She
jumps short, md falls forward on the wet bank,
her lavender kid gloves digging convulsivcly
into it, and her legs dlsportlng themselves
flsh-like in the brook"
or course St. Johns strength of mind is i'm
potent to resist such situation. He picks her
up, consoles her and they become engaged,
B. B. being coolly ignored. But it is not our
authors purpose that such duplcity should so
lnpanshed; and morality is consequently vim
dicated by q speedy discovery of Miss Essie's
contemplated blgamy. ST. John casts her of
after resisting the temptations of st. Anthony,
and the curtain descends on act first, to the
slow music of groanlng and gnashng of teeth.
Act second opens with Miss Craven In de-
cidedly drifty condition. Her only relative
dies of diptheria, B. B. departs to 'the vexed
Bermooth. .es," AMI St. John to nowhere in par
ticulal OF course, she goes out as a GLADYS
companion" and equally naturally hits upon
lust the house where ST.. John elects to spend
his shooting holidays. 1t is gloomy old
house, ornamcnted with pictures and statues
in Miss Broughton's usual style, (Which in
cludes in one room iSusanna and the Elders"
"Jupiter and Leda," ''Venus Sleeping, Sur
prlsed by Satyrs,' and on the lawn ia unique
and chaste piece Of statuary entitled the Rape
of the Sabines,'") and here our fair martyr
dies slowly away until st. John-who mean
while has got himself engaged to "a splendid
animal, sleek and white as sacred Egyptian
cow"-turns up, and the old game begins
again. The two make love in the rain until
Miss Craven nearly dies Of lung fever, (Which
really, under the circumstances, one can't help
thinking would have been the best thing she
could have donc,) and finally marry and are
happy ever afterward. The Egyptian COW re-
tires chewing the cud of rather bitter fancy,
and B. B. dies Of pestllence at Bermuda. And
so, uoiM tout Our readers will see that Miss
Broughton makes no cxtravagant demands
upon the intellect Of her public. Altogether,
''Red as Rose is Shc"-which, by the way,
has nothing in the world to do with its absurd
ttlc-is rather less Objectionable than, If not
quite so amusing as, its predecessors. The
style of the book is generally fresh, vivid and
idiomatii:, and for a young lady, Its author
evidently uknows n thing or two"