Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-28
LoTHAIR.
What our LCuIsyl Correspondent Thinks
OF DisraeiI's Great Work. q

'
only q Young woman, a strong desirs
has taken possession Of me to send yOt
nv views of " Lothair," which very
able book have heard so much crit
cised, so much said for and against it
SO unjustly abused, that L have con
Guided, with great hesitation of course
10 send you my opinion. =
When | learned TO read we'll enough
to interest myself, i formed my TASTE
for light literature upon so charming
a model as the Young Duke" the
result of which was a wholesome lite
rary taste and good digestion, for al
the age of fifteen such sickly senti-
mentality and bad morals as Ernest
Maltravers and Alice, or the Mys-
teries, had no attraction for me,
usually SO seductiouS and fascinating
TO the young. Everything from the
pen of Disraeli have read with pleas
ure and profit, therefore feel that /
owe him my mite, in the expression
of my favorable opinion of his much
abused "Lothair." All, if there were
only more books like it. 1t is a true
picture Of refined and elegant life, by
one thoroughly conversant with it.
Lively Nalal 0AANL ID OalC Vi HCAlCNl
breeding and repose Of manner, except
st. Aldegonde, who, although TO the
"manner bOrn," behaves like a
bOurgeOise " inasmuch as he is Of
fensively rude, and is in a chronic
state Of ennui, being bored generally
by his superiOrs. He is evidently a
great favorite with the author. "Lo-
THAR" was no tiresome, mouthy ego
fist like "Guy Darrell'' (who deserved
his fate for being such a bore),
had 10 talents, was not
what is commonly called a smart
young man, had not a "shoppy"
manner, but was possessed Of good
principles, good manners, good NOR
ais, and good breeding, an excellent
nature, good looks, good habits, good
health, a strong arm, and a long
purse. What more could any woman
in her senses ask or desire. / hold
that talents are not necessary to make
a man loved. Some of the weakest
men have ever known, have had
the most adOring wives; women made
of no fimsy material either, but su-
periOr women, in both mind and
character. And why did they love
them, l hear you ask? For their gen
tie nature, or good disposition, kind
ness to them, or dash OF chivalry
which is invariably Irresistible. Lo-
THAR, was gushing, says one, mas
much as he offered his hand, his heat,
his fortune, to Lady Consande, after a
few days acquaintance. Not at all.
All unused to the world, fresh from
college, with an enthusiastic, and
poetical, Temperament, he is suddenly
introduced into q new world replete
with elegance, refinement, grace and
beauty, and does what every youth,
except those who are sluggish and
calculating Tor like the Yankee youth
who correspond with the dulcenia
eight or ten years, then take matter
into consideration, would have done
under the circumstances. 'He is
weak" says one; ,fnasmuch as he is
a Catholic to-day, building cathedrals,
and fighting against the banner of the
Pope tomorrow. Being brought up,
under the clippings of the sanctuary,
Of the straightest sect, ofScOttish Pres /
byterisns, though of a devotional
character and strong religious tenden-
cies, his poetical nature needs
more than this
bold, bald worship of "Grad-
grund" system, he comes sudden
" under the influence of the blandish-
ments Of beauty, grace, exquisite |
breeding, religious enthusiasm, when
he is thirsting for the pure, noble and |
in graceful shapes and beau |
tiful forms, they seek his hand in the |
person Of Lady st. Jerome, and the |
saint-like ''Clere Arundel" They |
seek to convince him with fiattery, the 4
most insidious and delightful, and is
he weak if he does not resist them? 1
| have seen fiattery overcome the |
strongest men, who ought 10 have 4
known better; but to a boy without /
home or family ties, with such bat
terry as arguments, accompanied by
the soft gIances of beautiful women of /
culture and position; with a religion l
which uses two powerful sgents-that
Of the imagination, and love of the /
incense, pictures, flowers,
perfumes and imposing rites. If such
susceptible, impressionable nature
1oes not resist all these, is he weak
md unworthy of interest? / hold |
hat he was in every sense of the word
"a nice young man." one most pleas
INT to know, whose sweet disposition |
would make him charming lifelong
He is a natural, we'll /
character. What exquisite 1
the CARDINAL; what beautiful
'epOse OF manner; what refined ease;
With what success he could play the
nan Of the world. A rascal, / must
ldmit; but with the manners, the ad-
lress, tho air Of a gentleman. And
he Mon SignOri; what cultivated,
igreeable and improving companion.
asst, though not least, Theodore" ("
What language can sufficiently convey
N idea of this exquisite conception.
deal, grant, but nevertheless beau
iful, with large heart, great soul,
splendid intellect. What more
Ould the heart of man ask
II conceive. Her early life
8 shrouded in mystery, but
whatever was the nature Of her edu-
alton, its result upon her character
vas purity and truth. We are left in
he dark as TO Colonel Campian's ap-
,reciation of her. / very much fear
he sometimes found him bore; but
ook on the bright side. Can a young
nan and married woman have such
as that of the soul and in
elect, alone discover affinities, exer-
Use mutual fascination without the
hadow of wrong? That of Lothair
nd VheodOra Was anomalous, but
)israeli meant to make it as pure
s the snow drift, to be refining and
to him, without being in
1rious to her. In the atmosphere of
uch purity, an impure thought would
ave been sacFiiige0us, and impos-
ible-for the material was lost in the
the grosser nature In the
efined and elevated. Still f'Casar's
wife must be above suspicion" and
frs. Grundy is rarely If ever induI-
ent. That parting kiss l do most
earthly deplOre. Theodore, believing
hat in dying she could say fare
7eIl to LOthair as TO a brother; still,
s we are not quite educated up to
uch ideas, il would have been better
D have had the soul diffusing with |
'olonel Campian, and have confined
,othair to the usual Misunderstanding SO I
enerally the custom in all nations, a
light pressure might have been adj
but in Colonel Campian's
resence, of course, and IL he showed
ght, he could not have had a spark |
that chivalry so generally difused
trough the South as TO have become
lmost drug in the market. A fight
lg woman ] do not admire, but in
er it was the result Of an heroic ma
are, peculiarly romantic tempera- /
lent; her singular life, and education,
nd that she had made Rome the love
her life, and had given it the food of
ally and constant thought. She was
] do not deny, but her
eroism was high and lofty and so !
reat was it that she impregnated all t
round 6er with it. She was a beau
6,rl ht.f an fdoaI aud avoa,.&;o,,,t | Z