Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-11-21
the myssery Of Edwin brood.

The Mysfery of Edwin brood.
The ever 70 be deplored death Of Chas.
Dickens leaves Edwin brood" indeed
a mystery, a mere fragment of what
gave promise to be one Of the author S
most attractive tales. The tale opens
with curious account ofopium smokers
which smacks slightly of De Quincy 5
celebrated story. The character OF John
Jasper, the opium smoker, plays a con
spicuous part throughout the plot; and,
strange to say, the last chapter in the
book is like the first, devoted to the
opium smokers den. The title of the
first chapter is 1.-THE Dawn" of the
last, "The Dawn Again" The heroines,
Rosa Bud and Helena Landless, are odd
little women, such as Dickens loved to
create. Neville Landless and Edwin
brood, the heroes of the story, are well
drawn and striking characters, in whom
you feel an interest from the first; like
wise with the good canon, Reverend
Sepiimus Crisparkle, whom you love
from the outset of the story;
Thomas Sapsea, the auctioneer; Durdles
the stone mason, and his friend Deputy;
the philanthropist, Honeythunder; MIR.
Grewgious, the guardian, and his clerk
Bazzard; Mr.. Tope; Mr.. Porter x'navai
officer; Mr.. hatchery; are all creations
unknown to the fancy of any other author
but Dickens. The following description
of Miss Twinkleton, proprietor oil the
Seminary for Young Ladies, is Dickens
peculiar style to perfection: Miss
Twinkleton has wodistinct and separate
phases of being. Every night, the mo-
ment the young ladies have retired to
rest. does Miss Twinkleton smarter up
her curls little, brighten up her eyes
little, and become sprightlier MISS
Twinkleton than the young ladies have
ever seen. Every night, at the same
hour, does MISS Twinkleton resume the
topics of the previous night, compre-
hending the tenderer scandal of Cloister-
ham, ofwhich she has no knowledge what
ever by day, and references to certain
season at Tunbridge Wells (airily called
by Miss Twinkleton in this state of her
existence, The Wells0, notably the
season wherein a certain finished gentle
man, (compassionately called by Miss
Twinkleton in this state of her existence,
Foolish Mr.. Porters,), revealed a
homage of the heart, whereof Miss Twink
Teton, in her scholastic state Of existence,
is as ignorant as granite pillar. Miss
Twinkleton's companion in both states
of existence, and equally adaptable to
either, is one Mrs. fisher, deferential
widow with weak back, chronic sigh
and suppressed voice, who looks after
the young ladies wardrobes, and leads
them to infer that she has seen better
days. Perhaps this is the reason why it
is an article of faith with the servants,
handed down from race to race, that the
departed fisher was hair-dresser.
The following description fthe effect OF
music in Cloisterham Cathedral is a
splendid piece of word painting;
"Dear me-" said Mr.. Grewgiou, peep
ing into the Cathedral, "its like looking
down the throat of Old Time.
"Old Time heaved a mouldy sigh
from tomb, and arch, and vault, and
gloomy shadows began to deepen in
corners, and damps began to rise from
green patches of stone; and jewels, cast
upon the pavement of the nave from
stained glass by the declining sun, began
to perish. Within the grill-gate of the
up the steps, surmounted loom
ingly by the fast-darkening organ, white
robes could be dimly seen, and one feeble
voice, rising and falling in a cracked,
mutter, could at intervals
be family heard In the free outer air,
the river, the green pastures and the
brown, arabic lands, the teeming hills
and dales we're redeemed by the sunset,
while the distant little windows in wind
mills and farm homesteads shone patches
of bright beaten gold In the Cathedral
all became gray, murky and sepulchral,
and the cracked, monotonous voice went
on like dying voice, until the organ
and the choir burst forth and drowned
il in a sea Of music. Then the sea fell
and the dying voice made another feeble
effort, and then the sea rose high and
beat its life out, and lashed the roof and
surged among the arches, and pierced
the nights of the great tower; and the
sea was dry and all was still. y