The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1873-12-04
MARION EEarInnd's new novel.

sIessamins IS the musical and attractive
name Of the lgtest Of Mrs. Terhune's
s'dream children" We think she has rare
tact in fixing upon the nomenclatures Of her
stories. Listen how tnppingly they fall
from the tongue-Al0ne, SuHHybdnk, Moss
eide, Miriam, JsssaBsiasf The reader is
lured by the tinkle Of their sweetness, as
the bird is lured by the fragrance Of the
rose. This work is marked by all the we'll
defined characteristics of its widely-knoWn
author Il is purely and par ereette''ee a love
story. aud as such must, and VIII, VIII TOT
itseif = vast narish Of readers. For who
e,-.r tires ~ the world-old themei To the
end Of time the hopes, the fears, the aspi
rations. the warnings, the disappointments
of loving Young heerts will have fascina-
ton for ali who have loved. are loving, or
hope TO love-which categories viii ABOUT
include the world at large. The materials
Of which this story is woven are simple,
natural, full Of picturesque life, and won
derfully true. 1t depends for its main in
terest npon the gradual and skillful deyel-
opment of the rarely beautiful character OF
the central fgure-JeSsaHine.
We see her at first like shut lily-form,
perfume delicate stamens, all hidden. But
byand-by, as the story progresses, come the
DNlAthn Vi tiit H4unf AnS elAAE5P ~ ~
breeze, the beatings Of the sun, the too rude
flash Of the rain, The strengthening dark
ness Of gloomy nighttime, and 10 J our
liiy-or iessamine rather, bursts her sheaths,
expands, unfolds, grows richer in all that
goes 70 make up faultlessness Of woman
hood, and we are glad through her exceed
ing loveliness This character Is eminently
- a study Just as George Elliott's Doro-
thea Is a study y; not psychological, in its
disagreeable sense, as many modern novel
is. but Just sufficiently so to make us feel
as we read that we are being guided by no
painter of surfaces, but by strong, skill
ful hand, that is able TO lay bare secret
springs Of action and carefully concealed
motives, and all the strange and perplexing
workings Of woman's nature. AT first we
feel as If the noble and sensitive and most
royal-hearted Roy Fordham is not meeting
his mate-as If, in the end, there would be
n s0upcon Of disappointment. But this I'll
vanishes as Jessamine's character blossoms
and enriches in the progress of events.
Roy is only too exalted-too superior to
the weakness of our common humanity, and
vet withal real man-fesh and blood to
the hearts core. There are few such
walking among us, albeit they often go
hence early, and leave us with eyes blind
with tears through their loss. The minor
characters OF the story are admirably sus-
taincd-the heavenly minded old pastor,
with undying grief in his heart; the calm,
self-contained Eunice; the double-faced
WHY'S; the silly Miss Sanford; the eccen-
trio Doctor with his knotted pocket hand
kerchief and his effluvescent wife, her cos
tune lit up by the inevitable crimson
scarfi'-all true to nature, and Individual
lied by these rare touches that only artists
know how to fire. The whole tone OF Jes-
sanhae is very pure and tender and eleva-
ting. We were inclined 20 wish that the
story. had closed with the eloquent sentence
which so musically ends chapter twenty
four, but perhaps ''the properties" require
the full tale Of poetic justice.
Richmond has a right to be proud OF her
authoress; Virginia may well claim, with d
swelling heart, the daughter whose fame re-
fleets such honor upon her, for we believe
Mrs. Terhunes novels are the only Ameri-
can ones that have ever been admitted into
the famous continental list of Baron Tan
WITT. Confessedly our Virginia Marion
Harland stands at the head Of American
story-tellers. JessamiRe is dedicated most
gracefully and touchingly to Mrs. Margaret
J. Preston, of Lexington, Virginia. Rich
m0nd Enquirer.