The Portland daily press., 1876-02-26
Recent Publications.

The CURATE IN CHARGE. A Novel, By Mrs. Oil
phant. New York: Harper & Brothers. For
sale by Loring, Short & Harmon.
Readers of the New York semi weekly
Tribune have already become somewhat ac-
quaiuted with this pleasing story, as it is ap-
pearing in serial form in those columns, Mrs.
Oliphant has won large circle of readers on
this side of the water who turn to her pages
with confidence of entertainment. This latest
effort is in no wise inferior TO her best hitherto
and in some respects superior. The situation
is admirably taken. The true art of the nov
eist is here shown in selecting that situation
in which the peculiar traits of character to be
described will naturally develop. The plot,
or rather thread, of the narrative is briefly
this: The rector of the parish of Brenthburn,
the Rev. Reginald Chester, man of some
fortune but little health, decides to 90 to Italy
to escape the rigor of England's climate He
leaves his parish in charge of curate, the Rev.
Cecil St. John. For twenty years Mr.. st.
John exercises the duties of pastor while Mr..
Chester is absent. He has already married the
daughter of the rector of his former curacy and
has family of two girls, Ccely and Mabel
The older is but twelve and the younger eleven
obtained in the person of Miss Brown. In
the course of few years by the generosity of
their aunt, maiden lady of small fortune, the
girls are sent to school, The governess is thus
thrown out of employment, but the kind
hearted curate rather than discharge her makes
an offer of marriage. Miss Brown becomes
Mrs. st. John, much to the disgust of the
parish. By his second wife Mr.. st. John has
twin boys born to him. In three years the
curate is again left widower. The girls are
now called home from school to assume the
duties of the household and the care of their
baby brothers. The account of the endeavors
of these two school girls to make themselves
useful and win over their brothers to them is
highly amusing. Mabel, the artist sister, de-
lights in grouping and posturing the twins for
the practice of her pencil. Cicely turns her
attention to her fathers accounts. AT this
juncture news arrives of the death of the
rector, Mr.. Chester, in Italy. The living at
Brenthburn is a college living and the Oxford
dons at once proceeded to appoint new rec
tor, not even knowing of the existence of Mr..
st. John, although he was from the same
college to which the living belonged. Mr.
~AAhNhAoJS shO nov iCStol, ohAlfCo duu 10 Ic.
ceived by the curate in charge with all the
hospitality of an invited guest. He is man
of fortune and refined tastes and leaves his
bachelor rooms in college from a sense of duty
and to gain a knowledge of the world.
Through the Intervention of Cicely he is led to
see the true state of things in the curate's
family. He has been there twenty years,
his salary has been barely sufficient to support
him, and change at his time of life would be
cruel blow. He returns to Oxford to resign
his appointment in favor of Mr. st. John, but
the dons know nothing of him, and unless Mr..
Mildmay accepts his rival Mr.. Ruffhead will
receive the appointment. In this alternative
Mr. Mildmay decides to go to Brenthburn and
allow Mr.. st. John to remain as his curate
But the proud old gentleman rejects the offer
and determines to accept curacy in one OF the
most wretched quarters of Liverpool that is
advertised. Upon the morning of the auction
for the furniture of the parsonage which be-
longed to the late rector was thus to be sold)
the kind-hearted curate, shattered both in body
and mind by the accumulation of misfortune,
is found dead in his study chair. The family
is now broken up. Mabel goes to her aunts
Al Aohuon w supporI HerseiI NY illustrating
books, while Cicely remains at Brenthburn
with her little brothers, and becomes the
parish schoolmistress. OF course she is 10
longer lady in the eyes of the parish and is
treated accordingly. Mr.. Mildmay assumes
the duties of rector and is much liked by the
parish. The story ends, not abruptly however,
by the discovery of Mr.. Mildmay to himself
and at about the same time to Cicely of his
love for her, which after nights sleeper
rather wakefuness-on her part is recipro-
Gated.
The narrative runs rapidly along and is not
burdened by weight of detail. Some artists
depend npon the elaborate finish of detail for
their effect, while others by few strokes of
the pencil give the general outlines and leave
the rest to be inferred. The latter method has
been employed by Mrs. Oliphant in the present
story. The readers own Imagination is stmu-
lated, and this renders the impressions upon