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928 &£e ftrSttrCi. [Saturday,
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THE DARK AGES. Gliminerhu/s in the Dark ...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Mary Barton's Christmas Book. T/Io Moorl...
" * Why , dearest , if I saw Nancy carrying it up this slope I would take it from her . It would be strange if a man did not carry it for any woman . But you must let me tell your mother of my right to help you . It is your dinner time , is it not ? J [ may come in to dinner as one of the family , may not I , ' Maggie ?' " * No / she said softly . For she longed to b ; . lone ; and she dreaded being overwhelmed by the expr v- ^ ion of her mother ' s feelings , weak and agitated as she felt herself . ' Not to-day . '"
Mr . Buxton will not hear of the marriage . He is ambitious for his son , though not so for himself . He has long settled in his mind that Frank shall marry Erminia ; or some person of consequence at any rate . And Maggie is a good girl , it is true , but not at all the sort of wife for Prank . Here we began to feel alarmed lest our charming authoress had fallen into the old rut of conventionalism , and was about to make the good , easy , kindhearted Buxton turn out a stern and ferocious father , for the sake of prolonging the story , and introducing
a little misery . But , no . Mrs . Gaskell has achieved by means of truth all that she could have achieved by means of falsehood , —not to mention the superiority of effect . Her Mr . Buxton is a true man , a real father . His opposition is thoroughly intelligible , and nobody likes him the less for it . We refer you to the book itself for information ; we will only quote the following , because it introduces a charming love scene , though probably young ladies and gentlemen of a lofty mood will think it deficient in sentiment . It may be so ; but it has the real accent of nature in it , and stirs the heart like the perfume from a bed of
violets : — " Mr . Buxton was reserved with Frank for the first time in his life ; and Frank was depressed and annoyed at his father ' s obstinate repetition of the same sentence , in answer to all his arguments in favour of his engagement—arguments which were overwhelming to himself , and which it required an effort of patience on his part to go over and recapitulate , so obvious was the conclusion ; and then , to have the same answer for ever , the same words , even , — "' Frank ! it is no use talking . I don't approve of the engagement ; and never shall . '
44 He would snatch up his hat , and hurry off to Maggie to be soothed . His father knew where he was gone without being told ; and was jealous of her influence over the son who had long been his first and paramount object in life . ' He needed not have been jealous . However angry and indignant Frank was when he went up to the moorland cottage , Maggie almost persuaded him , before half an hour had elapsed , that his father was but unreasonable from his extreme affection . Still she saw that such frequent differences would weaken the bond between father arid son ; and , accordingly , she urged Frank to accept an invitation into Scotland .
" ' You told rne , ' said she , * that Mr . Buxton will have it , it is but a boy's attachment ; and that when you have seen other people , you will change your mind ; now do try how far you can stand the effects of absence . ' She said this playfully , but he was in a humour to be vrxed . " ' What nonsense , Maggie ! You don't care for all this delay yourself ; ami you take up my father ' s bad reasons as if you believed them , ' ' ' I don ' t believe them ; but still they may be true . ' ' « ' How should you like it , Maggie , if I urged you to go about and see something of society , and try if you could not find some one you liked better ? It is more probable in your case than in mine ; for you have never been from home , aud I have been half over Europe . '
" ' You are very much afraid , are not you , l < rank ? said she , hefr face bright with blushes , and her grey eyes smiling up at him . ' I have a great idea that if I could see that Harry Bisli that Edward is always talking about , I should be charmed . He must wear such beautiful waistcoats ! Don ' t you think I had better sec him before our engagement is quite , quite final ? ' " But Frank would not smile . In fact , like all angry prrsons , he found fresh matter for offence in every sentence . She did not consider the engagement as qxiitc final : thus he chose to understand her playful speech . He would not answer . Stie spoke again :
• ' Dear I rank , you are not angry with me , are you ? It is nonsense to think that we are to go about the world , picking and choosing ineti and women , as if they were fruit , and we were to gather the best ; as if there was not something in our own hearts which , if we listen to it conscientiously , will tell us at once when we have met the one of all others . There now , am 1 sensible ? 1 suppose 1 am , for your grim features arc relaxing into a
smile . That ' s right . But now listen to this . I think your father would come round sooner , if he were not initati'd ovpiy day by tho knowledge of your visits to me . If you went away , he would know that we should write to each other , yet he would forget the rxact time when ; but now ho knows as wi-ll as I do where you are and when you nre up hero ; and I fancy , from what Erminia says , it makes him angry the whole time you arc away . '
"Frank was silent . At lnst he said : 'It is rather provoking to be obliged to acknowledge that there is some truth in what you say . But even if I would , I am not sure that I could go . My father does not speak to me nbnut his jiffiirs , us he used to do ; so I was rather surprised yesterday to hear him my to Kiminia ( though I ' m sure he nienut the information for me ) , that he hud engaged an agent . '
" * Then there will be the less occasion for you to be at home . He won't want your help in his accounts . ' " * I ' ve given him little enough of that . I have long wanted him to have somebody to look after his affairs . They are very complicated , and he is very careless . But I believe my signature will be wanted for some new leases ; at least he told me so / " * That need not take you long , ' said Maggie .
• ' ' Not the mere signing . But I want to know something more about the property , and the proposed tenants . I believe this Mr . Henry that my father has engaged , is a very hard sort of man . He is what is called scrupulously honest and honourable ; but I fear a little too much inclined to drive hard bargains for his client . Now I want to be convinced to the contrary , if I can , before I leave my father in his hands . So , you cruel judge , you won't transport me yet , will you ?'
" No , ' said Maggie , overjoyed at her own decision , and blushing her delight that her reason was convinced it was right for Frank to stay a little longer . " A new turn taken by the story brings in a more painful interest . Edward , whose extravagance has been occasionally indicated , and whose mother has been impoverished to feed that extravagance , now throws the whole circle into despair—he has cheated Mr . Buxton and forged his name ! The police are after him . He flies home for refuge . He tells Maggie all ; and quick upon that comes the visit of
Mr . Buxton , who is excessively exasperated because he has found out that several persons have long been cheating him , and the revulsion of feeling from one of implicit confidence to that of irritated humiliation at having been deceived , makes him severer than could have been foreseen . He tells Maggie that now her brother has brought this disgrace upon the family , he trusts she will give up Frank ; nay , he offers to assist Edward to escape—not to prosecute him—if she will write to Frank breaking off her engagement , but without giving any reason . She demands time to
think of it . Poor little Maggie , this is a terrible dilemma ! On the one hand your brother to be transported , on the other your lover to be given up , and given up too without an explanation ! How will you act , you dear little Brown Mouse ? Your selfish brother and snubbing mother of course cannot understand that you should hesitate for a moment ; but what does conscience whisper ? No one doubts your readiness to sacrifice yourself , but are you willing to sacrifice Frank ? Would not that be only another form of selfishness ? Ask your good little honest heart .
To the dismay of all lovers of the Heroic and High Flights , we are constrained to add that Maggie , on severely interrogating her conscience , refuses ! Nay , we will further add that we entirely applaud her for doing so . Take up the book itself for tho exhibition of this struggle ; meanwhile read this snatch out of the interview between Maggie and Mr . Buxton : — " I hope you have thought of what I said , and are willing to do what I asked you . '
' •• No ! ' said she . 'I have thought and thought . I did not think in a selfish spirit , though they say I did . I prayed first . I could not , do that earnestly , and bo selfish , I think . 1 cannot give up Frank . I know the disgrace ; and if he , knowing all , thinks fit to give me up , I shall never say a word , but bow my head , and try and live out rny appointed days quietly and cheerfully . But he is the judge , not you ; nor have I any right to do what you ask me . ' She stopped , because the agitation took away her br 3 ath .
" He began in a cold manner : ' I am very sorry . The law must take its course . I would have saved my son from the pain of all this knowledge , and that which he will of course feel in the necessity of giving up his engagement . I would have refused to appear against your brother , shamefully ungrateful as he has been . Now , you cannot wonder that I act according to my agent ' s advice ; and prosecute your brother as if he were a stranger . ' " Lie turned to go . away . He was so cold and determined that for a moment , Maggie was timid . But she then laid her hand on his arm .
»• • Mr . Buxton , ' said she , ' you will not do what you threaten . I know you better . Think ! My father was your old friend . That claim is , perhaps , done away with by Edward ' s conduct . But 1 do not beiieve you enn forget it always . If you did fulfil the menace you uttered just now , there would come times as you grew older , and life « rew f . iinter and fainter before you , — quiet times of thought , when you remembered the days of your youth , and the friends you then had and knew ;—you would recollect that one of them had left an only son , who had done wrong ; who hud sinned ; sinned would think
against you in his weakness;—and you then—you could not help it—how you had forgotten mercy injustice ; and , as justice required he should be treated as a felon , you threw him among felons ; where every glimmering of goodness was darkened for ever . Hdw ' ard is , after ' all , more weak than wicked ;—but he will become wicked if you put him in prison , and ha ve him transported . God ' is merciful , —we cannot ttll or think how merciful . Oh , sir , 1 am so sure you will be merciful , nnd give my brother—my poor sinning brother — a chance , that I will tell you all . I will throw myself upon your pity . Edward is even now at home ,
—miserable and desperate;—my mother is too much stunned to understand all our wretchedness , —for very wretched we are in our shame . ' " As she spoke , the wind arose and shivered in the wiry leaves of the fir-trees , and there was a moaning sound as of some Ariel imprisoned in the thick branches that , tangled over-head , made a shelter for them . Either the noise , or Mr . Buxton ' s fancy called up an echo to Maggie's voice—a pleading with her pleading—a sad tone of regret , distinct yet blending with her speech , and a falling , dying sound , as her voice died awa y in miserable suspense .
" It might be that , formed as she was by Mrs . Buxton ' s care and love , her accents and words were such as that lady , now at rest from all sorrow , would have used ; somehow , at any rate , the thought flashed into Mr . Buxton ' s mind , that as Maggie spoke , his dead wife ' s voice was heard , imploring mercy in a clear distinct tone though faint , as if separated from him by an infinite distance of space . At least , this is the account Mr
Buxton would have given of the manner in which the idea of his wife became present to him , and what she would have wished him to do a powerful motive in his conduct . Words of hers , long ago spoken , and merciful forgiving expressions , made use of in former days to soften him in some angry mood , were clearly remembered while Maggie spoke ; and their influence was perceptibie in the change of his tone , and the wavering of his manner henceforward .
' * ' And yet you will not save Frank from being involved in your disgrace , ' said he ; but more as if weighing and deliberating on the case than he had ever spoken before . ** If Frank-wishes it , I will quietly withdraw myself out of his sight for ever ;—I give you my promise , before God , to do so . I shall not utter one word of entreaty or complaint . I will try not to wonder or feel surprise ;—I will bless him in every action of his future life;—but think how different would be the disgrace he would voluntarily incur , to my poor mother's shame , when she wakens up to know what her child has done ! Her very torpor about it now is more painful than words can tell . ' " « What could Edward do ? ' asked Mr . Buxton . ' Mr . Henry won't hear of my passing over any frauds . '
*• Oh , you relent ! ' said Maggie , taking his hand , and pressing it . ' What could he do ? He could do the same , whatever it was , as you thought of his doing , if I had written that terrible letter . ' " * And you'll be willing to give it up , if Frank wishes , when he knows all ? ' asked Mr . Buxton . ' She crossed her hands and drooped her head , but answered steadily : " Whatever Frank wishes , when he knows all , I will gladly do . I will speak the truth . I do not believe that any shame surrounding me , aud not in me , will alter Frank ' s love one tittle . ' " Brave little woman !
How Love triumphs over Obstacles , how Goodness meets with its reward , how Maggie and Frank are married in spite of all that threatens them , how the denouement is brought about , we do not intend disclosing . That would be to forestall your curiosity , which we hope to have whetted by this notice . Itush and get the book , and learn that and many other things we have omitted ! But to the authoress we will whisper aside and quite in a confidential way that as critics , we do not admire the invention of her Deus ex machina at all , though we arc not insensible : to the graphic power in tho description of the ship on tire . And as that is the only fault we have to find with this delightful story we ought to be very fierce and sarcastic indeed upon it—but can ' t . The Moorland Cottage has charmed us , and gratitude stifles criticism .
928 &£E Ftrsttrci. [Saturday,
928 & £ e ftrSttrCi . [ Saturday ,
The Dark Ages. Gliminerhu/S In The Dark ...
THE DARK AGES . Gliminerhu / s in the Dark : or , Lights nnd Shadows of the Oldm 'lime , liy I ' . Sunnier . vlurry weather , author of " Jiibliomaniit in the Miildlc Ages . " Simpkiu ami Marshall . This is an agreeable book , of slender pretensions , but fulfilling all it pretends to . We must not quarrel with the author for the absence of completeness and exhaustive erudition , when he openly disclaims all pretence to such qualities , but must rather comp liment himfor beiiigjoss superficial than his inodestysetsforth . lie does not write to scholars and antiquarians , but
to railway readers and thosu avSioso avocations . shut them out from libraries and the delights of continuous research . Glimmerings from , the Dark Ages ar ; j here ; a child may read them ; a learned ninn not i i * o uninstructed . On monastic communities and their influence on civilization ho has many a good wrd to say ; on news ami locomotion lie flatters our " fast age by glimpses of a state of things quite bewilderin g to the modern railroad imagination—as for exami . lu
when he tulls us that so late as the seventecntu century tho progress of news wits so tardy that tho abdication of James the Second was not known in the Orkneys until three months afterwards ! Just think cf the Times every morning , and then compare tho sjired of news w ) n n Y' > ulr « . rn that tho nvis-ticre ot the Jews at the coronation of Kit-hard I . ^' 1 ; OC known at Stamford , Norwich , or York , until several months hud elapsed . The political bearing of our
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 21, 1850, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_21121850/page/16/
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