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with the Protestants . "With the Romanist it is avowed ; while the Protestant acts upon a belief which in principle he denies . "The Catholic is certainly more consistent than we are . although his consistency , being erroneous , is wowe than our inconsistency . This consistency on the part of the Catholic gives him a great advantage in debate ; for with it he finds no difficulty , in ordinary cases , of p ersuading his opponents that the worse argument is the better reason . He frankly avows his belief in miracles , and challenges the Protestant to prove that there are no miracles . belief in miracles
44 If the Protestant owns some , he is asked why not believe in one miracle as well as in another ? for there is as much evidence for the exercise of this power in one case as in another ; and if a miracle is admitted in one case , it may as reasonably be granted in another . The Protestant is thus caught ; for in admitting any miracle without evidence , he can assign no reason for disbelieving any other miracle , however absurd . " If the Protestant professes disbelief in all miracles , he is asked what conversion is ? Is that effected by natural or supernatural means ? If he declares conversion to be natural , he contradicts the Thirty-nine Articles of his Church ; and if supernatural , he admits miracles , and has no right to find fault with the Catholic for a belief which he himself owns . Here
again he is beaten . The Protestant answer is—( <« Yfe grant that the institution of Christianity is supernatural , but experience teaches us that its effects are natural ; and being such , there is no warrant for belief in miracles either external or internal . ' " The creation of the world is supernatural * but its operations are not ; so Christianity is a supernatural creation , but its operations are natural . 44 The Bishop of London , in a late charge , cautions the clergy on this very subject : and what does he advise ? Neither to admit miracles nor to deny them —and neither to be guided by reason nor apt to renounce it—which is just advising the Church to have no opinions . "
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MARIAN WITHERS . Marian Withert . Uy Geraldine E . Jewsbury , Author of "Zoe , " The Half Sisters , " &c . 3 vols . Colburn and Co . Some time ago , among the on dits ofliterary gossip , there was one purporting that Miss Jewsbury was writing an answer to Mary Barton—a novel of Manchester life , which should restore the figure of the manufacturer to that pedestal from which Mary Barton had , as it was supposed , so sternly smitten it . Marian Withers is the novel is question ; but such a design as the one alluded to , if ever it actuated the authoress , must early in the composition have given place to a larger and truer
design , that , namely of portraying Lancashire life in its varieties of good and bad , coarse and elegant , serious and frivolous , hard-hearted and considerate . As a picture it has many merits : first and foremost that of presenting the realities , not ideals an < l Jay figures . But partly from the extent of her design , and partly from deficient attention to composition , the novel has become sketchy and straggling , to the detriment of the general effect . The various episodes are independent sections , hooked together , not related to each other ; and this scattered mode of composition produces an unsatisfactory impression compared with the excellence of the separate portions .
In John Withers we have the struggle of Genius with Circumstance . Placed on the lowest step of the social scale , he raises himself by manful toil and inventive genius to the position of a master manufacturer , respected by all and loved by his men . This is a fine type , and well studied . Miss Jewsbury has told his story with marvellous intuition into the inventor ' s feelings . But having given him a position she leaves him there , and throughout the rest of the novel he occupies but an insignificant place . This we cannot help regarding as a mistake . John Withers the workman is a man of genius ; one of those who willingly submit to the tyranny of Great Ideas , who are martyrs or victors . ¦ But John Withers the victor is simply a sturdy , honest man—that is all . Why is this ?
In Marian Withers , his daughter , we have the simple-minded girl of our'day , raised above her parents and her parents' friends by a more refined education and the desires springing therefrom . She serves to bring out the characteristics of the two classes of manufacturers : the coarse rusticity of the one , and the imitation of metropolitan elegance of the other . Very vividly this is done , though at somewhat too great length . It has not enough influence upon the heroine ' s character or fortunes to occupy so large a space in her story . In Hilda and Glynton and the figures grouped around them , we have the odioiw picture of" a good match . " Youth , beauty , life , hope , all sold o age , decrepitude , and a fortune ! Other aspects
of married life are presented in Mrs . Arl and Lady Wollaston . The story of Albert Gordon ' s flirtation with Lady Wollaston growing into a mutual passion and ending in such ignoble tragedy is , after the story of John Withers , the most deeply interesting portion of the book . She is a glorious creature , painted with a loving and a cunning hand ; Albert is somewhat indistinctly drawn , but his position is
intelligible enough . One scene we must give . Lady Wollaston ' s husband has been ordered with his regiment to Ireland . The idea of parting from Albert is intolerable to her . Up to this time she has resisted all his entreaties , all the solicitations of her own impulses ; but now she resolves to be his , and writes a passionate letter to him , announcing her intention of coming to him and sharing his life . He is alarmed at the idea , and writes back a
cowardly evasion : — " Lady Wollaston , meanwhile , sat crouched in a large chair , beside the fire , stupified by the very intenseness of her emotions , and unconscious of the lapse of time . " A knock at the door roused her ; it was her maid , with Albert's letter . She read it quite through . She did not shed a single tear , but sat in the dull terror with which she would have viewed the solid ground open beneath her feet . That Albert , in whom she had believed so firmly , should have written such a false , insolent , and above all , so vulgar a l etter , seemed like the impossibility of a bad dream . " The wreck of her own personal happiness did not affect her . She was crushed beneath the
overwhelming sense of the worthlessness of the idol she had made . 44 On looking at the l etter a second time , the insulting allusion to a renewal of their acquaintance roused an indignation which burned up every other
emotion . 44 Conscious that she had virtually forfeited all claim upon her husband ' s protection as much as if her offer had been accepted , with a wild instinct of integrity she started up , and half mad as she was , went straight to the room where she knew her husband was engaged in writing on regimental business . 44 Sir Frederick looked up from the mass of papers before him , extremely surprised , and somewhat alarmed at the apparition of his wife ' s pale , stern face . '* ' For God ' s sake , Helen , what is the matter ? Are you ill , or mad ?'
" * I am neither ; I wished to speak to you this morning ; but you had no time to listen—to-night , I must be heard . ' " * Well , well ; sit down and tell me what you have to say ; but do not look so dreadfully calm—you might be leading a * forlorn hope . ' What has happened ?' " Lady Wollaston , in a hard , steady voice , that sounded as if it came from an automaton , began with the account of the ball at Mrs . Art ' s , the night of the opera , and with the mechanical fidelity of a daguerreot 5 'pe , she named every incident that had occurred between herself and Albert since that time , down to the letter she had received an hour before , which she gave into his hand .
44 It was certainly a very astounding revelation to call upon a husband to listen to ; and although the substance of his wife's confession did not take Sir Frederick altogether by surprise , yet lie felt none the less embarrassed at having the truth bo unexpectedly thrust upon him . 44 He walked up and down the room in great perplexity , not at all knowing what to say that would be appropriate to the occasion . " ' IJless my soul , madam ! but this is an extraordinary tale you have been telling me ;—what do you think yourself that you deserve ? ' 4
' I have no right to remain any longer under your roof—if you wish to send me away , I am ready to go . You will assign your own motive to the world for the separation . " " 'It is an awkward business , ' said Sir Frederick , resuming his walk . * I do not want the world to be gossiping upon my family affairs . You ought to have considered the position in which you were famil
involving a y of high standing , like ours , by your cursed , fantastic , romantic folly . Hang it ! madam , it is not as though you had hct-n the wife of some potty shopkeeper , whose obscurity would have been a protection against disgrace . To have contemplated an elopement with n worthless fool , like that Albejt—why , heaven and earth ! only consider how it would have read in the paper !—RcuUy , Lady Wollaston , I never took you for a fool before . * Sir
" Frederick hud worked himself up to a high pitch of irritation in contemplating the possibility of such a contingency , —far beyond that which the actual occurrence itbdf would have caused , —piovided no one had known of it . Ho xe « umod his waiK up and down the apartment in chafed and annoyed silence . Lad y Wollnston sat , without peaking or moving , looking fixedly at the fire . a- "SJ Beo what * do in the mutter , ' resumed Sir Frederick , at length . I cannot fight a
man for refusing to run away with you ; and I am not disposed to excite impertinent curiosity by fixing a quarrel on him—a jealous man , I take it , is a fool—at least , he is always ridiculous . •" Now listen to me ! ' said he , stopping before her , after a few more turns , during which he had appeared to be taking a resolution ; I never found you in a lie , nor in an equivocation , during all the years we have lived together ; and if you can assure me , on your honour , that matters went no further than you have told me—I ' 11 forgive you , and the world need be none the wiser !' " Lady Wollaston winced under the promise ; but she looked up , and replied quietly , * I have told you everything . ' _ . _ ...
44 Well , then , say no more about it . I will nerer mention again what has passed to-night ; only , for the future , I entreat you to observe more discretionremember you do not stand alone in the worldothers are compromised as well as yourself . You have not gone and made any confidence * on this subject to Mrs . Arl , or to any one else ?' " ' No . ' •?« This is well ; but your last letter , and possibly others besides , still remain in the hands of this young man . I will see that they are restored to you . Upon my honour , madam , you have had a fortunate escape ! I own that your choice of such a man is what surprises me the most in this business . You cannot be aware of the small respect in which he is held amongst other men : no one believes a word that he says . '
" Lady Wollaston writhed under every word her husband spoke . Her position ( deprived of the halo of romantic passion which had disguised its true aspect ) was inexpressibly humiliating . 41 If her husbsnd had desired revenge , he could not more effectually hare devised it . She made no attempt to retort upon him the encouragement he had himself given to Albert , nor the friendship he had professed for him . She sat in silence until it should please Sir Frederick to end the scene . * ' ' And now , ' continued Sir Frederick , * you had better retire , and endeavour to obtain the repose you must greatly need . ' " She rose , and her husband opened the door for her with great politeness .
" If the truth must be told , in spite of his annoyance at her folly in perilling her own reputation and his position in the world , he had not felt so cordially disposed towards his wife for many years . She had shown an amount of feeling for which he had not given her credit , and she had placed him in a position of great superiority over her ;—he felt that ho need never stand in awe of her again . * * • * 44 The next morning , before Lady Wollaston had risen , her husband requested her presence in her dressing-room . 44 His clothes were splashed with mud , and bore evident tokens that he had come off a long ride . He had in his hand a small scaled packet .
"' This , ' said he , handing it to her , ' contains your correspondence with Mr . Albert Gordon . I need not tell you that I have not seen it . You will do well to ascertain that your letters are all of them there . ' 14 She broke the seals—a faint odour of violets exhaled from the letters .
" Like one in a dream she looked over the letters . 41 4 Well , are they all right ? none missing ? * 44 4 They are all here . Do you choose to read them ? ' 44 4 Not for the world ! ' said Sir Frederick , with energy ; they are your ? , but I think there will be no advantage in keeping them . ' 44 A strange smile passed over Lady Wollaston ' a lips , as she said bitterly , 44 4 They are of no value , —not even to their owner . '
One by one , she dropped them into the fire that was burning brightly . On the outside of one of the letters , which she recognized as having been sent « few days previous to their last interview , she observed t-kotc-hen of ballet-girls done with pen and ink . It was a small circumstance , hut it destroyed her l » 8 t illusion . Sir Frederick saw it also , hut made no remark . 44 And now , Helen , ' said he , taking the hand that 4
hung listlessly at her side , we will never recur to this affair . I believe in my heart every word you have told me , and I think none the worse of you for what has passed . The best of us do wrong sometimes ; and I own I hnvo not behaved always as well ns I might have done ; hut I have always respected you , and let u » see if wo cannot be happier together for tho future . Do not give another thought to a fellow not worthy to Hpeak to you . ' 44
Lady Wollaston withdrew the hand her husband held , and said , — " ' I will never forget that you stood by me when I hud lost all claim upon you . ' " Very powerful writing that , and new in its denouement , though perfectly true . The conclusion of her Btory is very touching . In Mr . Cunningham we have another typ « . The
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Aua . 30 , 1851 . ] & $ * * , * & ** V . 825
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 30, 1851, page 825, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1898/page/13/
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