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Woman ' s Province beneath the Cro « B—Woman in her Domestic Relations—The Christian Wife— Maiden— -The Mother—The Servant---tTseles > Woman—Worldly Woman , &c . By the Reverend John Jessopp , M . A ., Chaplain to the King of the Belgians ; Morning Preacher at the Orphan Asylum ; and Evening Preacher at Trinity Church , Newington . ' . ¦ " On reading this , I marveled that the Chaplain of the King of the Belg i ans , &c , should have written a discourse onWoman , with precisely the same outline of thought , expressed in precisely the same terms as Adolphe Monod ' s treatise ^ Curiosity excited , I
procured Mr . Jessopp ' s book , when , strange to say , I found that what Monod thought , Mr . Jessopp thought , and what M . Monod had written in French , Mr . Jessopp had written in English ; and yet the Reverend Mr . Jessopp , M . A ., Chaplain , &c , has advertised his book' as original . What makes . the correspondence more remarkable is , that the Chapl ain , &c , has assured us in a brief preface , that he knows nothing of M . Monod , or any other living person ; but that fora few * ideas , ' and these , he says * would * scarcely be recognised , ' he Js indebted to a . late highly esteemed French Protestant clergyman . " " Mr . Jessopp says , at the beginning , thus : —
" * Whatever merit may attach tp the publication of the ideas propounded in this little book , must be ascribed to a late highly esteemed French Protestant clergyman . The work , in its present form , is , in a great measure , an amplification of a sermon delivered by him to his own congregation in the year 1849 . Although it would probably be scarcely recognized in its present form as of French extraction , -yet the author is anxious to offer this tribute to the real parent of the work , who has left behind him so many immortal records of his labours in the cause of truth . ' .
" This declaimer implies that he is indebted for * ideas' only ; yet , strange to say , page after page , without any variation , the English of Mr . Jessopp is word for word the French of M . Monod . To substantiate -this , I should have to quote the whole of Mr . Jessopp ' s book , which your columns forbid ; but , lest I should be thought indiscriminate in my censure , may I -venture to ask the English author of Woman three questions ?— " 1 . Who is the * late highly esteemed French Protestant * clergyman' ? ~~ . . - " 2 . Where did he preach tinVsermon in 1849 ?*
' 3 .. What o . ther * immortal records of his labours in the cause of truth' did he leave * behind him' ? A question not difficult to answer since he was living , according to the authority of Mr . Jessopp , in 1849 . " We shall be anxious to see the advertisement of the next original work by the Reverend J . Jessopp , M . A ., Chaplain to the King of the Belgians , Morning Preacher at the Orphan Asylum , and Evening Preacher at Trinity Church , Newington . " I remain , Sir , your obedient servant , " W . G . Bakrbtt . "
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THE HEiCD OP THE FAMILY . The Bead of the Family . A Novel . By the Author of the *• Ogilvies , " " Olive , " &o . 3 vols . Chapman and Hall . It is . a common cant of criticism to call every historical novel the " best that has been produced since Scott / ' and to bring Jane Eyre on the tapis whenever a woman ' s novel happens to be in question . In despite thereof we will say that no novel published since Jane Eyre has taken such a . hold ' of us as this Head of the Family , though it does not equal that story in originality and in intensity of interest . It is written with eloquence and power . The authoress has seen , thought , suffered ; her work betrays it . It has , moreover , considerable narrative and dramatic skill ; and , although there are many characters and many stories upon this one canvas , yet they are so dexterously distributed , and so s excellently painted , that the interest is unflagging . Ninian Graeme-r-the " Head of the Family " — is an elder Brother placed in the difficult position of Father to a young family . In this he is aided by an elder Sister , a charming portrait : — ¦ " Lindsay Graeme was—just a woman , nothing less , and nothing more ! She never was and never had been thought clever or beautiful , and now she had passed the age when she cared to be thought either . Alao , there was at times a look in her face , which seemed as if not age alone had produced the softened calm it wore—this sealing up of all youth ' s restless emotions into one serene repose . Whatever shadow had swept over her , it had left ; no bitterness , no heaxt-Jesflness , scarcely even grief . It was probably that one—the most sanctifying woo of all—when the angel Of death , rtmscending , opens heaven , and suffers a „ , # « rt ^ n > ot bbttfyfeto ' s light to fall on those looking sor-^ rowfuU ^ uwrards , whose faces , like that of Moses , . / .: ^ ar soine ^ wso of this brightness evermore . / : ; . ' " . For hei * QUtwyiird appearance , it was just ordinary 4 ? v ' , Wough » you wo , liM not notice h < 3 r < except , perhaps , irl ' KjW ^ r ^ grav ^^ tops of her black dress—she always ¦ ¦ > / j . jyfr' . ii ' w . iiV . Iii ' ' .. iI ' pi i , , j jj , J , 'I .. — ¦ i . , — i
• wore black ; or for a certain sweetness in her voice which ever pierced through the Babel of all other voices in the room , like a drop of clear water falling on a crystal " floor . For the rest of her looks , she had a fair skin , flaxen hair , that always would be flaxen , never grey . She generally wore a sort of half-cap of black lace , which , 'though she probably did not know it , Was the most becoming head-tire a lady of her age and complexion could have chosen . *' The story opens with the arrival of the six boys and girls ( the eldest about twenty years of age ) at the home of their childhood , for the first time since their father ' s death : ¦—
" The whole tribe had rushed in from their journey ¦ with a tired forgetfulnees of everything but the relief of coming home ; and for some minutes the house was alive with voices ; Katie , poor old soul being summoned hither and thither till it almost drove her crazy . But When , one after the other , the young travellers assembled to tea in the old familiar room—where everything looked'the same , save for the one missing presence that would :. % ¦ seen no more—then a great quietness came over all . TBe twins crept nearer to each other , and Christina , ever the
readiest either to laugh or weep * hid her face on Lindsay's shoulder ; But no one spoke a word . ;¦ " They gathered round the table—Lindsay sitting where she had presided for some years as mistress of her father ' s households Opposite to her was that father's empty chair . Each glanced that way , and then all eyes were lowered . None look up , and all kept silence as Ninian came in and took the vacant place . There was a pause—as if each Waited for the voice that never would be heard more ; and then Ninian , in his low quiet voice , said the grace : —
"' Lord , we thank Thee for these and all Thy mercies and forgive u& our sins , for Christ ' s sake . Amen . ' " And all felt this to be the token Whereby their brother took upon himself the duties , responsibilities , and rights of eldership , and became henceforth the Head of the Family . " ( Note the Biblical beauty of this passage , especially the first sentence we have printed in italics . ) Ninian sets about his new duties in a brave , sensible way ; and we learn to be interested in him , as well as in Lindsay and the children , especially Tinie , -the gay , teazing , wilful , spoiled darling of
the set ! Into the Family , however , another girl is brought - — Ninian * s ward , Hope Ansted . That Ninian the strong , grave , unromantic man will fall in love with this pretty , quiet , shy , affectionate Hope , you foresee at once ; and that he will not have the courage to tell her so , but invent all sorts of " exquisite reasons " to discourage his own happiness , you also divine . But you cannot divine how charmingly it is done . Send for the volumes and read . Meanwhile , we will give you just one scene by way of a whet to the appetite : —
" That day—tb , e last of the -Old Year—Ninian returned early from his office . " . ' Edmund , I hear that you must positively be off with the Professor on January 2 nd , and as we will have no doleful preparations on New Year's-day , bring your books , and I'll help you to pack this afternoon . _ " Edmund said he had been busy about that duty for four days ; but as his peculiar notion of packing appeared to be taking books from one side of the room and strewing them over the other , his elder brother ' s offer was by no means so unnecessary as the boy seemed at first to think . So they both shut themselves up in Ninian's study for an hour .
*• * Are you two never coming ? We are all ready in the parlour , and Lindsay has sent me to fetch you , ' said a voice , preceded by a gentle knock , which marked it to belong to the only one who ever paid the deference of knocking at Mr . Gramme ' s study door . He looked up , smiling . * Come in , Hope—ay , that ' s right . Why , what a bonnie sight you are !' " She was , indeed . She had on an evening-dress of white , that neat attire the p ' rettiness of which ought to console maidens of light purse for a ll the finery in the world . A spray or two of glossyleaved , red-berried holly was fastened in her hair . Her arms and neck shone through the thin muslin ; in her usual close homo-costume no one had ever
seen how round and white they were . She looked so bright—bo happy—so innocently proud of herself ; it was . indeed ' A sure euro for sad eyes To gaze upon her face . ' " Ninian paused in his work . Ho was kneeling beside the box , in the midst of a heterogeneous heap of books , plaster coats , &c . - His appearance was not the most elegant , he being minus his coat , with his hands all covered with dust , and his curly hair , one of the few perfections he had , tossed about in the wildest confusion .
" Well—do you like mo ? Am I bonnie tonight r' said Hope , merrily . ' And wo are all dressed tho same , just like eiaters . Wo have stolen the
prettiest holly-b ? anches in your garden , Hr . Graeme ; and you will have the pleasure of seeing them in our hair . Look !' She came closer , and put her head on one side to show him ; « « Very nice . There , turn round , and let ine admire you ; nay , don ' t be afraid , my white bird , I shallriot touch , your snowyfeathers with these hands , ' said Ninian , smiling ; But ' while he smiled , there came unwittingly a bitter sense of contrast between this fairy creature and himself . He could not bear to see her shrink from him , even in play . "' Now , fly away , ' birdie ; you seem , indeed , just ready to fly * oil some sort of Wings or other . You don ' t belongto us df the work-a-day world . *
" I don't quite know what you mean . Are you not pleased with me ? I thought you would be . ' * ' ' And thought rightly , my little Hope . But run away : you see Edmund has gone to dress already . He vanished like a ghost . ' " ' Of course ! His last sweetheart is coming to tea to-night . ' " Ninian , stooped over his packing . Somehow he did not like to hear her jest about su 6 h things . « I will have done directly , Hope ; don't let me detain you here / ?'' But I like to be detained , ' said Hope , balancing her lithe figure on the arm of a chair . « I shall stay and watch you . '
" ' ' . A pretty sight for a fair lady s eyes—am I not , now ? . I know you are half afraid lest some one might come in and find me thus ; then how ashamed you _ would be of your guardian . ' ¦ " ' Ashamed , because he was a kind brother , giving himself all sorts of trouble and disagreeable work to please Edmund ? No ! ' she added , energetically , 'I had rather see you there , with your grimed hands and face—ay , there is actually a black mark on your face , too—than look at the finest gentleman in a ballroom ! ' ¦ '' ¦ ¦
" ' Would you , Hope ? Would you , dear child ?' "' And to show you I am not alarmed for my finery , and don ' t mind coming near you and touching you , as you thought I should—look here ! * " She came , stepping over the chaos of rubbish ; sat down in her white dress on the old box , and laid her two hands iff Ninian ' s ;—hers seeming by the contrast so soft , white , and small . He looked at them and at her face , —then closed his eyes . He felt the rising of one of those storms of-almost uncontrollable passion , which women can scarcel y understand , but whi ch this man , whose love was at once so tender and so strong , had to fight with day by day . "' What is the matter with you , Mr . Graeme ?' cried Hope , her merry smiles fading .
" ¦' I am dizzy—with stooping , perhaps . Wait a minute—never mind . ' " He sat down on the floor , leaning his arm against the box , and laying his head upon it . " ' How you have tired yourself ! You should not , indeed , . And that naughty boy Edmund has left you so much to do still . Come , let me help you . I should be so glad to help you in anything . ' " ' Should you , with those hands ? How tiny they are and soft ! ' He took them , played with them a little , and then—he could not have helped it had it been his life ' s worth—he stooped and crushed his lips upon them , wildly and long . " Hope looked amazed , and something of a womanly blush dawned in her innocent face .- Ninian rose .
" So , you exigeante damsel , you can't want more . You make even your staid guardian turn into a " preux chevalier , " and kiss your hand , —kneeling , too , I declare . A pity there was nobody here to see the exhibition ! But come , vanish ! or I will turn you out . ' " She laughed , - still blushing slightly , and ran away . Ninian walked to the door—fastened itthen staggered back , and lay on the floor where he had sat with the child close near . There was beside him a holly leaf , which had fallen out of her hair . He snatched it—the sharp thorns bruised his lips , but he kissed it still , in the very madness of a boy . "
We will riot be indiscreet enough to tell more of the story , or stories , for there are several . How Tinie plagues her lovers , especially the old Professor , how she makes the most charming of wives —how Rachel Armstrong has to battle with a common villainy , and rises in the conflict to a height of passionate grandeur truly thrilling—how Edmund fares as the " poet out in the world "—and how Hope and Ninian both are sorely tried—must be seen in these volumes by all lovers of fiction . RacHM ' s story alone would suffice to make the book popular—it is a " twipe-told tale , " but told in an original and powerful stylev ' The writing is uniformly excellent , often eloquent . We could quote many thoughtful sentences felicitously expressed—as this : —
" ' Yery happy . It is quite a treat to see them *' And that she spoke the truth was evident in her face of cheerful seronity—the serenity of conquered sorrow . We cannot—will not believe this in . our untried youth , when doath itself seems preferable to the though t of a healed wound . But as wound -, 1
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16 & $ «¦ Jt ««?| r * IV ESATUH 04 Y ,
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" ' ' 'V . ' ftv . i ' 'i ' M . 'i'M 6 nod < My 8 , " Ce disoours 616 prononc 6 . a ¦\ V'y& ^ teV J B&iilut , 1848 "! > - \\ a <; % li ' A "^ i
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 3, 1852, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1916/page/16/
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