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comes his wife . Poor Tom , broken-h carted , leaves the Hall , with the intention of going abroad , much to the discomfiture of his uncle , a gentleman country farmer , who would much rather " our Betie " have married him . As the Countess Korvinski , need we say , Bertha was not a happy woman . Her husband soon gets tired of his plaything and plunges into the excitement of fashionabkAife in London , where at Mrs . Ilardinge ' s he in
again meets Agatha Slierlock , whom lie first met Paris on coming to . England . Agatha was a schoolfellow ofIJertha ' s at Bhic . kb . eath . The Count is fasei ^ nated with the showy person and winning manners of Agatha , and they are on the point of an elopement when Tom Winter appears on . the scene * : und prevents them , by informing Agatha ' s aunt of their intention , which he has heard of through the Count ' s servant , known to hini in former times . The elopement is frustrated , and the Count , never very strong in intellect , dies from the effect of brain fever thus brought on . We leave our readers to
finish the story for themselves . The characters are admirably conceived , but we have not space to speak of them individually . The fault of the work , however , if fault it can be considered in a novel , is in having so much matter compressed into into so small a space . We have only sketched a rough outline of the story , but it will give an idea how much there is in the whole . Miss Edwards , speaking of the title of her work , in connexion with the subject , says : —" There is never time enough in this world—the present moment only is ours . Life is no question of ' to-morrows , ' or by-and-byes , ' but a question of Now , or Never . " * * * " It is Now or Never in this world ,
and if the experiences of my . life have taught me anything thoroughly , it is this ; for to-day is ours , but to-morrow is in the hands of the Lord , and may be Never . And though we may never reap the harvest , we must plant , and waterj and weed , and crop , as if we were sure of it , and leave the rest to God . So I say to you , that if you hope to see your child become a wise , useful , and happy man , you must first teach him to be a manly boy . " There is plenty of things to reflect on in Miss Edwards' novel . We consider it a great improvement on the " White House , " and have some pleasure in recommending it to the notice of our readers .
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CiBfJELIA MKT 12 LL , A ; 031 ROJHE . ENSLAVED . By jEiueliu Julia . —Chapman and Hhll . " C ; ECEi . ta Metalla" did not at first sight predispose us in its favour , as the ancient manner of spelling the heroine ' s name , and the ce in the writer ' s nom-de-phime of iEmelia Julia , smacks ofpedaritrv . It will not always do , however , to judge of a work from outside appearances any more than that of a man . A good coat often hides many defects , but it is as often the reverse . Though many objections may be raised against the work in parts ' , there will hardly be but one to find
opinion of its general merit . We expected , from the writer ' s subject and name , a dry , historical novel , solving , in some degree , the character and position of . " the mysterious Roman lady whose name the work bears . Tlus is not the case , however ; the story is highly romantic , and very little attention has been paid to historical data . Though the work may be open to some doubts on tin ' s head—no more , though , perhaps , than most historical novels—it seems to us , the wider the writer has departed from history the more the work lins gained in interest , viewed simply a . s a fiction . This strikes uh to be the caso yrith most
historical novels . Tho story opens just previous , ho the time of tho death ol . Julius Cajsar , ( or whom Metella has , in coiisequoncc ol'some little kindliness shown her by him , become one of his most ardent worshippers . Mctolla is represented by tho -writer to be tho wife of Marous Lioinius Crnssus , the son of Marcus Lieunua Crassus , the member of tlio first triumvirate , win was killod in tho Pnrinthan war . Crassus is
twenty years tho senior of Mctolla , consequently she docs not lovo him as a woman does a husband of her own ago . fcSho honours ami loves him , however , for the goodness and' general nobleness of his character , which loads hov to look upon him with tho docility of a child , and which is strengthening into woman ' s lovo , when Oraasus falls ill of an attack of fever . Ho it * on the point of death , and the doctor leavoH strict instructions that ho is npt to bo disturbed if ho should aloop . Ho dooa so , but
- - — - ¦ ¦ while in the midst of his profound and refreshing slumber , a debtor pursued by a relentless creditor comes to his house for protection . Metella only thinks of the injunction of the doctor , and refuses to have her lord awakened . As the person refuses to leave the premises he is expelled with force . Crassus wakes in time and recovers , but does not hear of his client calling till some time after * when his favourite Gallic slave informs him of the circumstance ^ Instead of being grateful to Metella for saving hfs life , his first thought is-tha dishonour of his house , and reproaches her as the cause of it , and is on the point of chastising her
according to the Roman custom , when he relents because she faints under the indignity , From tliis time , however , Metella feels she is degraded , and a coolness is the result , which she never outgrows . The assassination of Cjesar is a tale wellknown . After the death of Crosar , Metalla felt a void in her existence . She mourned him long and refused to leave his body until reminded of her conduct , by . her husband . She finds some comfort , soon , by becoming attached to -the cause of Octavianus , the nephew of her hero . She transfers all the feelings of admiration that she has before felt for Csesar to his nephew and
his cause , partly , ifc would seem , to avenge his death , and partly for love to any one of his kind . Octavianus proves utterly unworthy of her heroic conduct . He plays a wicked and lying- part to allure her from her husband . Though she plots for Octavianus ~ r-and goes through many hardships and dangers to serve him—she is true to her husband . But neither the _ fear of being thus exposed , nor the indiscretion of her situation with the wily Octavianus make her swerve from his cause until , compelled by
force of circumstances to do so . The end of the story is , that Metella remains faithful through all her trials to her husband , and lives to see howfaithless Octavianhas been to her by witnessing his marriage with Levia Drusilla . Thus having sacrificed her peace of mind for a-worthless man , she bows down her head , and finally dies of grief . Such is the end of the Metella of this romance ; theMetella of history is another story , but we are not disposed to complain of this , inasmuch as the writer has written a fiction of no ordinary stamp , and one that bears great promise for her future productions .
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THE WHITE ELEPHANT ; OK , THE HUNTERS OF AVA , AND THE | vING OF THE GOLDEN FOOT ; By William Dalton , author of" The Wolf Boy hi China , " &c—Griffith nml ITnrran . FKAXK AND ANDUKA ; OK , FOItBST LTFE IN THE ISLAND OF SARDINIA . ByAlfre < J Elwes , Ac , author of "l ' aul Wake . "—Griffith and Fftrran . KINGSTON'S ANNUAL FOK BOYS , 1800 . —Boaworth nnd Harrison . CHARLIE AND EUNEST ; Oil TLAY AND WOK 1 C ; a Story of Hazk'h . urst School , Jty Miss Uethnm-KdWJirds , Author of the " White House by tho Sen . "
Of late years , boy ' s books have become a feature in our literature . To make a manly man , you must givo the boy manly and healthy exercisesat the same time teach him how to be bravo and generous , and to love all sports that arc invigorating to tlu $ mind ami body . If he will not rciul dry history , < . you must dilute it with romance and adventure . Acting ^ on this principle , Mr . Dalton , Mr . Klwes , Mr . Kingston , and Misrf Edwards have produced four ailniirnbUi boya books , ami fjroat praise is dTie to them for the manner in which they have for sojuo years past boon writing good books for youtli . ' Wo havo said that of late years boys 1 books havo become quite a feature ; in our literature , and suspect that this ia owing to
many persons reading thcfio books besides boya . Why should they not P They are always fl . ill of adventure , written in tho narrative form , and contiiin ' muoh information that is worth knowing . China is a fertile thoino with Mr . Dalton . Ho has alronrty writton two or three works on the poople of tho Sun . I Us little book before us professes to bo tho autobiography of Harry Oliver , who geta into many troubles through not knowing tho luwtj , nnd manners , and customs of tho Chluoso . Many arc tho adventures that ho falls into , but bh being bravo , honest , and manly , ho gets througy them safyly . In this manner Mr . Dullon convoys nuioh Information about tho Chinese .
What Mr . . Dalton . has done for China , Mr . Elwes is doing , for Sardinia , though with a , more serious intent ; for in his preface he says—' " It may be some satisfaction to the reader to learn that this is not mere fiction which is thus presented to hini . " Little is known among the young , or , indeed , the grown-up people of England , about Sardinia , notwithstanding the king's name is so familiar to them . A vast deal of very valuable information is to be found in Mr . Elwes little book . Mr . Kingston has bound up the monthly parts of his magazine . Bound together they maku a handsome volume , highly valuable and instructive to the class of readers for whom it is intended .
" Charlie . and Ernest , " by Miss Edwards , is a little work in two parts : the first part is called " Charlie ' s search after Pleasure , and what became of it . " We know that those who search for pleasure never find it . The second part is entitled , " Ernest ' s search after Work ; " the moral of which is , ihat he succeeded because he has been industrious enough to learn different languages . As . we have said elsewhere , Miss Edwards is a sensible writer , which is enough to recommend " Charlie and Ernest" to the notice of our juvenile readers . The four works are first-rate * and we recommend boys to spend their Christmas money on them in preference to . anything else . ParentSj see that your boys do this .
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MY FIKST TRAVELS . By Selina Bimbury . In 2 vols . — : . T . C . Newby .. The greater part of the contents of these volumes by'Miss Bunbury were published when they were written years ago . They contain some good writing , and writing only , for their is nothing new of the people or scenery of which the book treats—and the whole is strung together in a narrative form , purporting to be the writer ' s " pursuit of friends in a foreign land . " In this manner : Miss Bunbury has " made " a readable book of recollections of her first travels "—starting with a bird ' s-eye view , as it wereof Oxford by moonlight from Magdalen
, Bridge , " the grandest view in the world , or in all England . " From Oxford she goes to Paris , in company with a Miss Strick , an English governess , who comes yearly to her native land to bear back to her adopted one a bevy of young ladies —there are no girls in these present times—to whom she imparts all the benefits of Parisian education . " Arriving in Paris , that " emporium of pleasure , the seat of the World ' s seductions , the speck on
the World ' s map where human life can be most enjoyed , and is in the World ' s reasoning the most enjoyable—the place where all . tastes can be most readily ^ ratified , where all senses can be satisfied to repletion "—except liberty , Miss Bunbury !—she finds her friends had left Paris for Orleans , and follows them . . When she arrives sit Orleai fl , of course they have just gone so . me > v ! ii > re else , and so she goes from place to place , like Japhet in search of a father , taking advantage to visit all places of interest by the way . On leaving Paris , the writer visited Blois , Chernonoeux , lours , Nantes and the Pyrenees . Mi as Bunliury s first view of the Pyrenees rather disappointed her .
She first saw them from the castle terrnco ot Pau : — "It " was my first view of the 1 yronoestho drenm of my youth developing itself in a vision They were distant still , but in the softening light of the evening were brought nearer even while less oloflrtr discerned ; their ¦ heads rested against a roJV . l , ^ ht eky i cones , ponks , and ridges curiously , pvimi fhntmMiea ! y , undented , a varied outlinc—u ¦ giuuntio barrier , inspiring th < 5 wish for tho wing ? , not of tho dove , but of tho Ooglo , to fly away and oxploro ( ho strange re-. on beyond it Vol at my liwt view that inspiration was not „ ¦ '„„» hi . ,, fltiivuri near them lonii enoug h to alter
ligr opinion ; probably the change came over her when she found her friends , a tow days later . " Mv First Travels" may be found a readable book of travel *—to those who havo not road ol tho sumo Hoonos by later trnvelluwi than Mih » Huniiirv Tho bent that can bo Bind for tho work is thnt it is well writton , nnd tho worst , Mmt it ooni h notliin" new , and tho work should never vo boon ro ^ uilisi . ed ; as a book of travels , writi « n twontv or thirty years ago , gives tho young
reader voi-y little idea of the nmnnoro and customs of these day « of railways , when tho traveller thinks no more of a trip to Puns or to the Pyronoos than ho did ^ formerly of going to Greenwich on to Devonshire .
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No . 504 . Not . 19 . 18 & 9-1 THE LEADER 1279
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CIIILDREX'S BOOKS .
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 19, 1859, page 1279, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2321/page/19/
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