REVIEW.

Press, Volume XXX, Issue 4186, 27 December 1878, Page 3

REVIEW.

Two presumptions oTe in ' favour of the first of these books being a good one. The name of the publishers is a guarantee of literary workmanship, and of the wholesomeness of tone. The spsedy transition from three volumes to .one is a further proof that tha novel has woniti way to public acceptance. The lover of true fiction will be extremely glad of adding this delightful book to his stock of ohoice and well thumbed works. It is so riatural in incident, so healthy in sentiment, so freah and easy in description that having once read it, we wish to have it near ua for future reperusal.

Some novels are remarkable for their accurate description of landscape; others for their subtle analysis of character. In one set Nature is everything ; in the other Man. Mr Fleming's " Mirage " is in some degree acembinatian of both. The character drawing is not of the highostkind ; yet the, portraits of Constance Varley, of Jack Stuart, of Mrs and Major Thayer, are done in such a way that we never forget them. But we learn to know them by their opinions and habits rather than by elaborate amir sis. The people introduce and interpret themselves. As an example of this quiet, auggestive style of the writer, take the following : —

"Ait girl Mits Morgan had been a general favorite ; as a married woman Mrs Thayer was universally popular. From her oradle to her marriage the fame exhibition of pretty smiling indifference had won her the same tribute and applause. Tbe same quality of tact had obtained an identical result. From the days of lollipops to those of lovers, Fanny Thayer had never offended a aingle human being, her very success was veiled, and gui t, and endurable. . . She was a little woman with many principles, and absolutely no passions. A charmingly pretty little woman, with a placid, Affectionate disposition.; Shi was good-natured, clear. voiced, scrupulously truthful, devoted to the Anglican Chnrch, to novel reading, to old silver, and to Major Thayer. She was both well-informed and intelligent, making it a rule .to read every new book praised either in the ' Nation' or the

'Atlantic Monthly.' She believed in culture, and therefore read' Matthew Arnold.' When it became a social duty in Boston, she was among the first to read and 'analyse' the works of Tourquenieff."

It is not the first time that travels and love-making have been mixed up together. A critic once said that the surest and safest place to ask a peculiarly interesting question was os some very sacred spot hallowed by veneration of many generations, and suggested a trip to the Holy Land. Mr Fleming has eiither consciously or unconscioufly acted on the suggestion. With Mrs Thayer for ohsperone, Constance Yarley and Jaok, Stuart, with several minor personages, take a tour in the East. The advantages both to the writer and to the parties specially concerned are obvious. As regards the latter, there are plenty of opportunities of knowing each other. Voyaging and travelling speedily bring out the real character. Constant intercourse under such conditions soon does one of two things—promotes an attachment, or provokes an estrangement. We shall not spoil the reader's pleasure by saying which alternative was produced in this case. After saying that there is sufficient incident to make the story thoroughly enjoyable, we shall take leave of the book by transferring to our pages a specimen of the author's easy and quiet yet pleasing and graphic description. Such passfget are very frequent throughout the book, and are generally shorter than the one now to be given, and*serve as a delightful setting to a very fascinating story. After re-" marking tha*. the Syrian scenery moves one with a strange emotion, the author thus narrates the approach to Jerusalem :— " The one supreme goodness of the world's history has left a crowning grace on field and sky ; tbe peace that passes all understanding broods over these sunlit spaces; there is the shadow of a presence among those far blue hills. It was late in the afternoon before the travellers reached the level road agtdn. For hour* the pnth had climbed higher and higher through thin, pale olive grove, past wimbling ruin and wall} higher and higher »t~»ig the pale and desolate bills, and it *a» « Ten ing when they taw Jerusalem. Its gray wa», towers, and ! domes, lay before them. They haa the last ascent of the road, and taken a turn, when rodder ly tbe city of renown— ■mall, grey, and impressive—was there. Pilgrim and Crusader had been Urn before ] them. For centuries that narrow road hao. ! been pressed by hastening, weary feet; the eyes of countless thousands had strained to see that spot j and with what thoughts, with what deep reverence, what wonder, what awe, begotten by no other'clty of this great world. Classio Borne, wonderful Athens, radiant Paris, or mighty London—could they quicken and still the sense of all that is momentous and unanswerable, like this gray Judean fortress, this old stronghold of religion, this shrine and this tomb ? " " Cues from all Quarters,*' by the Bey. Francis Jaoose, is a book which is as true to its title at it is entertaining in its contents. The author must have read immensely, for his cues are indeed drawn from every quarter. His plan is to take a theme and illustrate it from any author, ancient or modern. Now, we have a bit of biography, now a piece of history, and anon a scrap from a drama. To give some idea of the book, we cannot do

3. •"Mirase," by George Flenuog—Macmillans, London, (wood and Co., High street, Christ--2 "Cues from all Qoart«rs."r-Blaelrwood and Co.', Load--n. (Wood end Co.. H%fa rfw»t-) 3. •• Buttons," by A, N- Hope—Griffin aud tarmn, London. (Wood and Co.) , 4. "Mother's Sell," by B.P-G.-WffliMii.Hunt and Co. 1 <Wocd and Co., High etreet» Christ. cfcarci-) .....•- --<§.--r, .-■■

better than summarise one of its chapters— the cne on contradictory people. The author of " Maxwell" sketches a Dr. Macgopas, a clever man, and a kindly at heart, but whose peculiarity ia to differ invariably in opinion frcm everybody around him. Shape the question how you will, he meets each assertion with a plump' negative. In Margopna we have the type of the* inveterately contradictory man. Buffon was not fond oither. of contradiction or interruptionHe would betake himself to austere silence, at the first objection that waa offered to the thread of his discourse.

I His near friends accordingly let him always play Sir Oracle. Smollett's Lsnahago is another ease in point. " I deny," said he, " that two and two make four ; they don't ; they make twenty two." Dickens Mr Grimwig always contradicts. Whatever bis beat and oldest friend takes up on the positive side, Mr Grim*ig at once takes up on the nrgative. Scaliger Blount, in Bulwer's " Cax. tonian Essays," is a universal contradictor. He spares neither age nor sex. " The cloth" itself has no sanctity for him ; for he says he would rather contradict a Bishop than any other man except an Archbishop, especially on a matter of theology *or of Church discipline. As all opinions have two sides, whatever side you take he ia sure to take the other; and this pre-eminent delight is in putting you down in your own proper department, whatever that may be. \ Washington living's Wolf crt Acker is another ! illstarred man, whose avowed aim in life was j peaes and happiness, but who was everlastingly in collision with his neighbors. It was his doom—we are told—to meet a head wind at every turn, and to be kept in a constant fame and fret by the perverseness of mankind " Had he served on a modern jury he would have been sure to have eleven unreasonable men opposed to him. Constrained to contradict the eleven all round, and perhaps the Judge too, what could be more trying, and the fault of course all on the other side. On tiie other hand Goethe never contradic'eiany one. He listened with a friendly ear to every one's opinion, and would himself elucidate and strengthen it by instances and reasons of his own. He waa so many-sided that he could perceive some truth in almost everything, and by agreeing to that he pleased everybody. In this way tbe'cues ' of many corresponding thoughts and characters are brought together, and are then welded in a compact and consistent whole. The book may well belong to the " Library of Thoughtful Books," and it is one that all thoughtful people will like to get and read.

The remaining two books are for children, one for a boy, the other for a girl. The first and larger of the two has for its full title " The triils and travels of a young gentleman." Geoffrey Shaw, the son of a country squire, is the little hero, arid the aim of ■ the writer is to enforce the old French maxim, "Noblesse oblige," nobleness demands nobleness, or, as Shakspere puts it, " We must be gentle now we are gentlemen." Young Geoffry Shaw, though the son of a fine old English gentleman, was very far from following his father's example.' The new page—Buttons—receives a great deal of undeserved harsh treatment at the 1 hands of the squire's son. On this coming to the father's earsyonng Jeff is first gently and firmly remonstrated with, and this proving ineffectual he is compelled to take tbe page'a place. His awkward attempts at waiting in the presence of an earl, his fa'her's guest, and his keen sense of the punishment inflicted upon him, are well described in the book before us. The boy is at last brought to his senses, and is the first to apologize to the real Buttons; and from this time onwards he behaves with the thoughtful forbearance and kind consideration of others, which always and everywhere mark the genuine gentleman. " Mother's Nell," written by a clergyman's daughter, gives a glimpse of the bard kind of life which ia led by some children in the dens and alleys of London. The struggle of Nell's mother with hardship and poverty is told.in such simple yet griphlc language as could only come from one who has mingled with the scenes described. ... Nell's gradual recovery from misery, suffering, and ignorance, to a pjsition of ojmfort, pli«u r e. and competence, forms a story which cannot fail to prove both welcome and useful to children whose tastes have not been spoiled by over sensational tales. It is just the book for a Christmas present from a sensible fiiend to a sensible child.