SELECTIONS FROM THE BEST AUTHORS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1162, 15 July 1885, Page 4

SELECTIONS FROM THE BEST AUTHORS.

x A Tale op Two Cities. I (DIOKBNS.) - , Perhaps, of all the novelists, there is not' one whose writings have become so popular as those of Charles Dickens. The ; great secret of his success lies in the fact j thathe appeals right to tho heart. All j through his writings we can see the man as (he really was— brimming over with kindness and sympathy towards human ♦nature, 'and the reader, as he follows him, cannot help having his sympathies also awakened, and feeling a kindlier regard for his fellow creatures. No greater lesson than human sympathy can be taught us, and in this endeavor I think thaj; Charles Dickens has faithfully played hfibpart. With these few introductory remarks, we now present to our readers the subject of the essay. This story carries us back to the time of the French Revolution. B-or many long years the nobility of Franco had been grinding the poor under the/ iron heel of tyranny. Generation succeeded generation, and still the struggling peasant toiled on hopelessly arid; -nolplessly , wearing away both soul and body, but "scarcely able to satisfy the cravings of a, starving, ragged family. And when the poor, worn-out creature sank at last under the toil, his death-cry was only taken up and re-echoed by his successors.' Thus, year after year, the wheel of oppression had been slowly turning* crushing beneath it thousands of despairing wretches, while the rich lord of the chateau lived in the bliss of present luxury —luxury which was only gained at thecost' of his fellowmen— utterly unconscious of the terrible storm which was fast gathering in the horizon, and even now casting its shadow, over the land. But at last the storm burst in all its fury. For months before, its outbreak, knots of men, gaunt and grim,/ like, walking spectres of poverty, might have been seen gathering^together, and ever and anon, as the crowds swelled and surged like the mighty sea, the onlooker might have noticed the same picture stamped on each emaciated countenance — a look of fierce hatred and revenge for countless wrongs. . It is in such scenes as these that the story opens. Perhaps no one has painted a truer picture of that dark time in France in fewer words than Dickens. He takes ub out among the poverty-stricken people and then unfolds their actual condition. One of the chief characters of the story is a young French nobleman— the Marquis de Evremonde~whb left France before the bursting of the storm. He left France of his) own free will, because he did not choose to enjoy his riches at the cost of so many poverty-stricken beings. He wandered to England, but here he was arrested on suspicion of being an accomplice in the Jacobite plot that was at that time on foot. However, he was released. It was here that he first met in ■with a young lady, who afterwards became his wife. Her name Was Lucie Manette, the daughter of a French doctor. This aa'me Dr Manette had a strange' history, and the story of his life, and his daughter's devotion, are very touching. One other character is here introduced — an individual of the name of Sydney-Oar-ton, who, bore a striking resemblance to young Charles Darnay, as we we shall now call the Marquis de Evremonde. This Sydney Carton was one of those characters whom we often hoar described as a "ne'er-do-well." Gambling and drinking .were his besetting sins, and he earned' a scanty living by acting as "jackal"" for a certain well-to-do solicitor. However, in spite of all this outward corruptness, there lay the true man underneath, as we shall afterwards find. I think that nowhere does Dickens excel more than in this line. He brings before ub poor, broken-down,drunken characters, who would be shunned by all who lay claims to r decency ; and yet the same man often comes out in a very different light in the end, showing us that underneath all there is a spirit of true manliness, which only needs some gentle touch to call it forth and raise the fallen man once more to the level- from which he had fallen. • ' ' This same Sydney Carton became acquainted with the beautiful Lucie Manette, and the acquaintance on his part deepened into love for the fair French maiden. But he was conscious of the great gulf which separated them, and he was too noble-mind to make any declarations of love. He simply asked her to grant him one privilege, and that was to be counted as one of her friends. After the marriage between Lucie and young Darnay took place, he occasionally dropped in for a few minutes and then wandered listlessly to his wretched lodgings, stifling in his bosom a pain that none but the sufferer knew of. Ay ! call him drunkard, vagabond, or what you will; but beneath that breast there lay as true and noble aheart as ever beat. . , But to continue : When the storm of the Revolution burst in all its fury, young Darnay was unconsciously drawn into the vortex which hurried so many to their doom. He had only enjoyed a year or twp of happy married life, when he received an urgent message from an old and faithful servant (who had remained in France to take care of the Chateau de'.Evremonde) to come at once to his rescue, >as he had been seized by the blood-thirsty Revolutionists. Moved by a generousimpulse, the young nobleman hastily set out for France, without even taking leave of his wife, but leaving a note, behind explaining where he had gone. He was ignorant of the sudden change in the tide of affairs, and he had scarcely set foot on 'his native land before he was arrested and escorted to .Paris, to be there thrown into -the State .prison to await, like thousands more, his trial and probable execution. Meanwhile his wife, accompanied by her father, followed: him to Paris; and there Dr, Manette . exerted all, his -influence on Darnay's behalf, and at lengthsucceeded , in -getting his release. But, he. had > scarcely been received into the arms of his dear/ opes before he was again arrested on. a second. charge. It was in vain that Dr Manette devoted his whole energies to .the Aoble work of rescue. •. Foung Darnay (or De Evremonde, as we may now call him) was doomed to.. the mercUesß guillotine. , It was a terrible time, of .trial fpr 'the |( ppor young, wife; but just when all' hope seemed gone, relief unexpectedly' .came. By a strange coincidence, Sydney Carton had arrived at Paris, and learning all the' Btory," be at once set about planning- for the rescue of De Evremonde. He gained' accession to the turnkey in whose ward the young nobleman waa imprispjied,- and by bribery got the keeper to consent to his. wishes. On the very oightvpreceding the day of execution. Carton went to the druggists, bought a

small) mysterious packet, ' and tooK his way to the. prisoners' cell, into which he > "was at once admitted by the keeper.

Here he began a conversation with the prisoner, ,and from time to time passed his hand before tht y6uW|^ Frenchman's face. Evremonde agke.d him in astonish tnent what he was doing, but ere long- he began to feel a sense of drovfainess, and then Sydney Carton sprang towards him and held the handkerchief in hu. hand tightly over the prisoner's ' nostrils. De Evremonde struggled furiouslyt at first, but soon sank back overpowered by* the narcotic. Carton then hastily stripped the outer garments of the young- nobleman, and exchanged them for {us own. Then summoning the turnkey, he ordered him to remove the unconscious form of his- friend. The supposed Marquis >' de Evermonde was then left in a solitary cell, while the real one was carried out in the disguise of Sydney Carton; Carton had previously arranged with Dr Mpnette, and a vehicle was in readinesri in which the rescued prisoner and hia-wife, with the Doctor, left for Calais, and succeeded in getting clear away to England. ; And now comes the closing scene. the following day, the supposed Evre- \ mohde was led oat to his doom. The strong likeness which Carton bore to the young Marquis prevented detection, v and .when Sydney Carton placed his head; on the block everyone in the thronging crowd of onlookers pressed eagerly forward to catch a glimpse of the hated Evremonde. The guillotine' descended, and Sydney Carton was no more. > He had given his life to save his friend. > Here is Dickens' farewell eulogy on the victim, which is marked for its touching simplicity :— " They said of him about the city that night that it was the peacefulest man's face ever beheld there.' Many added that be looked .sublime and prophetic." , , '. t . : . Romanus.