MACPHAIL'S EDINBURGH ECCLESIASTICAL JOURNAL. No. CXXXIII. FEBRUARY 1857. BOOKS OF THE SEASON. Ashburn, a Tale. By AURA. London: Saunders & Otley. Jessie Cameron. A Highland Story. By the Lady RACHAEL BUTLER. THREE tales from the pens of fair authors, all characterised by different kinds and degrees of excellence, and written by women who have taken the trouble to think before they have put pen to paper. We bid them all heartily welcome, and sincerely wish for their authors, that the new year they have helped to enliven and instruct, may prove a happy one, and bring to them the success they so well deserve. It gives us sincere pleasure to see the increasing number of thoughtful, educated women, who are now daily entering the field of literature. We have much need of them, for there are many social questions at present being discussed, which for their safe and proper solution, it is very necessary to regard from their point of view, and as it is forbidden to them to lift their voices either in the senate or the arena of public meetings of any kind, it is only through the press they can make their sentiments known, and influence public opinion in the manner in which, as members of the body politic, they have a right to do. We hail it as a healthful sign of the times, that women seem to begin to be aware both of their rights and their responsibilities in this respect, and we earnestly hope that every day will add to the number of female authors, who, like those before us, will exercise their talents, not in writing frivolous tales to amuse an VOL. XXIII. A idle hour, but in works calculated to instruct the mind, elevate the sentiments, and confirm the principles of their readers. We do not know whether it is in deference to the present passion for mere story reading, that the author of Ashburn has called to her aid something in the shape of a tale, whereby to enunciate her opinions, but if such be the fact, we think it a pity she has been so complacent to the weakness of the times, and much fear, that in consequence, she is too likely to share the proverbial fate of those who attempt to sit on two stools at once; there being in her work not enough of story to please the mere tale seeker, and too much, not to deter those of a more philosophical turn, from seeking in its pages what they would not dream of finding in a novel. To the latter class of readers, however, we would say, "read on,"-you will be surprised to find how much of true wisdom, of philosophical reflection, and of religious enlightenment those blue boards contain; never mind the story, it is poor enough, but gather together, and treasure up the gems of thought which lie scattered through its pages, you will find yourself both wiser and better by making them your own. To illustrate our opinion of its merits, we make a few extracts, which we believe our readers will consider as fully bearing out our judgment. We think the woman question has seldom been approached with more sound sense, than in the following passages: "As Mr Merton spoke, he searched in his portfolio for a letter, which he now produced. 'I will read you some parts of this letter, my love, which I received from Somers some months ago. I think they will help to give you an idea of the man. I had told him of my poor little sister Bessy's distress at being forced, now she is gone to stay with her aunt, to give up her delightful solitary walks and musings, and, I suspected also, secret scribblings, and go daily, and for hours daily, under the escort of a benevolent friend, to visit the poor and sick. He writes, I feel very much for the poor child, and lament your aunt's mistaken sense of duty in this matter. She forgets that it is the cheerful sacrifice alone that is acceptable to God, and, in the long-run, serviceable to man. If she could, with tact and tenderness, draw little Bess in some measure from her dreams into active usefulness, she would do her and the community a real service; but such overdosings of philanthropy, like all over-dosings, defeat their object. I must say, moreover, I don't suppose your worthy aunt philosophizes much on the subject, but I think there is a good deal of nonsense in the shape of philosophy afloat respecting the duties of woman. The source of these errors is the lumping women together in a mass, and supposing these functions, which it is desirable and well should be discharged by women, devolve as a duty upon each individual woman. This error again springs from, or is connected with, a false habit which we men are too apt to fall into, when we think and speak of the other sex, of unduly dwelling on the difference of sex. They have, it seems to me, greatly the advantage of us in this respect. While they often think of us as men, they far oftener think of us as human beings. Human beings! I envy the Germans the possession of a word (der mensch) which is applicable alike to man or woman. "Now, I do not deny that there are certain duties, domestic and others, which devolve on woman as such, and Iwould have her by all means first discharge these; but if I am not mistaken, these, in ordinary situations, need not so engross her time but that she still might be, in a great measure, free to follow out, as circumstances and capacity dictate, those various tastes and duties which belong to her as a human being. "You must not class me, dear Merton, with the party who, in the present times, so strongly advocate the "rights of women. I daresay they, too, have a great deal of truth and good feeling on their side; but I cannot but think they push matters to an extreme. I would not have woman ignore what belongs to her as woman, either in the way of feeling or duty; neither would I have her arrogate to herself, nor her advocates for her, what belongs to man as man. Each has his peculiar territory, the bounds of which, under normal circumstances, it is graceful and proper that each should observe; though, like other rules, it admits of partial exceptions, and, in emergencies, it may have been the duty of the woman, for instance, to use the lance, and of the man to betake himself to the distaff. "There is a territory proper to each sex; but there is also a region wider than either, and much wider than is generally supposed, which is common to both, where they may meet as human beings. And it is here that I, for my part, already delight to meet my fair sisters, and hope more frequently to find them. "I wish,' he adds, I could have some conversation with your aunt on the subject of Bessy. I should not despair of bringing her to see things somewhat differently, after my success with Mrs Crawford. These two ladies follow very opposite plans with their young charges. The one would have them always abroad visiting the poor, collecting for benevolent societies, or otherwise engaged in works of active usefulness. The other would have them devote their time almost exclusively to needlework and home accomplishments. Both have a strong sense of a peculiar department of duty and of grace, which, perhaps, in an especial manner, devolves on woman; for all these are truly feminine employments-even the collecting of money for good objects, within certain restrictions, is perfectly so. I cannot join in the outcry which some have raised against females engaging in this self-denying work of benevolence. The thing must be done; and if it is done, as it may, with simplicity and modesty, I see no objection to its being undertaken even by young ladies, who have more leisure than most other members of the community. "But, after all this is done, supposing it can all be done by every woman (though I see not why every female should follow every feminine, any more than every male should follow every manly employment), it would be far from comprising what should be the aim, at least, of every human being, the healthy use of all the powers for the glory of God.' ” The religious element is so interwoven with every thought and sentiment expressed in Ashburn, that it is difficult to select any particular passage to exhibit the author's views of that highest of all subjects; but though unable to agree with her in some of her theories regarding it, we are bound to say, that although not always in strict accordance with the dogmas of any of the reigning sects, her religious ideas are all deduced from Holy Scripture, her religious sentiments breathed from a soul deeply imbued with the spirit of Christianity. Entirely free from all sectarian prejudice, there is a breadth, a freedom, a sublime charity in her treatment of all the questions she discusses, (and they are many and various), which cannot fail to impress the reader with the sense that it is no ordinary mind which evolves itself in this volume,-a mind which has tried every idea it has received by the experimentum coucis of the Gospel before accepting it. No better illustration of this could be given than the following passage:— "What are we to speak about? "About religion, if you like. I am sure when you began, you meant to say more on that subject; but I cut you short by obtruding my feelings upon you. And yet it is of little use simply talking to me about religion, unless you shew me how religion can remedy and supply the wants of my heart.' "That is precisely what I wished to do.' "Then might I not be allowed first to speak to you of what my soul's wants are? It may seem strange, Mr Somers, my talking to you in this manner. But indeed there is something in you, with all your high-souled excellence, though you may not yourself be aware of it, which is peculiarly fitted to call forth confidence and trust. Oh, if you would trust yourself, and trust me, so as to suffer me to open my heart to you! "Frederic smiled gently, and said, I can trust myself, and will trust you; but first let me beg you, my dear Miss Napier, to ask your own heart, in all sincerity, what its object is, and what it ought to be, in thus confiding in me, as a preliminary to the religious conversation we spoke of. That will modify in the best manner the character of the communication. These revelations of feelings must be rested in, not for their own sake, but to lead to something higher, and for that let them not be too diffuse. I should grieve, indeed, if our interview was to end without my directing you, not to general religious considerations alone, but to the Saviour himself, the living source of strength and consolation. Let me, indeed, secure the present moment to speak a few words of him. " "It has seemed to me, that minds of keen sensibility have sometimes turned away from a surrender of the heart to Christ, from some such thoughts as these: "Those who are called true and earnest Christians, think it wrong to feel much except in religion. To delight in human affection, to exult in human excellence, to be enraptured by the charms of physical and intellectual beauty to all this they are either naturally dead, or mortify themselves till they are so. No wonder, then, that Christianity suffices for them. They wish for a Saviour to make them holy on earth--they wish for a Saviour to make them happy in heaven-and they have what they desire. But this is not enough for us." Now all this is founded in mistake. Some Christians may crucify these feelings from conscientious motives, but it is no necessary part of Christianity. On the contrary, though that came to man after the fall had destroyed the original harmony between him and his Maker, it more than confirmed the sentence which was at first stamped upon the works of God, that "He giveth us richly all things to enjoy." It is in the New Testament that these words are found; and these "all things" must certainly include the charms of affection and of nature, and all that the sensibilities of man can lawfully delight in. It is true that Christianity does not secure to the individual man these blessings, but it forbids him none which Providence allows. Indeed, it calls upon him as a duty to enjoy the blessings which are permitted to him, while it requires of him to relinquish those which are denied. It is for the wise but inscrutable Providence of God to determine if the affections of the heart are to be to us sources of pleasure or of pain. But if love on earth must sometimes suffer from bereavement, disappointment, and decay, religion teaches us to find, even in these evils, blessings in disguise. And this it does very much by introducing the personal element. It is not to fortune or to fate, but to God as a loving Father, that the sacrifice is to be made. It is not more general considerations that are to give consolation, it is a relationship to Christ as a tender brother, who himself learned obedience by the things which he suffered-whose sympathy is so delicate, that it can share even that bitterness which otherwise the heart alone would know and would desire to know alone, and that joy with which no stranger can or ought to meddle. He is a Saviour, not only from sin and hell, but from all the wants of self, by being to us a nobler, a completer, and a dearer self. Brought by him and his sacrifice into what may be in a high sense truly called a natural position to the Father of our spirits, we learn to accept all well at His handswhether it be to suffer or to surrender, all is supportable, if it is not sweet. The soul now finds, or at least, if it avails itself of its high privilege, may find, that this supreme affection wants not, but admits in full perfection, the blessed element of magnanimity. It learns how, in its utter poverty, it may be generous; for, if it can give nothing to its God, it can with unhesitating and unrepenting devotion give up all to Him."" The acuteness and justness of the following critical remarks, will be appreciated by all: "Emerson's style is peculiar,' said Elizabeth. It "Yes; but I cannot say it seems to me unnatural. The mere style appears to have cost him less attention than it does with most writers. is the thoughts which alone occupy him, and these he does not look on as something out of himself which he possesses. He does not so much possess his thoughts as he is possessed by them, and works them out in writing as much for his own satisfaction as that of others. His writing has always appeared to me a perpetual soliloquising. This is not the same as thinking aloud. We think many things which do not seem sufficiently interesting to express, even to ourselves. Hence, Emerson's style is elliptical, and at times disconnected. Some men have a delight in mere expression. This does not seem to be his case. He only takes pleasure in expressing his thought as it makes it more certain and vivid. He also appears to have, what is not unnatural in one of so much inherent originality, a distaste and impatience of the commonplace. This, while to his genuine admirers it has a certain interest and charm, unfits him from being a teacher of the many. There are few who can perceive the coherence of the new and the striking, unless they be held together by the cement of the old and familiar. Indeed, Emerson not only cares not to express what he has learned from others, he scarcely cares to utter what he has learned from his former self. He must not only know it all to be true; he must at this present hour feel it to be so. Hence I should not think any mind, even the most congenial with him, could at all times fully understand him. You must put yourself into Emerson's mood before you can understand Emerson." "Your description makes me very anxious, I must confess,' said Elizabeth, to become better acquainted with Emerson. It is so delightful to escape sometimes from the weary weight of the commonplace. But you would not apply to Emerson, would you, what my father said of his friend Mr Fellowes? Do you remember?-one evening which you spent, not very long ago, at our house?' "Yes, the first evening after my return from Edinburgh; I remember it quite well. But what is it you especially allude to just now?' Mr Somers knew quite well what it was, but he wished to make Elizabeth speak. "My father said he did not meet with much encouragement as an author, and such a man should write a little, but not much; and you said, perhaps his originality was not of a sufficiently high order to stand alone.' "Frederic was highly pleased to find Elizabeth remembered the very words which he recollected having used. Oh, no! such a rule is by no means applicable to Emerson. His originality is of a high order; and besides, if he deals chiefly in home manufactures, he draws his raw material in the way of suggestion largely from without-from history and natureand thus his originality could not easily be exhausted.' |