14 FEBRUARY 1846, Page 17

LONG ENGAGEMENTS.

"Los* engagements," and "the Affghan rebellion," or more properly war, do not seem well adapted for fiction. A long engagement may be a proper step or the very reverse, according to the circumstances and cha- racter of the parties—it is a question to be determined on the case; whilst the disasters of Caubul are too recent, have been told in too great detail, and fill the mind too much by the overwhelming mass of misery, to leave much room for particular distress. Life in Calcutta, though not a new theme, is yet fresher than the eternal sketches of home society that haunt the reader from the tale of a penny periodical up to the three vo- lumes from a fashionable publisher ; but in Long Engagentents, we have less of life and manners than of mere external modes, and disquisitions on Indian topics in the guise of dialogue. The fact is, that the author has mistaken his vocation. He is a man of ability, and has been trained to a powerful though forced and artificial style of writing ; but his mind is more adapted to the article than to the novel. Hence, his ingenuity rather tells against him: his contrivances to produce novelty, though clever and exhibiting skill, are not adapted to fiction, and consequently fail of effect.

There are one or two subordinate "long engagements " in the book ; but the principal interest is sought to be produced by the betrothment of Adela Balfour and Arthar Carrington. Adele, a youthful beauty, and a most abominable coquette—or, in lago's phrase, a "foolish woman"— comes out to marry her betrothed; but, on arriving at her brother's in Calcutta, finds Carrington on service in Affghanistan. Having conducted herself forwardly and foolishly on the passage out, she pursues the same course in Calcutta, till she finally listens to a declaration from a Governor's Aide-de-camp ; then she is suddenly reformed by reading in a news- paper the destruction of Carrington with the Caubul army, whose danger had been kept from her; and on a last letter eventually reaching her, she is as suddenly converted to religion as she was to a sense of moral propriety.

The absurdity of all this is evident. It was not the "long engagement" which produced Adela's conduct, but her slight and " foolish" character. So far from absence in Affghanistan having anything to do with her behaviour, it is clear that any absence would have been just the same. The true conclusion from the premises seems to be, that long engage- ments are a good thing, since it was well to be rid of sucha lady as Adela, at any price of temporary suffering : for although the writer says that had Carrington met and married her on her arrival she would have made a good wife, we cannot take his word for it. Nor do we think the sex well chosen to illustrate the risks, which no doubt often attach to a deferred marriage. Without discussing whether fidelity is greater in man or in woman, it is clear that the mind of man is occupied by many other things than his engagement ; that improved circumstances lead him probably into higher society, giving him a wider sphere of observation, and very likely a wider mental range ' • and as the critical faculty is generally more sharpened and improved in man than woman, it may be occupied in odious comparisons. The work is able, but the novel is a failure. Not only is the basis false, but the management of the tale, even in its subordinate parts ; and its other love affair is devoid of interest. We have no sympathy with Adele, and for her prudent sister Mary we have no fears. In description the writer runs down his subjects ; and his dialogue is generally either common, and therefore tedious, or intended to develop his views on Anglo- Indian policy. The author is deficient in that dramatic vivacity of mind which is essential to the novelist; nor can he delineate manners. He seems, however, to have had an actual knowledge of Anglo-Indian life, because the same spirit of half-caste fashion pervades his book as we have more than once recognized in better painters of society though not per- haps men of more ability. There is the heartless flimsiness of metro- politan ton, without its grace or colour.

The scenes in Affghanistan have more interest than those of Calcutta ; although the particular persons and incidents have a strong taint of melodrama, and the general narrative attains its effect by force : we have heard of people lashing up themselves, but this writer lashes up his sub- ject. The following is what is called powerful composition ; but it wants the simple distinctness of Eyre and Lady Sale, and even the impres- siveness.

TILE FIRST DAY'S RETREAT.

It was a clear, bright, crisp morning, intensely cold; serene over-head, no snow falling; but beneath them, far and wide, stretched the thick white coverlid of the Northern winter; on the hills, on the plains, over the city, over the camp, over the neighbouring villages; and deep, deep beyond in the dreary passes, everywhere around them and afar off stretched that one deep covering of clear

• bright snow.

And on went the advance-guard of that doomed army, slowly and mournfully on its dismal journey. On went they through the knee-deep snow; and as they went no Affghan voices sounded in their ears, no Affghan arms glittered before them; none came forth to insult, none came forth to oppose them. On went the advance-guard—it might have been an army that was pouring out of Caubul; it might have been a rabble, Heaven knows. It was a mournful sight, truly: but even there, even there in that force, doomed awl disgraced, many brave hearts were beating, many truly English hearts—hearts whose noble spirit no present suffering, no threatening danger, no mighty horror could subdue. And on they went through the knee-deep snow, slowly, steadily at first ; a little while and there was some show of military bearing; a very little while they bore that martial front: for soon the stream of camp-followers poured on, without let or hinderance; thousands of frightened Hindostanee came welling on most tumultuously, a huge black stream coursing o'er the wide extent of snow, MD women, and children, in terrible confusion: and where was discipline then? And on they went through the knee-deep snow—column after column; and as the retreating force streamed out of the entrenched camp in which they had so long vainly striven to bear up against the outnumbering host, in rushed the Affghan hordes, soldiers and citizens, and fierce gazes, eager on plunder, eager on destruction, wreaking their vengeance on inanimate objects, and in the midst of the wildest confusion raising a din as terrible as ever ascended from the revelry of fiends.

And in that deep snow, after a weary day's march, a march of little progress— the doomed army halted for the night. Many had perished; the old and the in- firm, they who had little life in their languid blood, had sunk down by the way and died. Delicate women and young children had found early graves in the dreadful snow; and mighty had been the suffering of the day. It was but a faint prelude—a slight foreshadowing of the mightier horror to come.