BEFORE AHD AFTER. * THERE are two classes of novel descriptive

of comrhon life. In the one, story predominates ; the characters and even the incidents being subordi- nate to a continued narrative which should almost rise to the completeness of epic " action' " with its beginning, middle, and end. In fictions of this class, not only the personal character of the author, but the professional idea of the writer should be concealed ; the attention should never be at- tracted to the composition, from the things described or the events nar- rated; and even the reflections of the author should be sparingly intro- duced: in short, we ought to have a picture of life deriving its character' as much from the nature the author imitates as from any colouring of his

own.

In the other class of novels, the object is rather to present a smart than

a true picture of nature ; and some of the artifice and glare of the play- wright are admissible. Broad characters, not very probable events, with incidents no matter how extreme so that they be effective, are here in place. The writer, too, may appear as much as he pleases, provided his appearance do not offend by its manner. It is not requisite for him to consider style as a medium for expressing ideas or describing things ; he may present objects not only as they strike him when in a quaint, funny, or peculiar mood of mind, but he may indicate their nature to the reader by the resemblances they suggest to himself. Amusement is the end and aim of this class of fictions, and with that the reader should be content. If he gets instruction or information in addition, it is so much thrown into the bargain.

Before and After belongs to the second class ; and so far as amusement is in question, it may be recommended as preferable to many books with higher pretension in respect of grade. It would have been much improved, however, as a work of art, and somewhat as a mere book of amusement, by greater attention to the " teres atque rotundus." The want of smoothness and coherence has the same effect upon the mind as when an actor pushes the humorous into coarseness. Part of this defect may be attributed to the fact that many of the stories or sketches have been written at different times, for periodical publications. The author in composing them may have had an eye, as he intimates was the case, to their connexion with a main story ;. but the connexion of some is not very close, or the introduction is abrupt. Besides which faults, there is a structural deficiency ; and perhaps at times the writer is too obvious even for this class of books. The smartness is not objectionable, but the evident determination to be smart.

The title seems an afterthought, and is a misnomer. "Staggerton," or "Sketches in Staggerton," would have been a fitter name : "Before and After" merely refers to the condition of the borough before and after the Reform Bill, while politics are not a conspicuous part of the story. This, so far as it has continuity, relates to the adventures and experiences of the writer, a struggling law-student, as sub-editor of the Staggerton Recorder. He is promoted to that post in virtue of being a single man ; the proprietor's daughter being an elderly flirt, and requiring attention from the sub : he-is partly induced to accept it because an an- cient widowed aunt is resident at Staggerton, and, after a long ne- glect of her nephew, has made overtures of reconciliation with hints of a legacy. The incidents in which the hero personally or professionally bears a part in the society of Staggerton form the most coherent portion of the book ; the deficiency of structure we alluded to having reference to love passages of his own and to the conclusion. Various stories are introduced, sometimes having a connexion with the subject, while at times -they seem inserted because they were written. As the minor tales, though frequently exaggerated, are consistent enough with themselves, it is probable that haste or an insufficiently considered plan may have had as much to do with the general defects of structure as any natural insufficiency in the author. The subjects of his stories display a wider survey of life in its masses than the execution does of a knowledge in its

particulars. They mostly relate to some of the leading weaknesses or follies of the day. We will go to the fun rather than the philosophy for a specimen. The following is from the story of Mr. Hawker, a small tradesman ; who having, unknown to his better half, borrowed ten pounds to assist his brother, has allowed the debt to run on to costs and execution.

"Ile did wait, and in due time let judgment go by default. He was no longer a free member of society ; his liberty was at the mercy of the sheriff of the county! In these circumstances, another man would have chosen the least of the two evils—he would have preferred telling his wife to going to prison. ' Tis true that in momenta of extreme excitement several wild schemes entered his head. He had thought of robbing the till, and even of running the country; but to give himself up to eternal domestic discord by divulging his secret, was too dreadful to be contemplated.

"Exasperated at John Hawker's obstinate silence, Staple pursued him with the utmost rigour of the law; and one morning, while the devoted chapman was

mechanically checking off an invoice in the parlour, a rough-looking man entered the shop. "Luckily, a customer was engaging Mrs. Hawker's attention, and oh the Stranger inquiring for her husband she desired him to 'step in.' The moment the parlour-door was opened, and John's eyes fell on the white coat and belcher neckerchief; he saw it was all over with him. He first shut the door and then the ledger, took off one of his short sleeves, and looked for his hat.

" 'I suppose I must go with you?' he remarked, in a tone of resignation that Would have done honour to a martyr.

" ' Oh no,' answered the man, pulling out a very dirty pocket-book; 'you labour Slider a mistake: this writ'—and he exhibited a long slip of parchment= this

Writ is not a capias. I have not come to take your body; weedy want the goods —that's AIL'

" The what?' asked John aghast ; the goods—the furniture?'

" Of course; and stock in trade too—at least so much of them as will cover the debt and costs.' "John thought of the sofa, the carpet, and the other elegancies of the up-stairs Mom, in which his 'good lady' took such pride, and felt that he would much rather have gone to prison at once. His old terrors came over him as he contem- Plated the precipice that was about to fall on him. Here was a crisis! An exe- cution was in the house!

Before and After. In two volumes. Published by Newby.

" Mercy on me!' he exclaimed, clasping his bands; now my wife must know of it!' " 'Not by no means,' said the sheriff's man, as he took off his greatcoat, and at in a chair to make himself perfectly at home; 'at all events not just yet; for I daresay it would distress her, poor tin " 'But how can it be avoided, my g... man? ' asked poor John, grasping the stranger's shoulder with unnatural energy. " • Why, this way. You see this here is a writ offteri facias, and—'

" Fiery what ? ' interrupted the frantic debtor. 'Good God, you don't mean to burn us out ? '

" The myrmidon grinned at this instance of legal innocence and went on to say. No, no. This here being aft. fa., and not a ca. in., you can keep me here, if you like, nine days; which will give you time to look about you, and get the money together.' " Something may turn up, to be sure,' said Hawker thoughtfully. ' But you will have to live and sleep here; I can't keep that from my wife.' " Nothing more easy. Can't I pretend to be a cousin of yours just come home from sea ? '

" But I have no cousin at sea.'

" Then we must try something else. Men in possession, as they call us, are obliged to turn themselves into anything to accommodate parties. In great peo- ple's houses 1 get into livery. In poor houses I pretend to be a single-man lodger, who boards with the family. But there's nothing like the consin-come-from-sea dodge, lean tell you. Make haste,' he added, 'and think of something; your wife's a-coming 1 Have you no relations abroad ? '

"At this opportune question the cause of all his misfortune darted into his mind, and John had just enough sense left to say, 'Yes, my brother; he emi- grated a month or two ago.' "The man replied, Very well; leave the rest to me,' just in time; for the words were scarcely uttered before Mrs. Hawker entered the parlour.

"The ingenious man in possession' exercised his tongue and his imagination so successfully, that he fairly deceived the not-easily-taken-in Mrs. Hawker. He said he had been sent by John's brother's wife, to give an account of their em- barkation, and to say they were quite well; adding, that he was very glad to ac- cept the kind invitation which Mr. Hawker had given him to stay a day or two, to await the arrival of some money he expected from London.

"The lady frowned upon her husband one of those annihilating looks which generally made John tremble.

"The guest, however—who boasted, and not untruly, that he had seena deal of life—made himself during the rest of the day so agreeable to his hostess by a little adroit flattery, that after supper she produced the gold-coloured sherry, and caused a bed to be made for him on the new sofa in the beat room."