MISS JEWSWURY'S MARIAN WITHERS. * LIFE, for purposes of the novelist's

art, Miss Jewsbury appears to re- gard as stereotyped in two leading forms. There is a woman of ill-re- elated passions, and deficient principles or no principle, the victim of circumstances or " society " • as a pendent, there is a libertine, in the writer's opinion "irresistible," but in the notion of any but his parent a conceited, forward, vulgar-mannered fellow, a combination of the minor theatre Don Juan and the genus " gent " ; and the • Marian Withers. By Geraldine E. Jewsbury, Author of "Zoe," "The Half Sisters," &c. In three volumes. Published by Colbum and Co. love, orwhatever-elseitmaybecalled; bettveen these two reputable- representatives of humanity; forms the conspicuous feature of the story. In Zoe, the name- of Mirabeau lent &sort of elevation lo the illegitimate intrigue ; in the Half Sisters, Mr. Conrad .Percy had• position and something manners ; . in Marian Withers, we reach the dregs of the " idea." There is little of the minute and 'ela- borate delineation ofeharacterwhich distinguished the former works. The hero who heartlessly Tuts or-profligately intrigues with three successive ladies; is rather a vulgar kind'of Don Giovanni—a gal- lant who would hardly pass muster out of'Manchester.; in the neigh- bourhood of which borough part' of the scene is laid, and 'where Yr. Albert Gordon holds a situation as clerk to a rich re- lation: The- married women, with whose and Mk. Albert's passions a full third of the book is occnpied, are, a lady of title, the wife of an officer, and.aereole lady of fashion and posi- tion; but as Albert, bating the metaphysical kind, of talk the author puts-into him, is rather too precise a sample of the " tip-top gent;" so the ladies are toe -vague. They are inventions rather than imitations in they critical sense of the word. They want manners. They seem drawn from the author's idea. of fashionable women, rather than from the women themselves.

There is some philosophy in this part, and Miss Jewebury in- tends that there should be a good deal more than there is. The defect lies in want of knowledge—knowledge of the world and of the people from whom she draws her dramatis persona;. Albert is a blackguard in his morals anda dandy shepman. in his manners, who could only impose upon a mere miss or a milliner's appren- tice, perhaps hardly impose upon them, though they might admire his melodramatic stylishness. The philosophical intent (insuffi- ciently developed) is the evil otennui—or an objectless existence, which is made the remote cause of Lady Wollaston's taking up with Albert. Another- purpose, also insufficiently developed though clearly, stated, is the alleged false or artificial position of - women ; a standing topic with Miss Jewsbn7. The following is a dialogue on the subject, between Lady. Wollaston and her cousin Mr. Cunningham, introduced by a -reference to a money-match about to take place. The lady speaks. " ' Mrs.. Arl is not a good. companion for any girl ; she has sacrificed poor Hilda's happiness for life ; that girl has been quite persuaded into that match. She is sure to be made miserable.'

" Poor Hilda, as you call her, is worse than miserable ; she is doing wickedly, and her sin will find her out. She is helping to degrade her own sex ; for she shows that she has no -belief in her own value—no perception of that purity which ought to be the instinct of her soul She will indeed go through a legal form, and so secure herself from the censure of society : but wherein does she differ (except that she makes a better bargain) from the wretched women- who, from their necessities, sell themselves for a piece of sifter and a morsel of bread ? Women have no stability in them- selves. They talk about purity, they talk-about delicacy and female virtue ; but what faith do they show in all these fine things ? How are men likely to consider these virtues as realities, and what reverence can they feel for women, who; having been kept• from the evil of the world, show so little faith in the reality of female worth that they are willing to sell themselves into decent'. bondage to any man,lowever profligate, who can give them a home, or gratify their vanity by .a fine establishment?' " Oh, you are wise, and bitter, and contemptuous,' cried, Lady Wollaston : `you-man are cruel, every one of you. Yoa crush ue.down with a morality which you yourselves will not lighten with one of your fingers ! Now, listen tome. If women knew what they were doing when they, as you say, sell themselves into bondage' to a man they do not care about, for the sake of a position. in life, they would not do it They commit an irrevocable deed before they know all it involves. They are taught that no well-regulated young woman ought-to think about love—that ilia an idle fancy, if not a rave impropriety ; and they are taught the necessity of- making a good match—it is about the only thing they hear treated as a reality. Those who have any good, right, womanly feeling in their nature, wake when it is too late to the knowledge of what they have bartered away. Believe me, that no man, with-the freedom and outgoing activity which is his birthright, can know or imagine what is endured a woman shut up within herself, with no outlet for her feelings;—nobody to whom she may, or indeed ought, to utter the thoughts that are perplexing her: Talk of despair ! none buts woman who has married rashly knows the force of the word. Love cannot be compelled by any amount of vows ; and to be condemned for lire tea man.she does not love—to feel the grinding and grating of the thousand trifles that such a close connexion entails—to know that if he goes out in the morning he must return at noon or-at night ; to feel the shortest absence as a blessing —a respite from the intolerable burden of his presence ; and to know that for all life it must be thus ! To feel all that she might have been ; to feel powers and faculties awakening within her; which might have made her life so rich in blessedness ; and to have all thrown back to die within her heart ; that is despair, if you like. Do not speak so cruelly—if women sin, be very sure that they expiate bitterly.' " Lady Wollaston's eyes flashed, and the tears rather- darted from them than flowed. She, ordinarily so calm, now seemed tossed and swayed as by an inward tempest. She searcelyknew what she said ; but the protest against her whole lifo was uttered by an impulse that she could not control. The passion had gathered from too deep a source to be soon allayed. She leaned her head upon the old sun-dial, and her large tears fell thick and heavily upon the ground. Mr. Cunningham, troubled and perplexed beyond mea- sure at this sudden vehemence did not attempt to check its course, but stood over her with the tenderest pity. After a few moments she raised her - head, and dryin away her tears, said more- calmly, " Why do you make me hate you ? I thought when you came back, I should find a friend in you_ as well as a relation. You have never been tried. You keep on the outside of things; and make wise observations, like a Greek chorus ; but whom have you ever helped by them ?'" There are other and better things in the book than what we have alluded-to: pictures of Lancashire manners in two genera- sions, sixty and thirty years ago ; sketches of the want of principle displayed by women in matrimony ; and some discussions on the respective rights of property and labour. In the career of the heroine, Marian Withers, more of general life is displayed. Her father is a manufacturer of the old class, who retains in prosperity the habits of his humbler origin ; a school friendship carries her into society not absolutely fashionable but fashionable for her and Lancashire ; Albert pays her attention, to slight her immedi- atery ; and the growth and cure of this girlish passion, as well as of the listlessness and neglect of ordinary duties arising from a yearning after manners and enjoyments above her- position, form a considerable part, of the- book : and the subjects- of the section more immediately connected with Marian are the most interesting. They are in some degree marred, however, by the introduction of the eternal .Albert; for although, as the story now stands, he is a necessary person, it might have been managed in some other waihe character of Mks. Arl, Albert's cousin—an ambitious -wo- man, who has married for position, but whose good and womanly nature even prosperity and tufthunting cannot entirely spoil—and her sister Hilda, whom she is persuading to marry a broken-down roué, for his family and property—are the most lifelike persons in the book, not even excepting the manufacturers. Their conversa- tions, too, if they give but a poor picture of the female character, seem the most truthful and naturaL This is the- first meeting of Hilda with her friend Marian, when she comes on a.visit to. Mrs. Arl's place. "Hilda bolted' he door of - her pretty little dressingroonn to prevent-in- trusion; and obliging Marian to he down upon the aettee-which was placed before the open casement, she seated herself upon a: cushion on the floor be- side her.

" When two young girls who are on confidential terms find- themselves to- gether after an absence, the ontflowings of their communications are not of the most coherent nature. "' Why, Hilda! how- came you never to tell me what a beautiful place you lived at ? How happy you must be ! '

" The place is well enough, especially to those who- see it for the first time ; but as for being happy, I don't-believe there ever was any one Mare miserable than I am .just now. I want-your-advice so much, for there is-not a soul here to whom I can speak, and I know I may trust you.'

" TO be sure you may, dear Hilda, and I will do. anything in the world to comfort you.' " Thank you, dear ; I have wished for you so often—you will tell me what to do.'

" About what ? '

"' Well, it is a great secret, and if Nancy knew L told you of it, I don't knowwhat she would say.'

" ' But I shall not tell her; so now whatia it ? '

" Well, you must know that there is a gentlemanwho lives inthis neigh- bourhood, a most disagreeable creature, but very rich; he is a first-rate match, and he lives in a beautiful place, which has belonged to his family forgenerations--a real family seat. Arl only rents this place; it does not really belong to him •, and I know the country-people laugh at Nancy for the pains.she takes to be thought one of them- Did you- aee how she ran away from luncheon? That was because a family called whose acquaintance she wants ; she has done everything to get intimate with them,, but they never i came near her till this morning ; and now I' will wager it is only to make herdo- something- for them. Now, if I were to marry. this Mr. Glynton, I should have a far higher standingAhan these people wash all their ans.'

'And this Mr. Glynton has made you an offer : what is he like ? ' asked Markin

" No: the offer has not come yet ; but I- cansee it coining. He will dine here today, and I cannot make up my mindwhat to do. He is, not so old as he-is iufirm. and trembling. He used to be.a great roue; but now he is in bad health, and has grown as precise and-proper as. possible; shocked to death- at the least thing. a girl does. I have made hinr.bolieve that I am the most unsophisticated. natural little creature iir the.world ; and Lalwaya wear a white muslin dress, with a single moss-rose amino ornaments, at all, when he is to be here, because he likes all.sorts of pretty-shepherdess fashions ; and I once told. him, when we were talking of books, that I admired Mrs. Hannah More's Search after Happiness,' although it was so old-fashioned, and I showed him the copy which I got as a prize at school. He insisted upon borrowing it, and actually took-it away- with him. I guess he would not find me so amusing as he does if I.read nothing better than that. But I would not for the world let him know that ever I-read a line of Byron, or bad looked into any French novel in my life, except Telemachus.' I ac- tually gave him a dissertation upon it one day. I know it is. Arl who has put it into his head to want to marry me, and tothink it would be a good move for him.

" But if you dislike him, why do you try to:please him ?' asked Marian.

" Oh, one is led on. When I'found that I could make him believe any- thing I chose, I could not help- trying ; besides, it is no disgrace to a girl to have- a man of his importance doing the civil to her. Arl and Nancy are always preaching to .me that I must make- a. good match. Nancy is always saying that love-fancies pass away, whilst good. standing in society, and marrying into a good family, are advantages that last for life. I always be- lieved it ; but it is much more disagreeable to marry a man OW detests than I thought it would be whilst I was not certain I should have the offer. I know that he has spoken to- Arl about me, and I know that he is coming hens today to commit himself to me. Nancy was lecturing me this morning how I teas to- behave, and what I was to say.; and she was quite cross with me when I said I did not like him, and that if he ever handed me a cup of tea I could not bear to drink it, because he had touched the saucer ; and once, at breakfast, he- cut a slice of bread from the loaf, and I had such a diagust I could not eat it, butmade an excuse to take something else. Nancy under- stands nothing of that kind ; she only scolded me, and said that I had given him so much encouragement, that it would-be an insult to him and a.dis- grace to myself if I were to refuse him after all' " ' Well, but what is it that I can do for you ?' said Marian. "I'really do not know- what you or any one else can do for me,' replied Hilda; but it is a great comfort to talk to you; and you can sympathize with me, for you can understand me, and will not think UN very wicked.'

" Bat if you dislike him so much, I don't think you to marry him. You will have to live with him for life, and.that is. a long time to look for- wards.'

" So it is ' • but if I were to refuse him there are a dozen girls who would jump such an offer-; and I should net like to see any-of them put over my " A tap at the door, followed by an attempt to enter, was heard at this moment.

" That is Nancy' said Hilda, in a whisper, as she roes to untiolt.the door. Do not let her suspect that I have told you anything. Perbsppalte will tell you herself.' "