CHERRY AND VIOLET. * LIKE the previous tales of this writer,
Cherry and Violet exhibits considerable knowledge of the times which are supposed to be de- scribed by the pen of a contemporary, as well as dramatic dexterity in sustaining the autobiographical character assumed. Possibly there is an improvement in both these respects, though with a little affectation of simplicity. The attraction of the story is not so great as in the former tales ; because the reader has no histori- cal association with the persons, as in the case of Milton and his wife, or Palissy the Potter ; while the persons are not of the class which inspire the greatest interest in fiction. Although the Great Plague is the principal incident of the story, the story itself begins with the peaceful times of Charles the First, when love-locks were, the reigning fashion, and the hair is made somewhat prominent, for the sufficient reason that Cherry's father is a hairdresser, who keeps a shop on London Bridge. Mr. Cherry's business therefore serves as a political barometer; passing from plenty with long hair, to reduced receipts with Roundheads, dropping almost to zero in periods of great trouble, and reviving with the Restoration. A. conspicuous person in the piece is Cherry's cousin Mark; for whom she entertains a girlish attach- ment, but the smart young apprentice barber-surgeon is attached to her friend Violet. Till the plague breaks out, the matter of the story is domestic ; the chief occurrences being the death of Cherry's mother, and the friendship of their lodger the Reverend Mr. Blower, a churchman under ban. To this divine Cherry is finally married, in the meridian of life; having nursed him during the Great Plague, when a tarn in the political wheel had made him Rector of Whitechapel.
The theme is well varied by minute incidents and change of scene. Mark, to escape the plague, and his rich old wife, whom he had married in a pique at Violet's coquetry, flies into the country, while Cherry goes down to her future brother-in-law's house before the marriage. The humble nature of the life, and the profession of two of the principal dramatis persona, are relieved by oldfashioned simplicity of manners, and a certain homely refinement. The plague is the main feature of the book. By it Cherry gains a husband, but loses her father. Old Mr. Cherry goes out, and never returns; the actual fate of some during that
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trous period, when men fell down suddenly stricken, and were carried off in the dead-cart. The following is a scene from Cherry's adventures in search of her father.
" I darted through the toll-gate, the moment it was clear, and made for Cheapside. Oh ! how awful the change during a few weeks ! Not a crea- ture stirring, where lately all had been alive. At the turn of a lane, I met a man wheeling a dead person in a hand-barrow, and turning his own head aside. Houses were deserted or ailent, marked with the fatal red cross. Within one, I heard much wailing and sobbing. At length I reached Mark's house. 'Twas all shut up, and a watchman sat smoking on the door-step. He said, • Cherry and violet: a Tale of the Great Plague. By the Author of " Mary Powell." Published by Hall and Virtue. Young woman, what do you want ?' I said, ' I want to speak to Mark Blenkinsop.' . . . . He said, Nobody must go out or in ; the house is under visitation. My heart sank when I remembered Mark's Iorebodings of him. self ; and I said, ' Is he dead ?" I know not whether he be dead, or no,' re. plied the watchman ; a maid-servant was put into the cart the night before last, and a 'prentice the night before that. Since then they've kept mighty quiet, and asked for nothing, though I've rung the house-bell two or three times. But the night-watch told me that a woman put her head out of win- dow during the night, and called out, Oh ! death, death, death !' three several times.'
" I said, Ring the bell again
"He did so, and pulled it so violently this time that the wire broke. We gave each other a blank look.
" ' See !' said there's a window open on the second story.' " "Tis where the woman put out her head and screeched, during the night,' said he. " ' Could not you get a ladder,' said and look in ?'
" ' Well,' said he, will, if you will stay here and see that no one comes out while I'm gone.'
" So I said I would : but I should have been a sorry guard had any one in- deed rushed forth, so weak was I and trembling. I thought of Mark lying within, perhaps stiff and cold.
" Presently the watchman returned with a ladder; but it was too short; so then he had to go for another. This time he was much longer gone, so that I was almost beside myself with waiting. All this time not a creature passed. At length a man came along the middle of the street, holding a red rod before him. He cried, What do you there ?' I said, We know not whether the family be dead or have deserted the house—a watchman has gone for a ladder to look through the open window.' He said, 'I will send some one to look to it,' and passed on.
"Then the watchman and another man appeared, carrying a long ladder between them. They set it against the window, and the watchman went up. When he hadlooked in, he cried out in a fearful voice, There's a woman in white, lying all along on the floor, seemingly dead, with a casket of jewels in her hand—shall I go in ?" Ay, do,' I exclaimed. The other man, hearing talk of jewels, cried, Here, come you down, if you be afraid, and I'll go in,' and gave the ladder a little shake ; which, however, only made the watch. man at once jump through the window. Then up came two men, saying, We are from my Lord Mayor, empowered to seal up any property that may be left, if the family indeed be dead.' So they went up the ladder too, and the other man had no mind to go now • and presently the watchman comes out of the house-door, looking very pale ; and says he, Besides the lady on the floor, with all her jewels about her, there's not a soul alive nor dead in the house ; the others must have escaped over the back-walls and out- houses.'
"Then my heart gave a great beat, for I concluded Mark had escaped, leaving his wife to die alone; and now all my thoughts returned to my father."
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