The Deceased Wife's Sister, and My Beautiful Neighbour•. 3 vols.
(Bentley.)—An exceedingly unattractive title almost prevented us from reading this book. It is only fair to say that we are agreeably dis- appointed by its contents. The subject is not agreeable, nor can we allow the excuse which the narrator of the story makes for herself. Her sister's husband declares his love with a haste that is most in- decent. She cannot help feeling that it is so, and yet she is not repelled by it. And why not? The heart is so mysterious, is her reply ; love is so mighty. "You know there is no enigma more insoluble than love, unless it be the existence of God, who is love Himself." Perhaps it is natural to represent a woman who can write such stuff as this as being capable of any folly. Still, the story is not unskilfully nor disagreeably treated. We dreaded a tale with a purpose, the purpose of either advising or dissuading a certain kind of marriage. Our author's purpose is certainly to dissuade, but it is suggested with a certain tact, and we are spared anything like controversy. Tho story is well written, the characters drawn with some power, though Major Rivers is not very intelligible. How came be to be such a rascal ? Was he weak, or was he villain in heart ? The second story, My Beautiful Neighbour, is a melancholy tale, without much in it to counteract the disagreeable effect which it produces on the reader.
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