MISS TALLANT'S PROSE AND POETRY.

HERE are two bold attempts, in the compass of two volumes—a novel, and a drama. As the order of the printer's arrangement coincides with the order of merit, we will take the productions as We find them; and first of Octavia Elphinstone.

This "Manx Story" is a clever piece of' moral anatomy. The case is not, indeed, general; and the circumstances which effect a cure are rare in the extreme. The knowledge of the demonstrator, moreover, is neither very profound nor very extensive. There is, however, so much neatness in the dissection, such a thorough knowledge of the peculiar case, and such a charm in the mode or tracing its progress and its cure, that we can safely recommend Octavia Elphinstone to those readers who can do without the sti- mulants of a romance, and have patience to follow the minute exhibition of a wayward charmer from infancy to marriage. The story of Octavia Elphinstone is the life of a spoiled child. She has beauty of person, grace of manner, quickness of intellect, much wit, and much wealth; but with all these advantages, she is never happy, for she has never been trained to seltcontrol. Her passions—if such a word may be applied to the whims and humours of a headstrong girl—constantly urge her to do things which at school bring with them self-humiliation and repentance, and in life involve her in difficulties. IIer thoughtlessness fre- quently commits her : an unchecked imagination induces ideal hopes, and ideal fears, which sometimes (to alter a simile of BA- CON'S) strain the pegs of existence too high, and sometimes let them down too low : her wilfulness, and be it said, her sAftsliness, all_ but make shipwreck of her own happiness and of that of others. She is, however, saved by love. A Mr. Heneage—whose spirit,. calm good sense, and sufficiency for all occasions, require a wider field than a drawing-room to display themselves in, and whose merits we are consequently- required to take somewhat upon trust

—is the chosen instrument of salvation. The hero and lover is, however, marvellously assisted by a tumble. Octavia, whilst avoiding a Sir Henry Howard, with whom she had thoughtlessly got entangled, accidentally falls down a precipice, anti remains exposed upon a sort of ledge for three days. She is discovered and saved by Mr. Heneage ; and the bride elect returns chilled, starved, subdued, and sobered. As a proof of it, she puts herself under a probationary training for goodness, before she will con- sent to be married. Perhaps there was a touch of the old leaven even in this—a sort of sinning even in repentance. The post- ponement was merely to please and benefit herself: but Mr. Heneage was a philosopher, and bore it patiently.

The cause of Octavia's being spoilt is told at starting. The substance might perhaps be abridged, but the form would be altered and the circumstances would evaporate; so Miss TALLANT shall speak for herself, motto and all.

TI1E PET.

I'll have a doll of porphyry, with diamonds in her curls ; A rockinghorse of ivory,':: skipping.rope or pearls; I'll have is painted paperkite. with baukr.'s notes for wings, A golden fiddle to play at night, with silver wire for strings.

Octavia Elphinstone was a spoiled child, who was left in her infincy by her father, an officer in the Army, to the case of Mrs. Manners, " the principal " of " an establishment for young ladies" at Twickenham. Octavia was at first the plaything, then the ornament, and always the favourite of the school. She was gifted with alively, fearless disposition ; lis her actual infancy she had been in- dulged in every clisineeful caprice. Seven sweet children had been cansigned to early rest by Mrs. Elichinstoue, from whom they inherited delicacy of constitution : hope, however, whispered that in this child, to whom she gave a name at once Ro- man and romantic, she should be rewarded for her previous trials : but are the leaves of intelligence had opened in her bud of promise, Mrs. Elphiristone was her- self suddenly removed from the world. It was partly on that account, and partly because he knew that he should soon be bereft of her infant smiles, that Major El- phinstone weakly, but naturally (is not all weakness iiature ?), could not bear her to suffer the slightest contradiction. Ile quitted England, and took especial care to impress on NIrs. Manners's mind, his anxiety that Octavia might not be thwarted in any thing. " She will be left," said he, " alone, with beat eely a relation near her at school, with no advantage but genii; ; therefore I must beg that the only approach to happiness which is open to her may never be denied to her wishes.' Mrs. Manners did not think the Major's arguments sound ; but the pupil came on terms too advantageous for her to venture to baudy words on the subject. Octavia did not clearly understand that her papa Wilb going away fir good ; Ile told her he was going in a boat over the seas.

" Yes, on the lake," said she.

" No' my darling, a long way off." " As far as heaven, where mamma is ? " asked the child.

The father's feelings were subdued ; he kissesi her tenderly, and in few and broken words recommended his only child to Mrs. Manners. Octavia accompanied a teacher into the chessing-room to have her clothes un- packed; it was soon crowded with curious little folks, eager to see the contents of the numerous trunks ; their treble voices were loud in praise of " lovely frocks," and " sweet hats," and " elegant shoes." The child had so long been used to elegant and cestly clothes, that she cared little about them. During the ceremony of unpacking, she knelt down on the dour stud amused hens& with spinning one of the three sovereigns which papa had given her—these were new to her ; a little eisl came and wished to spin one of the two Oetavia•had laid aside; the pet, however, did not choose to allow liar; she fixed her little arm upon them, and forcibly held them covered. The scuffle called the attention of the teacher, who was of opinion that they must be given up to her care, " for fear Miss Elphinstone should put them into her mouth." These words sug- gested an idea which would probably never have entered the Child's head : quick as thought they we in her mouth, and choking, as much from passion as from the sovereigns, she sputtered out, " I am to do as I like—papa said so, and I always have done so, and I always will."

" Mercy on us," cried the teacher, " what a spirit, and she is only four years old!"

The career of the heroine is of course minutely traced at Mrs. Manners' "establishment." The whole of "Life at the Boarding School" seems done to the life; • but, for the novel-reading interest of the work, perhaps rather long-drawn out. This was indeed indispensable in developing the character of Octavia ; but truth itself cannot impart any spirit-stirring effect to show-nights and school-girl schemes and conversation. Passing, therefore, the "bread and butter- part of the volume, proceed we to the Isle of Man. Here Major Elphinstone had settled, and here he takes his daughter on her quitting school. There is some want of skill displayed, in not bringing more distinctly before us the scenery of the island, or, as a geographer would say, its physical aspect: for when excursions are talked of, we cannot follow them in fancy; nor, in the most romantic adventure in the tale—the fall front the rocks —can we very clearly conceive how it takes place. The united society which congeegates in spots where every day iii as Sunday to a cre- ditor, is slightly—barely—salluded to. There are, however, some spirited sketches of the aristocratic portion of the Manxmen ; and the bearing and manners of all the characters is throughout that of good society, hut not sufficiently marked to be in general striking. As a specimen of the author's powers on this ground, we will take part of an account of a fancy-hall at Castle Mona. It will be guessed, from the names of some of the actors, that it has a connexion with the story. - The Dutchess of Athol received her guests in the saloon ; and there I was in- troduced to her. She was in full court-dress, and welcomed Octavia with particular attentioo, complimented us on our dressee, and passed us to Major .s.lphiestone, who was standing near her Grace, waiting to convoy us to the ball-room. At the door, we were met by the Duke, and Lord Henry Murray. His Grace, as " a Scotch Laird," rubbed his hands joyously to see so many bonnie lassies," and gaily touched Elphine's cheek to see if she were rouged. Ills graver brother whispered something in her ear, which called up a brighter blush : but quickly recovering herself, she gracefully presented her basket, and made her speech to his Grace, requesting him to handsel her bilberries. The Duke was enraptured ; her dress, her fruit, her appearance, but, above all, her Manx, charmed him. He snatched her hand, and leading her into the middle of the room, " A ball, a ball," he cried, " whir's fur a reel ? A reel my bonnie lads and lasses, what say ye ?"

In my life I never saw so charming a picture. Imagine along gallery crowded with people, dressed in the most picturesque style, as if vieing with the still quainter dresses of the figures which covered the wails. The Duke, a lively mortal, with just sufficient youth in his looks to contradict his fatherly dress and manners, drew the lovely Elphine, sadly loth, into the most conspicuous part of the room, her bilberry basket hanging from her arm ; while, from the suddenness of the :movement, her shanty hat (as Captain Heneage called it) had dropped from her head, and lay on the floor. The very hat was a necessary object in the group ; exactly so would I wish to have Elphine portrayed—her head turned back, looking childishly anxious for the pretty grey hat. I had seen Mr. Heneage the moment I entered the room through a vista of the clustering heads; be was standing, nearly opposite to the door, beside an old lady in a hoop and fulbelows. He was one of the first to clap his hands at the Poke's merry action, and flew forward to snatch the hat : Sir Henry 'Toward did the same ; but Mr. Heneage, by dexterously sliding towards the prize, seized it, and offered it to Miss Elphinstone. She took it; and, without speaking, presented her bilberries. Her timid glance was a tacit entreaty fox forgiveness —and as such he seemed to interpret it ; and, without a word on either side, both appeared to feel that all was forgotten.

The ball was opened by a reel of four ; the Duke and Miss Elphinstone, Sir Henry Howard and Miss Murray. During the dance, Mr. Heneage renewed his acquaintance with me ; and requested leave to introduce his friend Mrs. hlargery Brackenbury to me and immediately led me to the ancient dame with whom I had first observed Lim. She was standing at the top of the room, fanning herself with an enormous fan of peacock's feathers. I was struck, as I approached her, by her very starched appearance. " How old is she?" whispered my companion. a Sixty," returned I; though the bright black eye contradicted my guess. " She calls herself sweet twenty-two, said he ; " but we know better." She was a woman rather above the common height ; of an amazingly stiff figure, which she held as erect as possible. She stood : her arms held a re- spectful space from her stiff pompadour gown, which also seemed in fear ; for it stood at an awful distance from her figure. She wore high-heeled shoes, too, which cans, d her to lean a little forward ; and the grotesque of this position was bac] e !sed by her regular motion of fanning. For worlds could not I have checked a laugh. Oh ! she was by far the most bizarre creature in the room : her mouth, drawn down into the most formal puckerings, was constantly mov- ing nervously, as if to prevent all indecorous smiles ; her rouged face was marked with the lines of age; she wore a lofty head-dress a Ponape, but what astonished toe most was a large modern shawl, which was thrown over her arm ; and which, being neither new nor handsome, seemed quite out of place with her dress.

When Mr. Heneage had with the utmost gravity pronounced the words, "Mrs. Margery Brackenbury—Miss Fane," I fancied the name had certainly been familiar to me before ; but I had not time to recollect, for the old lady promptly opened the conversation by a splenetic comparison between the enter- tainments of the present day and those when she was a girl, Mr. Heneage seem- ing to take a mischievous pleasure in drawing her into an argument. "Why, any good lady, you surely do not maintain that you had any meetings to compare with this! Look at this delightful mass of happy faces, all speaking counte-; nances, saying in most eloquent English 'I mean to be happy the livelong night,, and I advise you to be the same."

" I only see," said Mrs. Margery, "a crowd of people who seem to think of nothing but elbowing each other for the best places : all is vulgar haste, and selfishness, and art ; not an atom of ease is there in this immense room. Look first at the group now dancing ; how excessively out of character they are ! a peer, who would shine in a drawing-room, is making himself ridiculous by dancing a Scotch reel with a country .girl, who is, however, the only one that has exhibited a shadow of nature to night, so I will be merciful to her, and merely say the poor creature looks sadly out of place, and appears as if she would

be thankful when that never-ending, still-beginning reel is over. What think you, Madam ?" continued she, addressing a lady in a Dalmatian dress, who now approached, leaning on the Knave of Hearts. " Oh! ma belle mere, let me introduce you to Miss Fane, an old playfellow of mine," cried Captain Heneage, for it was that worthy who had chosen this ludicrous character.

"Ma belle mere!" I wondered which was to prove the mother, the Dalma- tian or L'Antique. Brooke guessed my perplexity; and taking the hand of the former, said, 4‘ This lady is our mother : to Mrs. Margery we claim but very distant rela- tionship—eh, Charles?" "Not so very distant," replied the Captain; " Mrs. Margery and I were amusing ourselves en voyage, by tracing it, and we made out we were second cousins. I remember it perfectly, because she said it was just near enough to make marriage a sin, and therefore desirable."

The old maid vehemently disclaimed. "'Well then, you thought so, and I said so "persisted the rattlepate.

Mrs. Margery fanned herself violently, mad turned away with Mrs. Heneage, descanting on the degenerate morale and manners of the age ; not, however, till she had shot some most severe glances at Captain Heneage. He flew after her, to make his peace, and Brooke exclaimed. " Bless the merry Duke, bow happy he seems! do, Miss Fane, take pity on an envious mortal, who longs to join that dancine set—come." Just,' however, as he spoke, the reel ended, and his Grace brought Octavio, almost breathless:, to rest herself.

"Here, you beaux, I leave you to quarrel for my charming Manx lassie. Make thou all talk Manx, my dear ! do not believe one of their conipli- meats, unless it is in real Manx. Well, good-bye : dance ! I have set you an excellent example. You can none of you beat me at the Highlaud fling. Miss Elphinstone would not try ; se else her dress is just the thing ! wha'S-tbia?' 0 Captain! what are trumpe?".

Octavier has been shown in childhood; we should like to let her appear in young womanhood; but those passages which are brief enough for our columns, are not sufficiently clear or forcible without the context. The reader, who is pleased with what he has seen, must have recourse to the original.

Lois, a, Drama, Need not detain us long. The immense distanee in point of literary character between a tale descriptive of common life, and a drama, was never more distinctly marked than by these two pro. ductions. There is, indeed, a want of body in Octavia Elphinstone; the characters have not much vigour or strength of marking; there is an absence of incident in the story, and though its con- duct (with the exception perhaps of the tumble) cannot be called improbable, yet, with the consistency, it has the commonplace character of everyday life : but still, the Manx Story has much merit, and may claim a high rank for elegance and sprightliness; whilst Lois, as a drama, is beneath criticism. Its plot we cannot clearly comprehend; unity of action, or indeed action of any kind, it has not; and the only incident of the piece is the burning of a nobleman's mansion, when he is giving a masked ball. Whether Miss TALLANT will hereafter take a foremost rank in novel 'writing —where an artful involution of plot, an exhibition of humours and manners, or a striking portraiture of various individual characters, are singly or in conjunction necessary to suecess—may be a ques- tion ; but there can be no doubt that she is unfitted for dramatic poetry.