Sunday Echoes in Weekday Hours : a Tale Illustrative of
the Eccample of Christ. By Mrs. Carey Brock. (Seeleys.)—This is one of a series of tales, no doubt all of them, like this one, excellent in their teaching. Still, we fool inclined to point out to the writers what we earnestly believe to be "a more excellent way." Does it not give young people a false idea of life when, as in this instance, the good, right-minded pupil, and her still nobler governess, are both rewarded by a happy marriage, the one to the usual perfect young clergyman, the other, to the uncle of her pupil ? This last episode adds greatly to the interest of the tale, we must confess, for it gave us almost a nervous anxiety lost the authoress should not think it advisable for the exquisitely-refined uncle to see how like his own noble nature was that of the poor young French lady ; bat he does see it in the tale, and values her aright. Weald he have clone so: really ? Would not social prudence have prevailed P Would he not have allowed "I dare not" to wait upon "I would ?" Then, even if the events were true to life, is it not a falsity to make people preach the truth so much ? Do oven the best of people ever speak their best thoughts and feelings ? Can they P Do not these things, like the granite rocks, underlie all less weighty matters, and only show their peaks here and there on great occasions, so that when they do come to the surface, the moral and spiritual effect is as grand to the soul as the peak in sunlight to the eye ? No piety will stand the ex- perience of life, which cannot risk all for God and goodness,—and we fear that tone of mind will not be promoted by looking for earthly rewards, be they ever so noble and refined.
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