Olivia's Summer. By Mary E. Mann. (Methuen and CO. CS.)
—This is a genuine tragedy—whether in place or not is another matter—but certainly genuine. Everything arises in a quite natural way. That Robert's distant adoration of the admirable Olivia should change, as ho rose in the world, into a feeling with more practical bearings ; that she, against her better judgment, should give way to its overmastering strength, is according to nature. And according to nature also are the results. Olivia's own class looks down upon her, for Robert is lowly born, and not even legitimate ; her husband's class does not appreciate her: Mrs. Mann spares us nothing. Robert is a thoroughly honest, good fellow, besides having great ability ; but he has something of the manners of his class, and these offend his wife at a very tender point. Then comes the catastrophe. It removes, we may say, the wife from a hopeless situation ; to the husband it is a blind stroke of fate; but then fate often is, or seems, blind. Altogether, this is a powerful story. Is it necessary for the development of Mrs. Mann's plots that sho should make her clergymen fools ? She has a good precedent, it is true ; Miss Austen had that habit.
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