NEW NOVELS..
-The World's Furniture comprises, in the novel before us, the .material goods and chattels, and also the station and considera- tion, which an abundance of these things gives to civilized Euro- pean man. The book is decidedly clever, sensible, and true to the nature which it paints—i. e., English upper and middle class nature in this middle of the nineteenth century. The style is correct; flowing, colloquial, and yet has that literary restraint which helps to make a style really easy to cultivated. readers. The tale does not attempt too much, and it does what it attempts. It interests us in the lives, characters, and chances of the Chi- chester family and their immediate belongings. Mr. Chichester is a clergyman, who marries the daughter of a rich baronet, who • loves him heartily. He leaves her a poor widow' with three small children. Her brother (now the baronet) has akind wife; he is himself cold and indifferent to his poor relation.
Mrs. Chichester accepts the offer of her sister-in-law to_edueate her little girl; and the fortunes of Hilda and her two brothers form the staple of the story, which is interesting, though not at all startling or exciting. There is a tone of lively good sense in this book, which will make it acceptable to persons past their premiere jeunesse. The liveliness is quite unalloyed with either genuine or sham cynicism which is the fashion in novels just
• now. As a specimen of the common, but not commonplace, truths of everyday life, lightly touched by the present author, we give
the following-
" Mrs. Chichester, tell me if you would not prefer some tea to anything else ; I know ladies are generally great tea drinkers.'
"''should,' said Mrs. Chichester, but really it seems troubling you so, such a host of us, andl have no doubt we should manage to get something at our lodgings if you will let us go.' " Indeed I will not,' said Mr. Western, and ringing the bell, Mrs. Jones in her black dress and white apron appeared as if by magic. Mrs. Jones,' began Mr. Western in rather a humble tone, will you be so kind as to get tea ready in the dining-room, and anything cold you may have, and if you
=to have a good fire—' Mr. Western seemed to get more and more le. What cowards men are with women and especially a bachelor with his housekeeper ; if he pat her out a little, it is so easy for her to put him out a little it is so easy for her to put him out a great deal, he does not know how to little, fault, he dare not, and she knows it. They are worse than wives, for a man can bully his wife, but he dare not his housekeeper. I dareaay Mr. Western will suffer for his entertaining a gentleman and lady and two children without permission.
"Sir William had not found time to see his sister before leaving. She felt this slight very much, though she ought to have known him well enough by this, not to have expected him to have put himself out of the way for her ; and yet, I think, if his sister had been a Duchess or even a Coun- tess, and had lived at Hammersmith, instead of Kensington, he might have managed to have driven over. It is astonishing how great people succeed in making others even lengthen time to suit them if necessary,. whilst poverty seems to have the misfortune of withering it up. There is an old saying that 'Time was made for slaves ; ' it seems to me it is made for the rich and influential; at all events, they make use of other people's as well as their own, as if it were. It is alike in everything as well as time. The poor must cringe to the rich, and the rich will always trample on the poor, and make them feel theta great gulf lies between them."
Angelo Sanniartino. A pretty story, and vraisemblable enough for the effect desired to be produced by the author, which is to awaken in the minds of ordinary. English novel-readers a lively feeling for the cause of Italian independence. Angelo Sanmartino is the son of a Milanese gentleman of family and fortune, and the daughter of a Hampshire gentleman. No- thing can be in better taste than the humour of the opening chapteis in which the ladies and gentlemen of the neighbourhood pity "fiat poor thing," Lucy Morestead, and deplore herS strange marriage with a foreigner. No "friend of Italy" has ever re- presented so well the general state .of mind of the English country gentry at the present time as regards foreign politics—and, above all, the marriage of one of their class with a foreigner,—of course, public opinion at Lyndhurst is a little modified when "Lucy Morestead, that was," comes on a visit to the priory -with her husband some time after her marriage. Signor Sanmartino is found by the men to be well up in most English questions of the day—he is a good rider, a good shot, and is quite as gentlemanly, according to English notions, as any one of themselves, though lie has the misfortune to be an Italian. The young ladies who see that he is handsome and clever, believe in their hearts that Lucy 'Morestead is not so much to be pitied for her marriage, and that they would find her lot bearable. Lucy and her husband both die soon after '48, and their son is placed with his guardian and uncle, Mr. Morestead. He is sent to Winchester with his cousin, and does well there. Of course, he has to endure the popular 1 • The Furniture. Three vellums. Published by Skeet. Angelo Sanniartino. A Tale of Lombardy in 11159. Published by lidationstone and Douglas, boys' contempt for foreigners, and he fights several times in de- fence of his country. Before he is of age, he goes to the Crimea as a volunteer in the Sardinian army. When the war is over, he is sent for to England by his uncle, who obtains for him a situa- tion as private secretary to a Tory nobleman, a minister expectant. Angelo-gains golden opinions from all. He falls in love with a rich English girl, Flora Alton. He is anxious to be married at once ; but, fortunately, her father will not allow it, as by marry- ing before she is of age, Flora will forfeit her godmother's legacy. Before she is of age, the late Italian war breaks out. Angelo believes in Louis Napoleon's good faith for Italy, and is shocked at the common English notion that he had any motive but the welfare of Italy in taking arms with Sardinia against Austria. Mr. Alton thinks it would be very foolish for Flora to marry anything so un-English as an Italian patriot. Angelo will not give up Ins country, and his obedient mistress gives him up. Angelo- goes 'to Italy, and goes through the campaign with honour. We are in- troduced to the military heroes of the time; conspicuous among them is Garibaldi. Angelo falls in love a second time, and more successfully ; his wife is - an Italian lady, an enthusiast for -the noble cause of Italian independence. The book closes-with higher hopes for Italy. Angelo and his wife are awaiting them. 'We fully concur in the sentiments thus expressed by their cosmo- politan English friend, Mr. Brooks. "The world may well be grateful to a land that has thus raised the moral standard of humanity. Envy not those countries, more fortunate but less blessed, where long secure prosperity has 'nursed inordinate self- love and self-admiration, too often inducing blind indiffbrence, or contempt of every other land. Envy them not, I say; but stand firm through good and ill report, thankful to Heaven for the high privilege granted to the sous of Italy of striving by ennobling ex- ertion and self-sacrifice for an exalted end."
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