MAXWELL'S HILL-SIDE AND BORDER SKETCHES. THESE volumes of tales, sketches,
and travelling notes, are rather for reading than criticism. Short, various, animated, and sometimes very happy in touches of Irish character, they are just the thing for perusing by snatches at odd times, or when a person is in search of something to amuse him, which he can pass or drop as soon as the amusement flags or his humour changes. If the weather were a little finer, or the season more advanced, we should say that Hill-side and Border Sketches was the very thing for a watering-place. One might get through a tale or two while resting by the sea-shore, and then stroll again and read again, to the end of the volume. It will also serve a similar purpose on a wet day ; just the the thing for "between the showers."
In a critical view, the book is less commendable. The vivacity of manner and the happiness of its delineations of course remain ; the nar- rative flows on unbrokenly; and there is much cleverness in the inci- dents and the contrivance of scenes, with no lack of effect. Mr. Max- weirs experience in the military service and in field-sports has also ac- quainted him with various kinds of life and character, as well as with va- rious countries ; and he has all the knack of a practised hand in making up his materials. These qualities, in fact, give its readable character to the book ; but they fail in producing a true picture of life. The playhouse and the tale have been Maxwell's model for the exhibition of his matter; the fluent and flashy magazine-writer his example of style—if indeed he may not claim the credit of being one of the originators of this school, though now enveloped in a crowd of imitators. Be this as it may, the slapdash, free-and-easy style, with the obtrusion of the author in his ad- dresses to the reader about himself, and his likes and dislikes, have from frequent use and abuse become vulgarized. There is also too much of stage artifice in the management of his stories, with something of stage claptrap in his sentiment. It is "good-hearted" and "well-meant," but reminds one of Paul Whitehead's religious reverence, in his critical illus- tration of the effect produced upon him by Westminster Abbey compared with St. Paul's—"Dam'me, I'm all devotion."
The framework of Hill-side and Border Sketches is not very new, but a dramatic air is given to it by the opening incident. The author is bent upon an angling trip to the Tweed; but when he arrives at the
East-end of London he is placed in a dilemma; for the vessel has sailed.
"My destination was Berwick-upon-Tweed; the best point d'appui in Britain for an angler, and no mistake. The day of sailing of the steamer thither bound was duly announced; and I, having put my house in order, like a prudent tourist migrated Eastward over-night, to be within pistol-shot of my packet in the morn- ing. I reached my destination. and the leathern convenieney which carried Csesar and his saddle-bags '.pulfed up at an hotel opposite the docks. "'Where's yer honour goin'?' inquired a red-headed rascal, who, had he held. the gold stick in the court of Timbuctoo, I should have identified at sight as a. loving countryman.
"'To Berwick,' was the reply. " Ab, then,' responded red-head, yer honour's a trifle of time after the ship; for she sailed at eight o'clock this mornue:
" Impossible ! The hour of sailing is advertised for tomorrow in The Times: "'Peaks! and that same's likely enough'; and the scoundrel scratched hhi• head. But you see they're so very punctual, that they sail the day before they
say they will; to prevent disappointment, I suppose.' '
" ' Is that what you call punctuality?' I exclaimed, in a towering passion. 'My malison on you and punctuality both. What the Devil are you doing with my luggage?' " What am I doin'? Jist pattie ye up for the night, where yell sleep snug and comfortable.'
"'And why should I sleep here, you vagabond?'
" Arra!' I how say it is to know a gentleman from the ould country, by the plisant way they talk to one. Peaks! and I'll tell ye why yell sleep here. Aen't ye opposite the Hull packet that sails tomorrow?'
" ' And what is the Hull packet to me?' I responded.
"'Why jist because 1 know from the guns and fishin'-rods that yer only goin' on the ran-tan: and is it anything to the like of you whether ye head to Hull or Berwick?' "And before I could exert free agency or enter a protest, the villain had every- article appertaining to me abstracted from the cab, and regularly shouldered up- stairs by the porters. " ' Iiav'n't I in less than no time made yer honour snug for the nightr ex- claimed the 'hereditary bondsman,' grinning with evident satisfaction at his °wawa, address, and holding out his hand 'for the consideration which he calculatied _ to follow. He saw a bhilling in my hand; and, as if the monetary trans er bad been already legally effected, he lauded me for my liberality., "'It's say knowin' the raal gentleman,' said red-head. Arrah ! bad luck to
me ! though, maybe you wouldn't believe it, but there's divils, wid decent coats upon them, that would put one off with a tanner or a fourpenny—may Cromwell' heavy curse attend the inventors of the last! From the moment I twigged yer honour, says I quietly to myself, "Stick to him, Peter Clancy, like wax; for he wouldn't condescend to reach an obligin' lad of your kind anything below a bob." "
The upshot is, that l'eter Clancy, like a valet of the stage, instals him- self as the tourist's servant, and they proceed to the Border vid Hull ; picking up tales from persons the author falls in with, or scenes and ob- servations from what passes before him, or Border legends from the nar- ratives of the natives, mixed up with a few gleanings from other fields : and such are the contents of Hill-side and Border Sketches.
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