THE AFTERNOON OF UNMARRIED LIFE.*
Es-- these essays on the life of single gentlewomen who have reached a certain age, the reader will discover some improvement on "Morning Clouds," albeit the opening expectations are rather disappointed. The first chapter places before us a lady who has been charming, and is still interesting, surrounded by accompa- niments consonant to her position. There is an early autumn sun with its bright sunshine and richness of vegetation, lint speaking of the fruit rather than the flower ; and a lime, one side of whose branches "has thin and yellow leaves already, and a few here and there looking golden on the shady side of the tree,—the sunshine passed by them many hours ago." Two little children are hunt- ing for chesnuts with the happy eagerness of childhood ; a gay party are practising archery on the broad grass terrace beyond the trees ; and the lone spinster sighs and turns away, feeling not quite well though nothing really ails her, and listless, from not caring for anything to do. " Work ? No,. it leaves too much, scope for painful thoughts,. and music would be no music today, every not would bring to mind jarring discords between the past and present. How often had that same instrument felt her light touch in by-gone days, and brilliantly expressed her joyousness. Let it be silent now. Why not draw ? Because she feels too indifferent about everything to make it worth while. What is the use of cultivating her talents ? hat do they avail her ? No one takes an interest in them, or cares much for her success. (A pathetic fallacy' this.) Once her father, and once some one else whom both he and she loved rather better than he deserved, had praised her artistic taste ; now it is a thing only remembered in old portfolios and fireside annals of another time. "Cannot any of those books in so many languages, on so many themes, speak home to her present feelings, and occupy her mind with their empha- tic words ? Not one, at least not one of the few she has taken up or looked at with intent to open ; for every power of the mind is in abeyance, or busy accumulatino.* all imaginable pretexts for sighing.
"Another five minutes gloomily spentinaimlesaemotions, and then blank time is suddenly filled with the joy of a little child,.
"A rosy little girl, not much above four years olditiots in holding a small tabby kitten in a basket sweet with cleats hay. 'Auntie, look ! Uncle Herbert gave it to me ; he said I might bring it in to show you ; is n't it beautiful ? You shall have it on your own lap, Auntie, for a few minutes.'
"The heaviest heart can hardly refuse to sympathise with a happy child. My poor idler smiles gladly- the child and the kitten are together on her lap, and she feels some of the happiness which the-1.4k one meant her to share."
A pleasant interruption to sad thoughts ; but unluckily the course of what seemed to be precept speaking by example is in- terrupted too. Instead of a succession of sketches (which would be less haeknied than tales) of ladies who remained single, and illustrated the "afternoon of unmarried life" by varied useful- ness, the reader comes upon a series of essays. These are well planned and well intended; for they first treat of the inner life • The Afternoon of Unmarried Life. By the Author of Morning Clouds," Published by Longmans and Co.
dies or pursuits ; and thensliscuss col:duet and the best way of kind of manufacture.
in regard fa the cultivation of character frame of mind, and,stu- graving, is a necessary sequence, when art drops lath a 1""-aalier
exciting an interest in life by serving others. The execution is also good,; earnest, thoughtful, reflective, with many practical suggestions. But, as in the "Morning Clouds," the tone and treatment are for the naoat part, rather too grave—they rather verge upon the didactic sermon, than the essay animated by pic- tures of the kind: of life it seeks to illustrate and enforce. - The. maltivincommoda" of advancing years have been con- tinually dwelt upon by moralists and satirists. The countervail- ing advantages are not so frequent a theme, as being less obvious and striking. But, as nature is a "mother kind alike to all," they must exist. Our authoress touches upon two, though she scarcely develops them completely ; the greater value set upon time, and, with right-minded elderly people, the greater use made of it, and a keener sense of beauty as age approaches.
"In youth we knew little of the 'worth of present time ; probably it was valued mainly with regard to some future, or occupied by the thou„,..hts of some regretted past; but now, the many deceits of hope, and the bitters occasionally offered by memory to the referted mind," shut us up into the present more frequently, and from single-hearted attention to the husbandry of present things, we may derive permanent vigour, which no previous feel- ing.cotild have enabled us to anticipate."
- • "I believe people are more capable of receiving joy from beauty in middle age than they were in adolescence, the heart always snatching first at plea- sures which begin and end in self, and being taught slowly and with pain, that it is to have no share in the joy of the loveliness it sees, except by dis- interested admiration; and it is certain that whatever we lose of self-inter- est we may gain in some other interest far more rejoicing, and freer from alloy. I doubt if any one adequately values the common gifts of nature, xaoonlight and clouds, sunrises and sunsets, song of birds, and wealth of powers, until strong afflictions have broken down selfwill, and made the heart as meek as a little child's."
The. tendency to sister-hoods which agrees with the joint- stock tendencies of the time and its disposition to be vicariously virtuous, is disapproved of by oui. author—perhaps from her anti- Romish feelings.
"The zeal for doing good that now prevails, where once luxury and self- indulgence corrupted society without any check from public opinion, may almost be called a fashion among us ; and English liberality and English vigour have promoted means of doing good that a century ago were proba- bly as unimagined as our submarine telegraphs and Leviathan steamer. But fashion, however well disposed, is not always wise or far-sighted ; and it appears to me that in some favourite modes of beneficence there has been more proof of benevolence than of the wisdom which inures suocess.
"I refer, as one instance of this, to the various attemps at sisterhoods which have been made, in defiance of national prejudices that are too strongly rooted in our national temperament to be prudently or successfully withstood ; before I go further, I should admit that, in spite of all the good which I zratehilly admit these sisterhoods may have effectedt I am strongly prejudiced against sisterhoods of any description. * * * * 'Supposing it to be allowed as a fact that for public benefit sisterhoods may sometimes be useful; that -here individual advantage ought to be sacriticedto the good of the commonwealth; still, with regard to the unmarried women themselves who have money and leisure for the service of their fellow creatures I do not see how they can employ their abilities better than among those oetheir own relations or friends who stand in need of help, or comfort, or com- panionship. Nor (with the exception of a few singularly unfortunate in their natural position) can I imagine any woman in the best-ordered sister- hood so advantageously placed as she who keeps to home duties, or who, in the possible default of these, devotes.herself to those who have the strongest claim upon her in private life."
"Charity begins at home," and there is undoubtedly force in this kit remark. Still some relations do not want our help. Others will not have it; at least in the way we can or are inclined to render it. If we go beyond relations to neighbours or the r, tact, nerve, and let us say confidence are requisite to intro- nee us. Genius is necessary to do good, perhaps to act effectively. Both genius and action are supplied by the founders or heads of religious or charitable bodies. Associations also give self-reliance and. even authority ; what is perhaps as much as all put together, they teach how to "set about it." Where to go, which isolated, single women with the best intentions may not know, what to aim at, and how to help others, or put people in the way of helping themselves. ''I
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