194 



Monthly Review of Literature, 



[FEB. 



had been taken by force from a well-known 

 Indian chief, under the impressions of duty, 

 to make them Christians. -The girl was 

 about fourteen, of extraordinary grace and 

 beauty, strong feelings, and resolute tem- 

 per full of truth and rectitude, but retain- 

 ing an ineffaceable recollection of the inju- 

 ries inflicted on herself and parents by being 

 thus torn from them a hatred of Chris- 

 tians, and a steady adherence to the faith 

 of her fathers ; not incapable of affection for 

 others, for she was most grateful for the 

 kindness of the Fletcher family, and be- 

 tween the eldest boy and herself was spring- 

 ing up an attachment that was likely to end, 

 as no American of those times, nor any 

 of these more enlightened days, could pa- 

 tiently contemplate. 



Mr. Fletcher left his peaceful home for 

 Boston to fetch his two youthful wards, 

 Hope and Faith Leslie. Faith he imme- 

 diately sent forward with her aunt ; but 

 business detaining him at Boston, he kept 

 Hope with him, and in a few days pro- 

 ceeded homewards full of fond and con- 

 fiding feelings, Mr. Fletcher to rejoin his 

 family, and Hope her sister, and see her 

 cousin Everell, of whom she had heard so 

 much ; on their arrival, they found, instead 

 of the dearest objects of their affections, a 

 house of desolation. The Indians, headed 

 by the father of Magawisca and Oneco, had 

 visited the scene, and butchered the mother 

 and children all but Everell, the eldest 

 boy, who was destined for sacrifice, and lit- 

 tle Faith Leslie, who was carried away by 

 the lex talionis. Everell was finally rescued 

 from destruction by Magawisca, who at the 

 very last moment rushed in between her 

 father and his victim, and received herself 

 the falling axe, which in its descent swept 

 off her arm. 



Everell was now despatched to England 

 for a season, and Hope and his father were 

 left each to lament their bereavements. But 

 Hope is of a gay and lively temperament, 

 and though not ridiculing or defying the 

 restraints, which obstructed her movements 

 at every turn, yet frequently restive, and 

 offending against them till it was thought 

 advisable by the ruling powers to take her 

 from her guardian, and place her for a time, 

 as has been said, under Governor Winthrop 

 and his lady's more controlling guidance. 

 While residing with this family at Boston, 

 young Everell returns, a handsome youth, 

 full of energy, and activity, and ardour, and 

 meets Hope in the streets in company with 

 another lady. Hope, as ardent and natural 

 as himself, rushes into his arms; but quickly 

 coming to her recollection, she introduces 

 her companion, between whom and Everett 

 a recognition takes place. They had known 

 each other in England. They had lived in 

 the same house ; Miss Downing had loved 

 him, and in a fit of sickness, and apparently 

 on her death bed, had disclosed to him her 

 passion with all the purity and delicacy of a 

 Puritan maid. Everell was grateful, but 



not enamoured, and the intercourse had not 

 been renewed. Hope to herself seemed 

 attached to Everell only by sisterly ties ; 

 she quickly penetrated her friend's secret, 

 and, in the romance of her feelings, she 

 exerted every effort to promote their union, 

 and finally brought about a pledge of union. 

 But, too soon, for her own comfort, she de- 

 tected her own fond leaning to Everell; 

 and he also, all along a passive instrument 

 in her hands, and thinking her indifferent 

 to him, but himself burning with admiration 

 of her, discovers his mistake. Of all these 

 mal-a-prop matters, a good deal is made, 

 and very successfully. 



In the meanwhile, Hope, who never for- 

 got the sister who had been carried away by 

 the Indians, receives intelligence of her, 

 and at last has a meeting with Magawisca, 

 and eventually with her sister. The greatest 

 secrecy with respect to this meeting is in- 

 sisted on by Magawisca, and in the arrange- 

 ments Hope exposes herself to a good deal 

 of suspicion and obloquy from all parties. 

 The meeting at last takes place the sister 

 is now the wife of Oneco and he and his 

 father, though not in sight, are close at 

 hand. By the interposition of a meddling 

 person, to serve his own purposes, the meet- 

 ing is interrupted, and Faith and Maga- 

 wisca are seized, and Oneco, in his turn, 

 catches Hope in his arms, and flies with her 

 to a boat, holding her as an hostage. She 

 escapes with difficulty. Faith is taken to 

 the governor's house, and every effort is 

 made by Hope to detach her from the In- 

 dians, but in vain she has forgotten her 

 native language, and is essentially an In- 

 dian. Magawisca is thrown into prison on 

 a charge of conspiracy against the colony. 

 Everell and Hope resolve on rescuing her, 

 and in their efforts are so frequently brought 

 together, and so united in purpose, that the 

 long repressed flame breaks out in spite of 

 every thing. Everell applies to Miss Down- 

 ing for aid ; but she has scruples ; though 

 the kindest, and most generous, and gentle 

 of human beings, she dreads offending 

 against what she believes a prohibition of 

 scripture the orders of the magistrates. 

 Hope plunges in recklessly. She is filled 

 with gratitude to Magawisca ; Magawisca, 

 too, suspects her of treachery, and that im- 

 pression must at all hazards be removed. That 

 object is effected, and Magawisca is rescued; 

 and Oneco, in the meanwhile, by stratagem, 

 recovers his bride. Miss Downing gene- 

 rously resigns her claim to Everell, and sails 

 for England ; and, with the concurrence of 

 every body at last, Everell and Hope are 

 united. 



The Americans, we observe, in propor- 

 tion as they write better, take fewer liber- 

 ties with language than they did. We re- 

 marked as we went along ft&wwrous and 

 variant. Flavourous, to be sure, might be 

 borne with, and a little use make it accept- 

 able, because it m.iy be said to be wanted ; 

 but for variant there is no excuse, while 



