LETTERS OF MISS RIVERSDALE. 
has not suffered the advantages of an 
extensive intercourse with mankind to 
pass unheeded away. In a sort of pre- 
fatory advertisement some anxiety as to 
the success of this ‘artless tale’ is ex- 
pressed, from the prevailing taste of the 
day for the marvellous dramatic ; con- 
trary to the usual mode of dressing fic- 
tion in the semblance of truth, we are 
told, that in the present instance pains 
have been taken to dress truth in the 
garb of fiction; * still it is fiction so 
devoid of adventure, so little deviating 
_ from the natural result of the genuine 
_ workings of a susceptible mind, that its 
chief claim to interest must rest upon 
the corresponding emotion it will excite 
- in every unsophisticated honest heart.’ 
The mere story, indeed, is so extremely 
simple, that we should convey a very 
inadequate and injurious idea of this 
novel by a dry and meagre relation of 
it: Miss Riversdale, who addresses these 
letters to her absent brother, is at a very 
. early age impressed with a deep sense of 
gratitude to Colonel Malcolm, for the 
parental guardianship which he assumes 
over her conduct. Young, beautiful, 
amiable, and accomplished, protected 
_ only by a mother, who for the advantage 
of conferring on her daughter an unex- 
pensive education, had left her native 
country and retired to Geneva, Miss 
Riversdale is exposed to the flattery of 
_ fops, and the artfulness of knaves. Mal- 
~ colm warns her of the danger, but his 
friendship is not perfectly disinterested : 
_ the charms of his protégée make an im- 
_ pression on his heart, and notwithstand- 
¥ ing the very great disparity of years 
'* between them, he is induced, from the 
frequent and sincere expressions of es- 
'teem and gratitude which had flowed 
' from her lips, to hope that he may have 
» inspired her with a more tender passion. 
’ Sheadmits his addresses; but the colonel, 
with an honest and an honourable heart, 
is haughty, coarse;and intemperate: his 
love degenerates into jealousy, and the 
workings of this turbulent and detested 
passion are strikingly pourtrayed in the 
character of Malcolm. His suspicions 
are excited to the very highest pitch: by 
the assiduities of Prince Polinski, a most 
a complished character, into whose com- 
ypany Louisa Riversdale is frequently 
hrown, and to whose talents, virtue, and 
race of body and of mind she is far 
from being indifferent. 
_ To the unreasonableness of his-jea- 
607 
‘lousy in its commencement, Colonel 
Malcolm might fairly have attributed 
the too just grounds for it which now 
existed: it had so frequently hurried 
him into violence, and even brutality 
of behaviour towards Miss R. that 
all her friends were alarmed at the cer- 
tain misery which awaited her. The 
attachment of Miss R. indeed had been 
so sensibly weakened, that she had un- 
guardedly expressed a conviction that 
the fulfitment of her engagement with 
the Colonel would make her wretched; 
nevertheless, she says, “ I must abide by 
it ; from the dictates of honour there is 
no appeal.”? Under such an impression, 
happiness in the marriage state is not 
to be looked for; and Lady Riversdale, 
without the knowledge of her daughter, 
addresses a letter to Colonel Malcolm, 
who is at Venice, stating the situation of 
Louisa’s feelings, and throwing her upon 
his honour for releasing her from an en- 
gagement which she is determined to 
fulfil, although it blasts every hope of 
happiness. ‘The colonel, before he re- 
plies to Lady R. writes to Louisa, in- 
credulous that her affections were so 
estranged: “ no pen but your own shall 
make me believe it. Iawait my fate at 
your hands.” 
Lady Mary Melville is a character 
who effectually forwards the action of 
the piece here: in earlier life she had 
been fascinated with the accomplish- 
ments of Colonel Malcolm, who was not 
equally sensible of her charms. The 
brother of Lady Mary, a Scotch gentle- 
man of fortune, who affectionately sym- 
pathized with his sister's sufferings, had 
deviated from the ordinary delicacies 
which prchibit the unsolicited avowal of 
a female passion, and had gone so far 
as to make overtures to the colonel in 
behalf of one who had. 
let concealment 
Like a worm 7’ the bud, feed on her damask 
cheek.” 
The colonel, however, was too mucha 
man of honour to bestow his hand where 
he could not give his heart :,a sincere 
friendship had nevertheless been. culti- 
vated between them, and some recent 
acts of disinterestedness on the part of 
the lady, had given it additional force 
and ardor. Our readers will not failto 
recognise in this story some of the fea 
tures of Clementina, in Sir Charles’ 
Grandison. RE BW TC te 
