No. CXLV.

VOL. XXV.

LET no enthusiast of the pastoral or romantic school, no fair reader, with eyes "deeply, darkly, beautifully blue," sneer at the title of my paper. I have written it after much and mature meditation.

It would be absurd to deny that the great and material changes, which our progress in civilization and the arts effect, should not impress literature, as well as manners; that the tone of our thoughts, as much as the temper of our actions, should not sympathize with the giant strides of inventive genius. We have but to look abroad, and confess the fact. The facilities of travel, which our day confers, have given a new and a different impulse to the human mind-the man is no longer deemed a wonder, who has journeyed some hundred miles from home-the miracle will soon be he, who has not been every where.

To persist, therefore, in dwelling on the same features, the same fortunes, and the same characters of mankind, while all around us is undergoing a great and a formidable revolution, appears to me as insane an effort, as though we should try to preserve our equilibrium during the shock of an earthquake.

The stage lost much of its fascination, when, by the diffusion of literature, men could read at home, what once they were obliged to go abroad to see. Historical novels, in the same way, failed to produce the same excitement, as the readers became more VOL. XXV.-No. 145.

conversant with the passages of history which suggested them. The battle and murder school, the raw-head and bloody-bones literature, pales before the commonest coroner's inquest in "The Times ;" and even Boz can scarce stand competition with the "vie intime" of a union work-house. What, then, is to be done! Quæ regio terræ remains to be explored? Have we not ransacked every clime and country, from the Russian to the Red Man? from the domestic habits of Sweden, to the wild life of the Prairies? have we not had kings and kaisers, popes, cardinals, and ministers to satiety? The land service and the sea service have furnished their quota of scenes; and I am not sure, but that the revenue and coast-guard may have been pressed into the service. Personalities have been a stock in trade to some-and coarse satires on wellknown characters of fashionable life, have made the reputation of others.

From the palace to the poor-house, from the forum to the factory, all has been searched and ransacked for a new view of life, or a new picture of manners. Some have even gone into the recesses of the earth, and investigated the arcana of a coal mine, in the hope of eliciting a novelty. Yet, all this time, the great reformer has been left to accomplish his operations without note or comment; and while thundering along the earth, or ploughing the sea, with giant speed and giant power, men have not endeavoured to track his

B

influence upon humanity, nor work out any evidences of those strange changes he is effecting over the whole surface of society. The steam-engine is not merely a power to turn the wheels of mechanism-it beats and throbs within the heart of a nation, and is felt in every fibre, and recognized in every sinew of civilized man.

How vain, to tell us now of the lover's bark skimming the midnight sea, or speak of a felucca, and its pirate crew, stealing stealthily across the waters. A suitor would come to seek his mistress in the Iron Duke, of three hundred horse-power; and a smuggler would have no chance, if he had not a smoking galley, with Watts' patent boilers!

What absurdity, to speak of a runaway couple, in vain pursued by an angry parent on the road to Gretnagreen-an express engine, with a stoker and a driver, would make the deserted father overtake them in no time!

Instead of the characters of a story remaining stupidly in one place, the novelist now can conduct his tale to the tune of thirty miles an hour, and start his company in the first class of the Great Western. No difficulty to preserve the unities! Here he journeys with bag and baggage, and can bring twenty or more families along with him, if he like. Not limiting the description of scenery to one place, or spot, he whisks his reader through a dozen counties in a chapter, and gives him a bird's-eye glance of half England as he goes; thus, how original the breaks which would arise from an occasional halt, what an afflicting interruption to a love story, the cry of the guard, "Coventry, Coventry, Coventry;" or any gentleman, "Tring, Tring, Tring," with the more agreeable interjection of "tea, or coffee, sir-one brandy and soda-water-Times, Chronicle, or Globe."

How would the great realties of life flash upon the reader's mind, and how insensibly would he amalgamate fact with fiction! And lastly, think, reflect, what new catastrophe would open upon an author's vision; for, while to the gentler novelist, like Mrs. Gore, an eternal separation might ensue from starting with the wrong train-the bloody-minded school would revel in explosions and concussions-rent boilers, Insane luggage trains, flattening the

old gentlemen like buffers. Here is a vista for imagination-here is scope for at least fifty years to come. I do not wish to allude to the accessary consequences of this new literary school, though I am certain music and the fine arts would both benefit by its introduction, and one of the popular melodies of the day would be" We met, 'twas in a tunnel." I hope my literary brethren will appreciate the candour and generosity with which I point out to them this new and unclaimed spot in Parnassus. No petty jealousies no miserable self-interests, have weighed with me-I am willing to give them a share in my discovered country, well aware that there is space and settlement for us all-locations for every fancy-allotments for every quality of genius; for myself I reserve nothing-satisfied with the fame of a Columbus, I can look forward to a glorious future, and endure all the neglect and indifference of present ingratitude. Meanwhile, less with the hope of amusing the reader than illustrating my theory, I shall jot down some of my own experiences, and give them a short series of the "Romance of a railroad."

But, ere I begin, let me make one explanation for the benefit of the reader and myself.

The class of literature which I am now about to introduce to the public, unhappily debars me from the employment of the habitual tone and the ordinary aids to interest, prescriptive right has conferred on the novelist. I can neither commence with" It was late in the winter of 1754, as three travellers," &c. &c. ; or, "The sun was setting;" or, The moon was rising;" or, "The stars were twinkling;" or, "On the 15th Feb., 1573, a figure, attired in the costume of northern Italy, was seen to blow his nose;" or, in fact, is there a single limit to the mode in which I may please to open my tale; my way lies in a country where there are no roads, and there is no one to cry out, "keep your own side of the way." Now, then, for

66 THE WHITE LACE BONNET." Ir is about two years since I was one of that strange and busy mob of some five hundred people, who were assembled on the platform in the Eustonsquare station a few minutes previous

to the starting of the morning mailtrain for Birmingham. To the unoccupied observer the scene might have been an amusing one-the little domestic incidents of leave-taking and embracing the careful looking after luggage and parcels the watchful anxieties for a lost cloak, or a stray carpet bag, blending with the affectionate farewells of parting, are all curious, while the studious preparations for comfort of the old gentleman in the coupé, oddly contrast with similar arrangements on a more limited scale by the poor soldier's wife in the third-class carriage.

Small as the segment of humanity is, it is a type of the great world to which it belongs.

I sauntered carelessly along the boarded terrace, investigating, by the light of the guard's lantern, the inmates of the different carriages-and, calling to my assistance my tact as a physiognomist as to what party I should select for my fellow-passengers-" not in there, assuredly," said I to myself, as I saw the aquiline noses and dark eyes of two Hamburgh Jews; "nor here, either-I cannot stand a day in a nursery; nor will this party suit me, that old gentleman is snoring already;" and so I walked on until at last I bethought me of an empty carriage, as at least possessing negative benefits, since positive ones were denied me. Scarcely had the churlish determination seized me, when the glare of the light fell upon the side of a bonnet of white lace, through whose transparent texture a singularly lovely Features, profile could be seen.

purely Greek in their character, tinged with a most delicate colour, were defined by a dark mass of hair, worn in a deep band along the cheek almost to the chin. There was a sweetness-a look of guileless innocence in the character of the face which, even by the flitting light of the lantern, struck me strongly. I made the guard halt, and peeped into the carriage as if seeking for a friend. By the uncertain flickering, I could detect the figure of a man, apparently a young one, by the lady's side; the carriage had no other traveller. "This will do," thought I, as I opened the door, and took my place on the opposite side.

Every traveller knows that locomotion must precede conversation ;

the veriest common-place cannot be hazarded, till the piston is in motion, or the paddles are flapping. The word "go on," is as much for the passengers as the vehicle, and the train and the tongues are set in movement together; as for myself, I have been long upon the road, and might travestie the words of our native poet, and say

My home is on the highway."

I have therefore cultivated, and I trust, with some success, the tact of divining the characters, condition, and rank of my fellow-travellers-the speculation on whose peculiarities, has often served to wile away the tediousness of many a wearisome road, and many an uninteresting journey.

The little lamp which hung aloft, gave me but slight opportunity of prosecuting my favourite study on this occasion. All that I could trace, was the outline of a young and delicatelyformed girl, enveloped in a cachmere shawl-a slight and inadequate muffling for the road at such a season. gentleman at her side was attired in what seemed a dress-coat, nor was he provided with any other defence agaiust the cold of the morning.

66

The

Scarcely had I ascertained these two facts, when the lamp flared, flickered, and went out, leaving me to speculate on these vague, but yet remarkable traits in the couple before me. "What can they be?” "who are they?" "where do they come from?" "where are they going?" were all questions which naturally presented themselves to me in turn; yet, every inquiry resolved itself into the one, why has she not a cloak? why has not he got a Petersham?" Long and patiently did I discuss these points with myself, and framed numerous hypotheses to account for the circumstance-but still with comparatively little satisfaction, as objections presented themselves to each conclusion; and although, in turn, I had made him a runaway clerk from Coutts's, a Liverpool actor, a member of the swell-mob, and a bagman-yet I could not, for the life of me, include her in the category of such an individual's companions. Neither spoke, so that from their voices, that best of all tests, nothing could be learned.

Wearied by my doubts, and worried by the interruption to my sleep, the

early rising necessitated, I fell soon into a sound doze, lulled by the soothing" strains" a locomotive so eminently is endowed with. The tremulous quavering of the carriage, the dull roll of the heavy wheels, the convulsive beating and heaving of the black monster itself, gave the tone to my sleeping thoughts, and my dreams were of the darkest. I thought that, in a gloomy silence, we were journeying over a wild and trackless plain, with no sight nor sound of man, save such as accompanied our sad procession; that dead and leafless trees were grouped about, and roofless dwellings and blackened walls marked the dreary earth; dark sluggish streams stole heavily past, with noisome weeds upon their surface; while along the sedgy banks, sat leprous and glossy reptiles, glaring, with round eyes, upon us. Suddenly, it seemed as if our speed increased; the earth and sky flew faster past, and objects became dim and indistinct; a misty maze of dark plain, and clouded heaven, were all I could discern; while straight in front, by the lurid glare of a fire, whose sparks flitted round and about, two dark shapes danced a wild and goblin measure, tossing their black limbs with frantic gesture, while they brandished in their hands bars of seething iron; one, larger, and more dreadful than the other, sung in a "rauque" voice, that sounded like the clank of machinery, a rude song, beating time to the tune with his iron bar. The monotonous measure of the chant, which seldom varied in its note, sank deep into my chilled heart-and I think I hear still,

"Bang, bang, bang," said I, aloud, repeating this infernal "refrain," and with an energy that made my two fellow-travellers burst out laughing. This awakened me from my sleep, and enabled me to throw off the fearful incubus which rested on my bosom ; so strongly, however, was the image of my dream-so vivid the picture my mind had conjured up-and stranger than all, so perfect was the memory of the demoniac song, that I could not help relating the whole vision, and repeating for my companions the words, as I have here done for the reader. As I proceeded in my narrative, I had ample time to observe the couple before me. The lady, for it is but suitable to begin with her, was young, she could scarcely have been more than twenty-and looked, by the broad daylight, even handsomer than by the glare of the guard's lantern; she was

slight, but as well as I could observe, her figure was very gracefully formed, and with a decided air of elegance, detectable even in the ease and repose of her attitude. Her dress was of pale blue silk, around the collar of which she wore a profusion of rich lace, of what peculiar loom I am, unhappily, unable to say-nor would I allude to the circumstance, save, that it formed one of the most embarrassing problems in my efforts at divining her rank and condition; never was there such a travelling costume, and although it suited perfectly the frail and delicate beauty of the wearer, it ill accorded with the dingy "conveniency" in which we journeyed-even to her shoes and stockings, for I noticed these-the feet were perfect and gloves; all the details of her dress had a freshness and propriety one rarely or ever sees encountering the wear and tear of the road. The young gentleman at her side for he, too, was scarcely more than five-and-twenty, at most—was also attired in a costume as little like that of a traveller-a dress-coat and evening waistcoat, over which a profusion of chains were festooned in that mode so popular in our day, showed that he certainly, in arranging his costume, had other thoughts than of wasting such attractions on the desert air of a railroad journey. He was a good-looking young fellow, with that mixture of frankness and careless ease the youth of England so eminently possess, in contradistinction to the young men of other countries; his manner and voice both attested that he belonged to a good class; and the general courtesy of his demeanour showed one who had lived in society. While he evinced an evident desire to enter into conversation and amuse his companion, there was still an appearance of agitation and incertitude about him, which showed that his mind was wandering very far from the topic before him. More than once checked himself, in the course of some casual merriment, and became suddenly grave-while, from time to time, he whispered to the young lady, with an appearance of anxiety and eagerness, all his endeavours could not effectually conceal. She, too, seemed agitated-but, I thought, less

So

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than he; it might be, however, that from the habitual quietude

of her manner, the traits of emotion were less detectable by a stranger. We had not journeyed far, when several new travellers entered the carriage, and thus broke up the little intercourse which had begun to be established between us. The new arrivals were amusing enough in their way—there was a hearty old Quaker from Leeds, who was full of a dinner party he had been at with Feargus O'Connor, the day before; there was an interesting young fellow who had obtained a fellowship at Cambridge, and was going down to visit his family; and lastly, a loud-talking, loud-laughing member of the tail, in the highest possible spirits at the prospect of Irish politics, and exulting in the festivities he was about to witness at Derrynane Abbey, whither he was then proceeding with some other Danaides, to visit, what Tom Steele calls," his august leader." My young friends, however, partook little in the amusement the newly arrived travellers afforded; they neither relished the broad, quaint, common sense of the Quaker-the conversational cleverness of the Cambridge man-or the pungent, though somewhat coarse, drollery of the "Emeralder." They sat either totally silent or conversing in a low, indistinct murmur, with their heads turned towards each other. The Quaker left us at Warwick-the "Fellow" took his leave soon afterand the O' somebody was left behind at a station; the last thing I heard of him, being his frantic shouting as the train moved off, while he was endeavouring to swallow a glass of hot brandy and water. We were alone then once more, but somehow the interval which had occurred had chilled the warm current of our intercourse; perhaps, too, the effects of a long day's journey were telling on us all, and we felt that indisposition to

converse which steals over even the most habitual traveller towards the close of a day on the road. Partly from these causes, and more strongly still from my dislike to obtrude conversation upon those whose minds were evidently pre-occupied, I too lay back in my seat and indulged my own reflections in silence. I had sat for some time thus, I know not exactly how long, when the voice of the young lady struck on my ear; it was one of those sweet, tinkling, silver sounds whic