_Leaves of a Life._ So MONTAGU WILLIAMS, Q.C., and Worthy Beak, styles
his Reminiscences. The Leaves are fresh, and will be Evergreen.
Nothing in his Life has become him so well as his leave-ing it. I
fancy that the most popular part of it will be the early days--his
salad days--when his leaves were at their greenest. Certainly, to all
old Etonians, the opening of Volume One must prove the most
interesting part of the two books; and after this, in point of
interest to the general reader, will rank all the stories about
persons whose names, for evident reasons, the learned Reminiscenser
cannot give in full. When you read about what enormities "C----"
committed, and what an unmitigated scoundrel "D----'s" brother was,
there is in the narrative a delightful element of mystery, and an
inducement to guess, which will excite in many a strong desire for a
private key, which, of course, could not be placed in any publisher's
hands, except under such conditions as hamper the trustee of the
_Talleyrand Memoirs_.
Mr. WILLIAMS has better stories of Sergeant BALLANTINE than the latter
had of himself in his own book. But I should like more of the MONTAGU
out of Court--more of the behind-the-scenes of the cases in which he
was engaged or interested. All his book is written in a dashing style,
and there would be an enormous demand for a third volume, which might
be all dash--C---- D---- E----; every letter of the alphabet dash--a
dash'd good book, in fact, giving us the toothsome _fond d'artichaut_
after the "leaves" have been disposed of. But that this should be the
strong feeling expressed not alone by the Baron DE B.-W., but by very
many readers, is proof sufficient of the art with which these
Reminiscences have been compiled, so as, according to _Sam Weller's_
prescription for a love-letter, to make us "wish there was more of
it." By the way, I doubt whether WHATELEY'S _Evidences of
Christianity_ was the work that MONTAGU WILLIAMS was dozing over
during "Sunday Private" in pupil-room; doesn't he mean PALEY's
_Evidences_? Also, wasn't the old College Fellow's name spelt PLUMTRE,
or PLUMPTRE, not PLUMPTREE? However, the Baron is less likely to be
right than the Magistrate, who is evidently blessed with a wonderfully
retentive memory.
My faithful Co. reports that he has read _On the Children_, a not very
interesting novel, by ANNIE THOMAS, otherwise Mrs. PENDER CUDLIP. The
story deals with a young girl, who, after serving in a village
newspaper shop, marries the local nobleman, and no doubt lives happily
ever afterwards. Persons who are interested in the doings of the class
JEAMES calls the "hupper suckles," will perhaps be a little
disappointed, as, truth to tell, the narrative is rather homely. Many
of the characters seem to have that exaggerated awe of rank which used
to be characteristic of the tales in the _London Journal_. The book
should, however, be welcome in the homes of some of the lower middle
class.
BARON DE BOOK-WORMS & Co.
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MR. PARKER SMITH, the recently elected M.P., appeared in the House
looking Partickularly happy.
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[Illustration: Mr Punch's suggestion for the Betterment of Parliament